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Language
Do words matter? Yes. Plain language (also called plain writing or plain English) is communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it. On this page we'll examine the art of plain language using four (4) exercises.
When you are finished, be sure to assess your learning by taking the Language Quiz.
Exercise #13: Yanny Vs. Laurel
In May 2018, the viral audio clip took social media by storm as people intensely debated which words they heard, Yanny or Laurel. This is a perfect example of how different people can perceive audio differently depending on their devices, surroundings, and abilities.
Which word do you hear?
This video breaks down the science between the two words and explains why the perception is different from person to person.
Exercise #14: Identify Actionable Text
In this exercise, read through the paragraph below to see how long it takes you to find the actionable text. Think about how difficult it is to find the meaning of long paragraphs that have too many extra words with no real purpose. If a few words or phrases can communicate the point, avoid adding more.
This exercise will lead you through a long, wordy passage of Lorem Ipsum text, where the information is not provided in a concise way. Users with cognitive disabilities can become confused, distracted, or lose interest when the purpose is not clear. Make actionable items very clear and distinct. Be careful not to provide too little information to be understood, or too much information that clouds your meaning.
This is how verbose, or overly wordy text can appear to some users.
At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollitia animi, id est laborum et dolorum fuga. Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio. Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis click here to begin aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat.
Exercise #15: Dyslexia Simulator
For this exercise, we want to better understand how different forms of dyslexia might impact readability of content. Use the paragraph of text and the dropdown menu above it to simulate different types of dyslexia. Notice how the paragraph of text changes based on the various options within the menu including, scrambled words, missing letters, and substituted letters.
These are just a few of the common ways in which dyslexia might impact a user while reading text content.
Exercise #16: SMOG Readability
For this exercise, visit the SMOG Readability Checker and copy and paste the two paragraphs into the checker. Compare the reading score and reading difficulties for each. Both paragraphs have the same meaning, but one uses longer sentences and different terminology.
This exercise demonstrates how the terms used in text and the length of the text can significantly impact how easy it is to read and understand the purpose. In most cases, it is better to be short and concise than overly verbose and use technical terms. This is the case most of the time, but not all the time. We need to always be mindful of how much information a user might need in order to fully understand the content and interactive appropriately.
Feel free to use your own text to get a sense of where you might be able to make improvements to the readability of material you work with.
There is currently a lively, ongoing controversy among many sociologists and other professionals who study human nature: theories are being spun and arguments are being conducted among them about what it means that so many young people—and older people, for that matter—who live in our society today are so very interested in stories about zombies.
vs.
A lively societal debate rages among the human sciences. The contentious issue is: why are so many people fascinated by zombie fiction?
Exercise #17: Choosing Accessible Fonts and Styles
For this exercise, decide which of the three sentences below is the easiest to read and which one is the hardest to read.
This exercise shows how important it is to choose fonts that allow an easy reading experience for all users, like users who have difficulty seeing, staying focused, or remembering information.
Even with the exact same sentence, fonts can make words look very different. Which of these is easiest to read?
Sentence #1. Communicate clearly to your customers and colleagues.
Sentence #2. Communicate clearly to your customers and colleagues.
Sentence #3. Communicate clearly to your customers and colleagues.
Additional Information On Styling
When we add text and elements, we should be aware of how the styling might affect user experience. Some users may not be able to see the styling and their assistive technology may not translate it, making it impossible to understand the meaning. The following styles are often used to apply meaning, but may cause issues for some users and assistive technology.
Underlining Text
Highlighting Text or Using Color
Bold Text
Strikethroughs
Subscripts and Superscripts
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Styles and Positioning
Would you consider the image above to be in plain language?
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