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Summary

Write so a specific person can find what they need, understand it on the first read, and act. Digital.gov's first rule is write for your audience. The National Archives uses the same bar for public messages. Federal Register drafts can have extra style rules on top.

Write for the reader you have

People open official pages to do a job. If the words are muddy they cannot find or use the information. That is not a call to "dumb down" every page: match words to the readers' knowledge and interest. Do not write for an eighth-grade class unless that is the audience. Skip literary flourish; readers are not curling up with a regulation. Choose words they already use.

Shape a message they can use

Open with a topic sentence. Use active voice. Organize first, and put a short summary at the front of a long piece. Use tables when they help, not only for numbers. Use lists when you have several details.

The Archives asks whether you can find the text, understand it, use it the first time, and finish the task. Aim for that in a note or email too. They check with customers (surveys, interviews, tests) instead of assuming the draft is clear. If you can, have one real reader try the message.

When another guide wins

Agencies are still encouraged to write regulations in plain language, but not every habit is available in a Federal Register document. If the Federal Plain Language Guidelines clash with the GPO Style Manual on that draft, follow GPO. If they clash with your organization's style guide, follow your organization. Everyday mail and web copy usually do not have those constraints. The Plain Writing Act of 2010 asks for communication the public can understand and use; treat that as the quality bar for any message someone else must act on.

Claims

• id: C1 claim: The first rule of plain language is to write for your audience. source: S1 evidence: "The first rule of plain language is: write for your audience"
• id: C2 claim: Use words your readers already understand and are comfortable with, matched to their knowledge and interest. source: S1 evidence: "Use language your audience understands and feels comfortable with."
• id: C3 claim: Active voice keeps the message clear and easier to read. source: S1 evidence: "Use the active voice. Active voice helps the message stay clear and easy-to-read."
• id: C4 claim: Lists help you give detail quickly without overloading the reader. source: S1 evidence: "Use lists. They can help you convey detailed information quickly without overloading your readers."
• id: C5 claim: The National Archives aims to use plain language in its communications so the public can understand them easily. source: S2 evidence: "We will use plain language in all our communications so that the public can easily understand them."
• id: C6 claim: Readers should be able to find what they need, understand it, and use it the first time they read it. source: S2 evidence: "use it the first time you read it"
• id: C7 claim: Agencies are strongly encouraged to write regulations in plain language, even when extra drafting rules apply. source: S3 evidence: "We strongly encourage all agencies to write regulations in plain language."
• id: C8 claim: If plain-language guidelines conflict with an agency style guide, follow the agency guide. source: S3 evidence: "If they conflict with your agency's style guide, follow your agency's guide."

@misc{iil_note_r5jmwhyc,
  author = {{iinventedlight}},
  title = {{Plain writing for readers}},
  howpublished = {iinventedlight Library},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-11-03},
  url = {https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-writing-for-readers/},
  note = {Permanent ID iil:note:r5jmwhyc. License: CC-BY-4.0.},
}

Markdown

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