PLAIN’s International Conference – Were you in Dublin?
On Sept. 17 – 20, 2015, our sister organization, the Plain Language Association International (PLAIN), held its 10th conference, co-hosted by Ireland’s National Adult Literacy Agency. Practitioners from around the…
Love and plain language
…on the way home from work every February 14. Plain writing, in a way, is like our approach to Valentine’s Day. A stretch? Consider the following: Plain writing requires a…
2019 ClearMark winners
We are proud to present this year’s ClearMark Awards, the best plain language communications created by North American organizations. These award recipients provide models of plain language principles in action….
Home – Center for Plain Language
…plain language standard Parts 1 and 2 of the international plain language standard are now available. See the standard Plain Language Tools Plain language helps you understand your audience and…
Low health literacy… It could happen to you
…plain language is for all of us. So whatever your message, it’s worth your while to make it plain. About the author: Karen Baker is a Center for Plain Language…
Center for Plain Language board members win awards
…Advanced Research & Writing and chaired the school’s Research & Writing department for 15 years. He has published many articles on legal writing and research, including, Lifting the Fog of…
CDC’s Everyday Words from Idea to Reality
…affect groups of people and health behaviors. Staff who want to use plain language often don’t know legitimate alternatives to the jargon. As CDC’s Plain Writing Act official, I’d resisted…
Health design challenge could help VA to make the grade on Plain Language
…This gives the VA a chance to improve their “plain language” grade. (The Department received an F on the first Plain Writing Act report card released by the Center for…
Celebrate Excellence in Plain Language at the 2025 ClearMark Awards!
…Human Services. She was CDC’s Plain Language and Health Literacy Lead from 2011 to 2016. Dr. Baur’s keynote, titled “From Plain Language Policies to Local Action in Maryland,” will explore…
Plain Language Pros: Fight the “Cobbler’s Kids” Syndrome
The plain language world is filled with passionate people who believe strongly in the power and importance of clarity. We spend our days fighting jargon and legalese like the true…
The source of bad writing
-Stephen Pinker Reprinted from the Wall Street Journal with the author’s permission Steven Pinker: photo credit, Rebecca Goldstein Why is so much writing so bad? Why is it so hard…
“Say it once and say it well”
…explain your individual career story. Step 3. Write the content in plain language. Kate Goggin: What about word choice? Tell us why you prefer simple explanations rather than jargon…
Financial Literacy Month – The role of plain language in explaining financial concepts
…paycheck and achieving financial wellness. We’ve all witnessed the dangerous impact of widespread financial ignorance. Poor financial literacy had a crushing impact on the United States economy following the market…
October 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Sonia Sánchez Moreno
…What would you want to tell industry about plain language? From a business point of view, plain language empowers people to become active in society. It builds trust and it…
Join Us at the 2026 ClearMark Awards
…registration, and recordings of workshops are made available to registrants following the event. Center for Plain Language Programming at the Conference As part of this collaboration, the Center for Plain…