Plain language
We at Hennepin County have joined the international plain language movement and are committed to communicating to the public using language that is easy to understand.
Plain language definition
A communication is in plain language if its wording, structure, and design are so clear that the intended readers can easily:
- Find what they need
- Understand what they find
- Use that information
Learn more about plain language by watching our video.
Applying plain language
How to apply plain language to your communications
The goal is to be clear, concise and scannable.
- Avoid acronyms and jargon
- Include only what your audience needs
- Organize your text so that key information is easy to find
- Use headings and empty space to help readers scan the information to find what they need
Print it
- The Center for Plain Language created a clear communications checklist (PDF)
Why use plain language
More than 36 million Americans have limited English literacy, and all of us struggle with jargon we are unfamiliar with. Benefits of using plain language include:
- Increased audience satisfaction and understanding of message
- Increased access to services and benefits and increased compliance with regulations
- Decreased costs to the organization through reduced phone calls and faster processing
In addition, documents written using plain language are more likely to meet accessibility standards and are easier to translate.
Learn more about plain language
- International Plain Language Federation — organization that promotes the public benefits of plain language and works to establish world-wide standards
- Federal plain language website — the government's home for information on plain language
- Essentials of plain language — video overview of plain language and how to apply it
- Center for Plain Language — an organization dedicated to promoting plain language in government and business
- Minnesota Department of Revenue videos:
- Usability.gov — the federal government's resource to help make websites more usable, useful, and accessible
- Plain Language Association International — a nonprofit organization dedicated to the use of plain language