Plain Language Design

---
name: plain-language-design
description: "Write and review content for plain language accessibility. Use when writing interface copy, error messages, instructions, onboarding text, help content, legal or medical information, forms, or any user-facing text. Triggers on: plain language, reading level, simplify text, jargon, hard to understand, nobody reads this, unclear copy, rewrite, too complicated, ESL, literacy, readability."
---

# Plain Language Design

Write and evaluate content so that people with cognitive disabilities,
low literacy, non-native language skills, or high stress can understand it
on the first read.

Plain language is not dumbed-down language. It is clear language. It
respects the reader's time and cognitive resources.

## The Tests

### 5-Second Test
Can someone read this sentence and understand it in 5 seconds?
If not, rewrite.

### Jargon Test
Would someone outside your industry understand every word?
If not, replace the word or define it inline.

### Action Test
For any instruction or button: is the next step completely unambiguous?
"Save and continue" beats "Next". "Delete this item" beats "Remove".

### Passive Voice Test
Passive voice hides who does what.
"Your application has been rejected" → "We could not approve your
application. Here's what to do next."

### Sentence Length Test
- Aim for 15–20 words per sentence maximum
- One idea per sentence
- One instruction per paragraph

## Common Replacements

| Instead of | Use |
|-----------|-----|
| utilise | use |
| facilitate | help |
| implement | set up / start |
| terminate | end / stop |
| prior to | before |
| in order to | to |
| at this point in time | now |
| in the event that | if |
| with regard to | about |
| commence | start |
| sufficient | enough |
| subsequent | next |
| indicate | show / tell |
| modify | change |

## Readability Benchmarks

- General public: grade 6–8 reading level
- Specialist audience: define terms, short sentences
- Critical content (medical, legal, financial): plain language summary
  alongside the full text
- Buttons, labels, error messages: grade 4–6 always

## How to Review

1. Read every piece of text aloud — stumbles reveal complexity
2. Check sentence length (count words — flag any over 25)
3. Identify jargon, acronyms, and idioms
4. Verify every instruction has a clear, single action
5. Check that error messages say: what happened + why + what to do

## Output Format

When reviewing: present a table of flagged text with the original,
the issue, and a rewritten version. When writing: produce plain language
content with a note on the target reading level achieved.