Letters and forms people can act on.

Who this is for

Clinics, credit unions, councils, townships, libraries and nonprofits that send letters, bills, notices and forms to the public.

If people often call to ask what your letter means, miss appointments they were told about, or send back forms half filled in, the problem is usually the writing, not the reader. This guide sets out the moves that make the biggest difference, with three worked examples and a checklist.

• Plain language is not “dumbing down”. GSA’s plain language guidance calls that one of the most common myths: plain language means writing for your audience, using words they understand. The UK government’s guidance adds that people with high literacy and specialist knowledge also prefer plain English, because they can understand it faster.
• For US federal agencies it is the law. The Plain Writing Act of 2010 requires executive agencies to use plain writing in documents about their benefits and services, and defines it as writing that is “clear, concise, well-organized” and suited to its audience. It does not apply to small organizations, but its standard is a good one to borrow.
• It is not unprofessional. NIH describes plain language as grammatically correct, with complete sentences and accurate words, and says it is not “talking down” to the reader.
• Canada’s government requires it too. The Canada.ca Content Style Guide says plain language is a requirement of the federal Directive on the Management of Communications.

When you have a draft, paste it into the plain-language checker to find long sentences, possible passive voice and formal words. It runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.

Lead with what the reader must do, and by when

Most people read the first lines of a letter and skim the rest.

• Start with the action or the news. “Your appointment is on Tuesday, March 9, at 9:30 a.m.” comes before any background. GSA’s guidance is to state your purpose and the bottom line first and put background toward the end; GOV.UK calls this frontloading.
• Put the deadline next to the action. “Pay $45 by April 30” rather than a payment instruction in one paragraph and a date in another.
• Say what happens if they do nothing, plainly and without threats: “If we do not hear from you by April 30, we will close the application.”
• Write to one reader as “you”, and call yourselves “we”. The CDC’s plain language checklist and the Australian Style Manual both recommend pronouns, which also make it clear who does what.
• If a letter has two audiences, split it. GSA advises addressing separate audiences separately, so each reader finds what applies to them.

One idea per sentence

Long sentences with several conditions are where readers get lost.

GSA’s guidance is to express only one idea in each sentence. Official style guides set similar limits:

• GOV.UK: try to split up sentences over 25 words, and keep paragraphs to five sentences or fewer.
• Australian Style Manual: an average of 15 words a sentence and no more than 25, especially online.
• CDC: an average of 20 words a sentence, one idea in each, and paragraphs of one topic and no more than five sentences.
• Canada.ca: break up long sentences (under 15 to 20 words is best), avoid sentences with lots of commas, and keep paragraphs to one idea and no more than three sentences.

These are limits for an average, not a rule for every line. A sentence of 30 words that reads easily is fine; three of them in a row usually is not. Split a long sentence where the ideas change, turn a series of conditions into a list, and move exceptions into their own sentence.

Everyday words, and jargon explained

Readers complain about jargon more than any other writing fault, according to GSA’s plain language guidance.

• Use the short, common word. GOV.UK’s examples: “buy” not “purchase”, “help” not “assist”, “about” not “approximately”. The Australian Style Manual and the CMS writing guidelines give similar lists.
• Watch for your organization’s own words. “Share draft account”, “outpatient department”, “solid waste” and “remittance” are normal at work and strange at home. Use the word your readers use: ask the people who answer your phones.
• Explain a term you have to use, where you first use it. Some words are necessary: a legal term, the name of a benefit, “deductible”. GOV.UK says specialist terms are not always jargon, but you need to explain what they mean the first time. GSA advises defining a word where you use it rather than in a list at the end.
• Use one word for one thing. If it is a “bill” in the heading, do not call it a “statement” and an “invoice” further down. GSA warns that changing terms makes readers wonder whether you mean something different.
• Spell out abbreviations the first time, or avoid them. The Australian Style Manual asks writers to expand acronyms on first use.
• Be careful with “shall”, “may” and “should”. GOV.UK uses “must” for a legal requirement, “need to” for a step in a process and “can” for an option. Readers rarely know what “shall” is meant to mean.

The plain-language checker has a list of over 220 formal words and phrases with plainer alternatives, and marks them in your text.

Say who does what: active voice

Passive sentences often hide who is responsible, and the reader is left to guess whether it is them.

In an active sentence the person or organization acting comes first: “We will send your card.” In a passive one, the thing acted on comes first, and the actor is often missing: “Your card will be sent.” GSA’s guidance notes that passive sentences usually have a form of “to be” (is, are, was, were, be, been) followed by a past participle, often ending in “-ed”. The CMS writing guidelines suggest looking for a “by” phrase and moving the actor to the front.

The passive is not wrong. GOV.UK notes it can work when the result matters more than who did it. Use it on purpose, not by habit.

Dates, amounts and contacts where people can find them

People come back to a letter to check one thing: when, how much, or who to call.

• Write dates in full, with the day. “Tuesday, March 9, 2027” cannot be misread. “03/09/2027” is March 9 in the US and 3 September in many other countries, and people who grew up elsewhere live everywhere.
• Write times the way people say them: “9:30 a.m.”, not “0930 hrs”.
• Give amounts in figures and say what they are for: “$45 for the visit on March 9”. Canada.ca notes that digits are easier to scan, and recommends them for numbers 10 and over and in lists of data.
• Group the details in one place near the top: when, where, how much, what to bring. A short “When / Where / Bring” block is easier to find than the same facts spread through paragraphs.
• Say who to contact, how and when. A named team or role, a phone number, the hours it is answered, and an email or address. If a reference number will be asked for, print it next to the phone number.

Headings, lists and layout

Good layout lets people find their part without reading everything.

• Use headings that say something. GSA and GOV.UK differ on questions. GSA suggests question headings (“How do I pay?”) when you know what people ask. GOV.UK says headings should not be questions, because they are hard to frontload and people want answers; it asks for descriptive, frontloaded headings and warns against generic ones such as “Introduction”. Either works for a letter: pick one style and use it throughout, and never use a heading that says nothing.
• Use lists for steps, options and things to bring. Number steps that must happen in order.
• Keep text left-aligned, leave white space, and avoid long stretches of capitals and italics. These are in AHRQ’s guidance for easy-to-read materials. GSA notes that text in capitals is harder to read.
• Use a readable type size and good contrast, and test a printed copy, not just the screen. Offer large print, audio or other formats to people who ask: AHRQ notes that some people with sight loss prefer large print or braille.
• Online, follow accessibility rules too. Our accessibility basics guide covers headings, links, contrast and forms on websites.

Other languages and interpreters

A clear letter in English is still unreadable to someone who does not read English.

• Know the languages your community uses, and send important letters in those languages where you can. AHRQ’s toolkit advises giving people materials in languages they and their caregivers understand.
• Add a short line in the main languages saying how to get help in that language, if you offer it. Put it where it will be seen, not only on the back page.
• Use qualified translators for anything important, and have a speaker of the language read the result. Plain English translates more accurately than formal English.
• Remember that reading and speaking are different. AHRQ notes that some people who do not read English may also have limited literacy in their own language. Offer to explain by phone or in person, with an interpreter.
• Check your own duties. Rules on language help differ by country, by funder and by sector (health care in particular), and they change. Ask your funder, regulator or lawyer what applies to you.

Before and after: three examples

Three common documents, rewritten. All three are invented for this guide.

Paste the “before” letter into the plain-language checker to see what it flags, then try your own.

Checking a form

A form is a conversation in which only you get to ask the questions. Make each one easy to answer.

Fill in your own form as if you were a client, then sit with one or two real users while they fill it in. Look for these problems:

• Questions people cannot answer. “Household income” for which period, and before or after tax? “Date of onset”? “Marital status” for someone separated but not divorced? Say exactly what you mean, give an example, and add “Not sure” or “Prefer not to say” where that is a true answer.
• Questions you do not need. AHRQ asks practices to check that forms ask only for “need to know” information, and ask for it only once. Every extra question costs the reader time and is more personal data you have to protect, keep and delete on time.
• Boxes that do not fit the answer. AHRQ also asks whether there is enough room to fill in the information. Leave space for long names, addresses and handwriting.
• No reason given. Say why you ask for sensitive things such as income, date of birth or a Social Security or other ID number, and say which questions are optional.
• Unclear formats. Show the format you want next to the box: “Date of birth (month, day, year)”.
• A signature without an explanation. Above a signature line, say in one or two plain sentences what the person is agreeing to.

Asking only for what you need is also a legal duty in many places. In the UK, for example, data minimisation is one of the data protection principles: the ICO explains that personal data must be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for your purpose. See privacy duties, country by country for the law where you are, and use the data map to record what each form collects and why.

Test with readers before you send

The only real test of a letter is whether the people who get it can act on it.

• Ask people to explain it back. GSA describes paraphrase testing: a reader goes through the text and says in their own words what each part means and what they would do. It suggests six to nine people for a short document. You will find the sentences everyone reads differently.
• Watch people use it. For a longer document or a web page, GSA suggests usability testing with three to five people who match your readers, not your own team.
• Ask what they would do. GSA gives the example of a letter readers said was clear, but which most would have answered by phoning, because “you will receive the new check shortly” did not say when. Giving an approximate date fixed it.
• Use a checklist. The CDC Clear Communication Index is a free, research-based tool for checking public materials, with four introductory questions and 20 scored items.
• Treat readability scores as a rough guide. AHRQ points out that readability formulas measure the length of words and sentences, not meaning: a high score signals difficulty, but a low score does not prove a text is easy to understand. Canada.ca says not to rely on them. Our plain-language checker shows one as a hint, alongside the things you can fix.

Before it goes out

Ten minutes with this list will catch most of the problems.

1. The point is firstThe first lines say what the reader must do, or what has happened, and by when.
2. One idea per sentenceNo sentence over about 25 words without a good reason; conditions and options in lists.
3. Everyday wordsFormal words replaced, necessary terms explained where they first appear, one word for one thing.
4. Who does whatActive voice wherever it is clear who acts, with “you” and “we”.
5. Findable detailsDates in full with the day, times as people say them, amounts in figures, all grouped near the top.
6. A way to askA named team, a phone number with its hours, and another way to get in touch.
7. Languages and formatsA line in your community’s main languages on getting help, and other formats on request.
8. Only what you needEvery question on the form has a purpose you can explain; optional ones are marked.
9. Read by a readerSomeone outside your team has explained it back to you, and you fixed what they misread.