Figurative expressions, technical terminology, or professional slang used along with complex sentences may appear impressive and smart, but they require too much mental effort to process and only stand to confuse users. Research proves that even experts and highly educated users prefer plain writing that is easy to scan. Naturally, this applies to international users and people who use English as a second language as well.^[1]

Here's how you can keep your copy simple:

• Use plain language, avoiding jargon, slang, branded terms, and idioms. However, using shared jargon can be helpful if your audience comprises experts (e.g., healthcare professionals or software engineers). Just ensure your target audience commonly understands the terms.
• Write in a friendly, natural way that feels like a real conversation to make the content more engaging and relatable.
• Aim for a 6-8th grade reading level for general audiences. Adopt a habit of measuring the readability of your copy with online tools like the Readability Test, Gunning Fog Index, or Automatic Readability Checker.