By Lilian H. Hill
It is important to use simple language to help people comprehend information of all types. Plain language is one way to communicate information that is easily accessible to people with a variety of educational levels. The U.S. PLAIN Language Guidelines recognize the importance of clear written communication. PLAIN stands for Plain Language Action and Information Network, a group of federal employees who believed that citizens deserve to receive clear communications from their government. The guidelines are based on three principles: citizens should be able to “find what they need, understand what they find; and use what they find to meet their needs” in any document published by the government (Federal Plain Language Guidelines, 2011, p. 1).
At first, the guidelines were used to provide guidance for government employees writing documents for the public. The guidelines were designed to promote the social benefits of clear communications including improving access to justice and enabling consumers to make more informed decisions. Later they were adopted by many commercial, medical, accounting, and legal companies for similar reasons. They are now spreading worldwide.
The PLAIN Language guidelines provide useful guidance about writing that anyone can use. The document includes information about sentence and paragraph structure, punctuation, organization, tables and graphs, and vocabulary. They stated that: “Words matter. They are the most basic building blocks of written and spoken communication. Choose your words carefully – be precise and concise” (Federal Plain Language Guidelines, 2011, p. 18). You can read the guidelines for yourself.
Why can’t writers just say things plainly?
The best writing is designed to communicate to a specific audience. Effective writers study their audience and use vocabulary they know the audience will understand. They don’t use complicated words just to show off their impressive vocabulary. Famous writer Mark Twain said, “Don't use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do” (Simons, 2016). In other words, writing is meant to communicate and not to intimidate readers. Stephen King, author of 73 suspense, fantasy, horror, and science fiction books, commented,
One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed” (King, 2000, pp. 117-118).
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One of the main reasons for using more complex vocabulary is that it communicates precise and specific meanings. They are used when there is a need to clearly distinguish between one idea or another. For example, figure skaters execute several complicated jumps on ice. The skaters, coaches, and competition judges need specialized words to describe the different jumps to communicate with each other. For example, the salchow (a jump from the skate blade’s edge), the lutz (a toe jump), and the axel (an edge jump) are some of the different jumps that skaters use. Most sports have their own terminology that you will learn because you are playing the sport or because you love to follow your favorite players or teams playing the sport.
Different professions develop their own sets of
terms. For example, physicians will diagnose a child with otitis media,
but then tell the parent that it’s an ear infection because they know that most
parents will understand the latter diagnosis. Otitis media refers to an infection
of the middle ear, the air-filled space behind the eardrum that contains the
tiny vibrating bones of the ear. Doctors use this specific term with other
medical professionals because infections occur in other locations in and near the ear and treatments
may need to be tailored to that. This is only one example of medical terms that
are specific. Many of the terms used are based in Latin.
Latin words to describe species
Latin words are also used in biology where new species names are named with words based in Latin. For example, Aleiodes shakirae is a species of parasitic wasp belonging to the family Braconidae. The species is named after Shakira, the singer/songwriter known for her song Hips Don’t Lie. Aleiodes is the family name for a type of wasp. After the wasp injects its egg into a caterpillar, the caterpillar will shake and wiggle uncontrollably. While the term is used to refer to the specific type of wasp described here, it is also clear that scientists like to have a little fun when naming new species. The scientific convention is that when someone discovers a new species, they can name it after themselves. Sometimes, they bestow the honor on someone else. So, Agaporomorphus colberti is a beetle named after Stephen Colbert, Aleiodes gaga is a wasp named after Lady Gaga, and Aptostichus barackobamai is a spider named after Barack Obama. You can view many other examples of organisms named after famous people.
Novel writers use of descriptive vocabulary
Novel writers tend to use a lot of descriptive vocabulary to give readers a sense of where and when the events in their book take place. They also use vocabulary to provide a lot of detail about their characters’ experiences and their feelings. The vocabulary they use makes the story more vivid so that readers can visualize what happens in the book.
Writers may also use complex vocabulary to insert variety in their writing because it can make reading more interesting. Reading the same words over and over can make a reading seem boring. However, authors can go too far and make their writing more difficult to read for many people.
References
Federal Plain Language Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.plainlanguage.gov/media/FederalPLGuidelines.pdf
King, S. (2000). On writing: A memoir of the craft. Scribner.
Simons, T. (2016). Mark Twain's secret to success: "Use Better Words." Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organisms_named_after_famous_people_(born_1950%E2%80%93present)
Wikipedia. (2023). List of organisms named after famous people (born 1950–present). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organisms_named_after_famous_people_(born_1950%E2%80%93present)
