STRUCTURE
Put the answer first
Readers often scan in an F-shaped pattern: across the top, down the left. GOV.UK says put the most important information first and taper to detail.
See the numbers
WHAT THE GUIDANCE SAYS
Say it first.
Say it plainly.
Most readers skim, and skimmers miss things.
The team that writes GOV.UK has public rules for copy anyone can use: short sentences, everyday words, clear titles and the most important thing at the top.
CUT IT then cut it again
Check your copy- Answer first
- Under 25 words
- Everyday words
- Copy written for skimmers
THE SHORT ANSWER
Write for people
in a hurry.
Three rules from the GOV.UK writing guidance.
They work for any website, letter or email.
SENTENCES
Split anything over 25 words
GOV.UK asks writers to split sentences over 25 words and keep paragraphs to no more than five sentences.
Check a habit
WORDS
Buy, not purchase
Use the words people use: buy, help, about rather than purchase, assist, approximately. Explain specialist terms the first time.
How to edit
FOUR EDITS TO TRY
Edit like
a content designer.
Take any page, email or letter you have written and make these four passes. Each one comes from the GOV.UK writing guidelines.
Move the answer up
Put the most important point in the first lines and let the detail follow, like an upside-down pyramid.
Count to 25
Find every sentence over 25 words and split it. Keep paragraphs to five sentences or fewer.
Swap formal words
Change purchase to buy, assist to help and approximately to about. Explain any specialist term the first time.
Write useful headings
Make headings descriptive and active, and avoid vague ones such as Introduction. Do not use questions as headings.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
People skim,
and many find reading hard.
One figure on how much of a page gets read,
one on adult literacy in England.
20–28%
Share of words read on an average visit
In a 2008 analysis of real browsing data, users had time to read at most 28 percent of the words on a page during an average visit, and about 20 percent was more likely.
WEB READING · NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP
1 in 6
Adults in England with very poor literacy
That is 18 percent of adults aged 16 to 65, or 6.6 million people, based on the Survey of Adult Skills 2023. They can read short, simple texts on familiar topics.
ADULT LITERACY · NATIONAL LITERACY TRUST
Plain English is not only for weaker readers. GOV.UK cites a study of legal language in which 80 percent of people preferred clear English, with the preference growing as issues became more complex.
A QUICK COPY CHECK
What is slowing
your reader down?
Pick a common writing habit to see what the GOV.UK guidance suggests instead. The bar shows how firmly the guidance sets a rule on it.
Based on the GOV.UK writing guidelines for publishers. Use it as a style guide, not a set of laws.
SPECIALISTS TOO
Experts like
plain English.
It is tempting to think plain writing is only for beginners. The GOV.UK guidance says users with higher literacy and specialist knowledge also prefer it, because it lets them understand information faster.
Specialist terms are still allowed, but should be explained the first time they appear. The guidance gives the legal term bona vacantia as an example, and suggests checking common search terms to find the words people really use.
Questions
Questions people ask
How long should a sentence be?
The GOV.UK writing guidance says to split sentences that are over 25 words long, and to keep paragraphs to no more than five sentences.
How much of a web page do people read?
A 2008 Nielsen Norman Group analysis found users had time to read at most 28 percent of the words during an average visit, and about 20 percent was more likely.
How long should a page title be?
GOV.UK says 65 characters or fewer, including spaces, because Google cuts off longer titles at around 65 characters and longer titles are harder to understand.
Is the passive voice always wrong?
No. GOV.UK prefers the active voice because it is more direct and keeps sentences short, but says the passive can work when the outcome matters more than who does it.
Who struggles with written information?
The National Literacy Trust says 1 in 6 adults aged 16 to 65 in England, about 6.6 million people, have very poor literacy skills. Some readers also have English as a second language.
Sources
- GOV.UK publishing guidance: Use clear language
- GOV.UK publishing guidance: Create a clear structure for your content
- GOV.UK publishing guidance: Write clear titles
- Nielsen Norman Group: How little do users read? (2008)
- National Literacy Trust: Adult literacy
Updated