Plain language is the art of writing so people instantly see you’re not out to confuse or mislead them. And it’s far harder than it looks.
Why do you write? Because you have a message you want someone to take away.
What's the stupidest thing you can do? To write in such a way that they don't get the message.
It sounds painfully obvious, yet it keeps happening: we lose ourselves in our own sentences, miss the right tone, use language our audience doesn’t understand, and end up putting needless barriers between the message and the reader.
At best, the target group doesn't understand what we want from them, or they don't realize that we want something from them. Atworst, they think we're going to kill them. The solution, not surprisingly, is to write clearly. To write in plain language.
Comprehensible text is inclusive
On its very useful page on the subject, the Swedish Language Council defines plain language as follows: "(...) communication that is so clear in its wording, structure and visual design that readers in the target group find the information they need, understand it and can use it."
Plain language is closely linked to universal design. In other words, the principle that "services should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, disability and level of education", as defined by Tilsynet for universell utforming av ikt . Everyone should be able to participate in society on equal terms, regardless of their circumstances.
Good and simple language promotes democracy and inclusion.
In fact, as of 2022, public bodies are required by law to communicate in clear and correct language that is adapted to the target group.
The simple is often the hardest
How can you become a democracy-promoting top writer, loved by your target audience and celebrated for your ability to say things so people understand them?
Write simple sentences. Use words the target group knows.
Don't complicate the hermeneutic interpretation process by using unfamiliar syntax, jargon or technical terms that not everyone knows the meaning of. Implementing best practice in your written communication doesn't have to be a long and complicated process.
Just write simply.
But writing simply is actually one of the hardest things you do. There's a reason why texts are constantly misunderstood and misinterpreted, and why people can't find the information they need from government agencies and private websites.
You certainly don't need to write a decision letter from NAV to benefit from practicing plain language. Are you selling a product, marketing a service or explaining to your employees why they won't get a bonus this year? Then you need to write in such a way that your target audience quickly and easily understands your message.
Then you should read our list of plain language tips.
15 tips for writing clear, sharp copy:
Know what you want.
Why are you writing? Should the reader sign up for a newsletter, buy your product or find out whether they are entitled to money or not? The goal sets clear guidelines for the text, so define the goal before you start writing.
Know who you're writing to.
Is the reader Gry (75, retired needlework teacher) or Guro (37, PhD student in underwater robotics)? It has a lot to do with how you write. Gry probably knows a lot that Guro doesn't, but only Guro knows what "electroactive polymer" and "potentiometer" mean. Words, arguments, level of difficulty and style must always be adapted to the recipient. Legal language belongs in an article for lawyers, not in an information letter to kindergarten parents.
Don't brag.
You probably know a whole bunch of great words that you've studied long and hard to learn. Good for you. But unless they're actually relevant to the message, you should keep them to yourself.
Explain.
Explain technical terms the first time you use them and write out abbreviations the first time they are mentioned.
Summarize your point in one sentence.
It is often a good idea to formulate your message in a focus sentence before you start writing. Feel free to have it physically in front of you, or write it at the top of the document. That way you won't get sidetracked.
Write shorter.
We almost always write too long. Read, cut and cut some more.
Read aloud to yourself.
Are your sentences hanging together? You wouldn't believe how easy it is to get lost in your own sentences.
Let others read.
It's much easier to assess someone else's text than your own. Always let others read. This can be done at many levels, from peer reading to testing on the target audience. It's almost always a good idea to let someone who doesn't have expertise in what you're writing about read what you write. Listen to the feedback, no matter how stupid you think it is. Something that is very clear in your head can often be very unclear to others.
Stay organized.
Divide your text into short paragraphs and write clear, informative headings. This will make it easier for the reader to find their way around and keep up with your text.
Be precise.
When you write, you know what "it", "this" and "this" refer to. However, the reader may not get it. Write what you actually mean, whether it's "the boat", "the report" or "this amazing blog post that I'm definitely going to share".
Use Norwegian words and expressions.
Do you write in Norwegian? Then write in Norwegian! Many foreign words and technical terms have Norwegian alternatives, so use them. The NorwegianLanguage Council's list of Norwegian replacement words is worth its weight in gold at .
Write active sentences.
In a passive sentence things are done with or to something or someone. In an active sentence then someone is doing something. Passive: "The text was written by me". Active: "I wrote the text". Passive: "I had a falling accident". Active: "I fell".
Set points.
It's surprisingly easy to fall into the trap of writing very long sentences with a lot of information and with up to several points, and which often go over several lines and just go on and on without any obvious ending, and often they can suddenly have a completely new point at the end. Then the reader quickly falls off.
Write shorter sentences. Have one main point in each sentence. Use full stops.
Proofread.
Typos draw attention away from the message.
Use assistive technology.
Klarspråk, dictionaries, Språkrådets språkhjelp and Ordetbetyr thesaurus are all good sites. Make use of them!
It's hard to write simply. Do you need help? Feel free to contact us for a chat!