Have you heard of the terms ‘plain language’ or ‘plain English’? So, what is it?

The international standard on plain language is ‘ISO – 24495-1: Plain language — Part 1: Governing principles and guidelines’ which defines plain language as:

“A communication is in plain language if its wording, structure, and design are so clear that the intended readers can easily:

• find what they need,
• understand what they find, and
• use that information.”

The term ‘plain language’ refers to the concept overall, that is, the concept includes ‘structure’ and ‘design’ too, as well as ‘wording’ which the term implies.

This concept of plain language can be applied to many languages such as plain English, plain Spanish, plain Italian. So in Australia, a country where English is the main language, the terms ‘plain language’ and ‘plain English’ have become interchangeable, and the practical meaning is the same.

Using plain language as a writing and document development technique is important to make information more accessible and effective for the intended readers of the document/communication.