In business writing (and maybe even for love letters), readability is an important criterion. We are impatient readers, and we don’t want to be impressed, just informed. Below are several tips to make what you write more accessible.
1. Tell the reader in the first paragraph where you are going: “I have analyzed the data and found three reasons for recommending X.” (With an email, use an informative subject line.)
2. Write short sentences: Limiting sentences to 15 or 20 words, makes for easier reading. I’ve actually gotten lost in sentences that were several times that long.
3. Use simple words: Words longer than two syllables require more time to process. Compare these: “long words” and “multisyllabic words.” The more time a reader spends processing vocabulary, the less energy is available for processing the meaning of the message.
Note: Readability experts recommend using no more than an eighth-grade vocabulary, regardless of the educational level of your reader. Here’s how you find it: 1) Use the grammar checker. 2) Limit your syllables per word to 1.5 and your words per sentence to 15 or 20. Tip: With instructions, consider using a fifth-grade vocabulary.
4. Repeat key words: If your English teacher encouraged you to use a thesaurus, she was helping your vocabulary, but not your clarity. A better suggestion: Change a word only when you have changed its meaning. Insiders may know that you are playing with synonyms, but your primary audience could well become confused. I once challenged a document that used both “kidney stones” and “renal gravel.” The writer informed me that the terms were synonyms and thought she would “bore the reader” if she repeated the same term. I assured her that if they were my kidney stones, I'd want to keep track of them.
5. Use your own professional voice: Here’s a great test: Read aloud what you have written. If listening to yourself makes you gag or laugh, rewrite it: “Please be advised that we are herewith forwarding, under separate cover. . . . ” Gag, indeed. If you write the way you speak to professional colleagues or an audience, your readers will think you sound natural and friendly—and will trust you more.
6. Use lots of lists: Lists break up the page and tell the reader that you have organized your material. You can even use a list under a list, under a list. Just use the normal outline model to show what fits under what. With instructions, always use lists. (Don’t use a paragraph to tell me how to get to your house.)
7. Use headings: If you plan before you write—jotting down key ideas and their support—you can use an abbreviated form of each key idea as a heading to begin each new section of your document. (Look at the “books for dummies” section of the bookstore. The content may still be tough, but the multiple headings make it look easy.)
Next time: “But How Does It Look?”
6. Use lots of lists: Lists break up the page and tell the reader that you have organized your material. You can even use a list under a list, under a list. Just use the normal outline model to show what fits under what. With instructions, always use lists. (Don’t use a paragraph to tell me how to get to your house.)
7. Use headings: If you plan before you write—jotting down key ideas and their support—you can use an abbreviated form of each key idea as a heading to begin each new section of your document. (Look at the “books for dummies” section of the bookstore. The content may still be tough, but the multiple headings make it look easy.)
Next time: “But How Does It Look?”
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