Navigation: Writing
Writing words
Use words that are common, simple, and unambiguous.
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▪Use short, common words
▪Watch for “…ed”
▪Watch for “the … of” and for “of the”
▪Watch for opening “It …” and “There …”
▪Avoid abbreviations and acronyms
▪Use technical terms carefully
▪Always use the same terms
▪Use contractions
▪Avoid strings of nouns
▪Avoid stacks of modifiers
▪Avoid unnecessary qualification
▪Use strong verbs
▪Avoid gerunds that conceal a direct verb
▪Avoid phrasal verbs
▪Avoid idiomatic expressions
▪Avoid buzzwords
▪Avoid developer jargon
▪Use fair language
▪Blacklist: Overblown words
▪Blacklist: Filler words
Related rules
Writing in general
Writing topics
Writing sections
Writing sentences
