Federal Plain Language Guidelines

The Plain Language Action and Information Network (or PLAIN) is a community of federal government employees dedicated to the idea that citizens deserve clear communications from government.

Over the past couple of decades, it has developed a training document to help federal employees improve their writing. But it's a public document and website that's also useful to writers in business, local and state government, health care, law, journalism and other fields.

I recommend this website and its advice. You can read the PLAIN guidelines on the Web or download them as a PDF or Word document. The site also has much other advice.

For still more information, check out Garbl's Plain English Writing Guide and Garbl's Plain Language Resources.