.. _words:

Words
=====

Being thoughtful with your words can make your writing profoundly easier
to understand.

Use simple words
----------------

**Use the simplest words that get your meaning across.**

Don't use complicated words
without good reason. A classic example is ``use`` versus ``utilize``.
In most cases you can use either word and the meaning doesn't change. In those
cases you should say ``use`` because it is the simpler word. See `Use simple
words and phrases <https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/words/use-simple-words-phrases/>`_
for more examples. If there is an important difference in meaning between the
simple word and the complicated word, and you're sure that your audience
understands this difference and will agree that it's important, then you can use
the more complicated word.

People understand your ideas and instructions faster when you use
simple words because they are more likely to already know and understand
the simple words. For example, think about the words
``commence`` and ``start``. People usually learn ``start`` years before
they learn ``commence``. They see ``start`` much more often than ``commence``.
Using uncommon words just slows people down.

People are more likely to use simple words in their search queries. See
`start, commence <https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=start,commence>`_
on Google Trends for example.

Simple words do not dumb down your content or insult intelligent people. Highly
educated people, experts, and professionals want to understand your ideas and
instructions as fast and easily as possible, just like everyone else. In fact,
they may have extra need for simple words, given how busy they usually are!

References:

* `Use simple words and phrases <https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/words/use-simple-words-phrases/>`_
* `Complex and Abstract Words <https://www.plainlanguage.gov/resources/articles/complex-abstract-words/>`_
* `Plain Language Is for Everyone, Even Experts <https://www.nngroup.com/articles/writing-domain-experts/>`_
* `Writing Digital Copy for Domain Experts <https://www.nngroup.com/articles/plain-language-experts/>`_

Match your audience's vocabulary
--------------------------------

**Speak your audience's language.**

Look at their search queries.
Update your own writing to match the words your audience uses in their search queries.

Think about the typical search engine results page. You see the title
of the page followed by a snippet of content from the page that the
search engine thinks is relevant. When the words in the title or snippet
match the exact words you used in your query you are more likely to
visit the page.

References:

* `Use Old Words When Writing for Findability <https://www.nngroup.com/articles/web-writing-use-search-keywords/>`_

Use jargon carefully
--------------------

**Define jargon the first time you use it if there's a non-trivial chance that your
core audience isn't familiar with that term.**

Jargon is the specialized terminology of a field. Define jargon the
first time you use it. You can skip defining it if you're certain
that the jargon is a core part of your audience's vocabulary. Use
`Google Search Console <https://search.google.com/search-console/about>`_ to
get data on your audience's vocabulary.

Jargon is dangerous because it obscures your message for anyone who
hasn't memorized the meaning of the jargon. If you're writing for a specialized
audience then it's OK to use that audience's terminology. In fact, not using
their jargon probably makes your writing verbose and confusing. Imagine
you're writing for personal trainers and you keep referring to ``the heavy metal
ball with a handle`` instead of just saying `kettlebell <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettlebell>`_.

References:

* `Use Specialized Language for Specialized Audiences <https://www.nngroup.com/articles/specialized-words-specialized-audience/>`_