Plain language guide series | Digital.gov

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Plain language – content that is clear and easy to understand – is critical to helping the public to make sense of their obligations and benefits. These guides are designed to help web managers and content strategists to understand why and how to create content that readers can understand. Not only is plain language more efficient and effective. It is also the law.<br>The Plain Writing Act of 2010 established the requirement that content for the public is written for its specific audience. These guides help you to understand how to create, design and test content so your specific audience understands it.

Featured resources

Principles of plain language

Overview of plain language principles, writing for your audience, and the Plain Writing Act of 2010.

Explore principles of plain language

Writing for understanding

An overview of how to write clear content that follows plain language guidelines.

Explore writing for understanding

Design for understanding

How content design can support plain language.

Explore design for understanding

Test for understanding

Learn how to test that your content is easily understandable.

Explore test for understanding

This content is adapted from PlainLanguage.gov

Selections of PlainLanguage.gov content–especially those most relevant for digital teams–have been carried forward in this set of plain language guides. All of the original content from the PlainLanguage.gov website is archived in the PlainLanguage.gov GitHub repository. Specific former pages are viewable in the Guidelines section of the repository.

Header image credit: Magnific

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