General writing tips

Quick checklist

• Keep sentences shorter than 25 words
• Lead with value & put the most important information first
• Don't use exclamation points
• Don't use jargon
• Use sentence case
• Make sure there's only one possible interpretation
• Check for a grade 6 reading level

Style

• Lead with user value: Why does this matter to the user? What do they get?
• Avoid being gimmicky or too marketing-y, and use exclamation points (!) sparingly.
• Avoid jargon, overly formal language, and exclusive language.
• Shorten dates to MM/DD format.

Common mix-ups

A running list of things that are easily confused.

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i.e. = “that is” | e.g. = “for example”

You’re = you are | Your = possessive

They’re = they are | Their = possessive

It’s = it is | Its = possessive

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(Use i.e. or e.g. in user-facing content. We don’t speak Latin to our users.)