Plain language

Use language that most people know and understand. Don’t use jargon. For example, a traffic engineer would use the term ‘signalised intersection’. Most other people would use the term ‘traffic lights’.

Plain language top tips

• Think about what your reader needs from your content.
• Think about structure—put the most important information first.
• List one idea per paragraph.
• Use headings to help people find information.
• Think about word choice—many Australians have low literacy.
• Don’t use jargon or terms that aren’t understood or widely used. This also benefits people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who may not be familiar with Australian turns of phrase.
• Use active voice—emphasise the person or thing doing the action.
• Keep sentences short—between 15 and 25 words.

Find out more

• Australian Style Manual: Simple words to replace complicated words