🔤 Plain Language: Testing for Clarity

Making sure your writing works for readers

Aug 31, 2025

This post is part of my Plain Language Writing Guide.
If you missed the earlier posts, they include an introduction to this series and advice on focusing on your readers and purpose, organizing your documents, writing effective paragraphs and simple sentences, choosing clear words, and creating an enticing design. It also lists other plain language resources.

Bridging the Gap between Confusion and Clarity

← Clear Writing Directory

Clear writing isn’t finished until it’s tested. Before you publish or distribute a document, make sure it works for your readers. You can do that in several ways—using readability tools, applying plain language standards, testing with actual readers, and reviewing with Garbl’s Plain Language Self-Evaluation Checklist.

Automated tools for clear writing

Readability tools can give you a quick sense of how easy your text is to read. They don’t replace real readers—or your careful reviews and proofreading. But they can point out problems worth fixing. Most are free or low-cost. Hemingway and StyleWriter focus mostly on plain language, the others on grammar and style.

Hemingway Editor—Free online tool and low-cost desktop app that highlights long or complex sentences, passive voice, and hard-to-read words. Gives a grade-level score.
StyleWriter (USA version)—A plain-language editing program, designed to cut jargon, simplify sentences, and improve clarity.
ProWritingAid—It provides detailed reports on readability (sentence length, sentence variety, and repetitive words). Free limited version, paid full version.
Grammarly—A writing assistant that flags clarity, tone, and wordiness while you write. Free and paid versions.
Microsoft Word—Includes readability statistics (Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level) plus grammar and style checks. Helpful but formula-driven.
Online readability checkers (free)—Readability Formulas and Readability Test let you paste text and get grade-level scores across multiple formulas. They provide scores only, not editing suggestions.

AI editing tools

AI tools can be useful for research and editorial review. But beware of tools that minimize your control of the content, structure, and your unique voice. They can also miss subtle errors or introduce new ones.

QuillBot—Known mainly for paraphrasing and grammar checking. Can simplify but often flattens nuance.
Wordtune—Focuses on suggesting alternative phrasings for clarity or tone.
ChatGPT / Gemini (Google) / Copilot (Microsoft)—Best used as helpers for editing and revising—not as testing tools. Always review their suggestions to keep your meaning and voice intact.

Beyond formulas: standards and readers

Readability scores are only part of the picture. Plain language means your audience can find, understand, and use the information. Consider these approaches:

Reader testing—Ask members of your intended audience to read your draft and tell you what’s clear, what’s confusing, and what’s missing. Even small tests with a few readers can reveal big problems.
Usability testing—For instructions, forms, and applications, watch people try to use your document. Can they complete the task without help?
Consulting experts—For high-stakes documents (such as health care, law, or government services), you may want a professional plain language consultant to test and revise.

Recognition and examples

Award programs highlight strong examples of plain language. Reviewing their winners and criteria can give you useful benchmarks:

ClearMark Awards (Center for Plain Language, U.S.)—honors best practices and also exposes the worst through its WonderMark.
Plain Language Awards (WriteMark Plain English Awards Trust, New Zealand, Australia)—celebrates excellence in public and private sector writing.

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Garbl’s Plain Language Self-Evaluation Checklist.

Use this checklist to confirm your draft meets the guidance in this guide before you share your work with readers. Other books and websites have their own checklists, but this one matches the advice you’ve just read.

Readers & Purpose

Have I identified my readers and their needs?
Does the document match their interests, knowledge, and use?
Is the purpose clear from the start?
Will readers know how to use this document in real life?
Does the content focus on what readers need to know and do?

Organization

Did I cut information readers don’t need?
Is the most important information first?
Is the structure obvious (intro → key points → details → next steps)?
Do headings match the content and help readers navigate?
For long docs, did I provide a brief overview, contents, or “How to use this” note?
Can readers quickly find answers to common questions or tasks?

Paragraphs

One main idea per paragraph?
Are most paragraphs short (about 2–4 sentences; no more than ~7 lines on screen)?
Does the first sentence signal the point (topic sentence)?
Do sentences within a paragraph follow a clear, logical order?
When listing items or steps, did I use bullets or numbered lists instead of dense paragraphs?

Sentences

Are most sentences short (about 20 words or fewer)?
One clear idea per sentence?
Active voice unless passive is clearly better?
Do pronouns clearly refer to their related nouns?
Punctuation consistent and helpful?

Words

Simple, familiar words my readers will understand?
Jargon, buzzwords, and bureaucratic phrases cut or replaced with plain alternatives—or explained if needed?
Redundancies, filler, and wordy phrases removed?
Verbs describe action, not buried as nouns?
Acronyms and abbreviations used sparingly and explained on first use?
Inclusive, bias-free language?

Design & Accessibility

Key points and calls to action easy to spot?
Headings guide the reader clearly and consistently?
Have I used bulleted and numbered lists to aid reading and break up dense text?
Plenty of white space, left-aligned text, ragged-right margins, comfortable line spacing?
Readable typefaces and sizes; strong contrast that meets accessibility guidance?
Boldface/italics/color used sparingly and with purpose; underlining reserved for links?
Images, charts, and tables support the text, have clear labels/informative captions, and (when published online) include alt text?

Final check

📌 Tip: Start with a readability tool for quick feedback, compare against standards for broader clarity, test with real readers if you can, and then use this checklist for a final polish.

Tested with a readability tool and fixed any easy wins?
Have representative readers (or colleagues) reviewed it, and could they find, understand, and use the information?
Reviewed and edited for accuracy, names, numbers, dates, links, and consistency with your style guide?
Had another reliable person proofread your document for typos and errors?

← Clear Writing Directory

In closing

You’ve reached the end of this Plain Language Writing Guide. You now have practical tools to make your writing clearer, more accessible, and more useful to readers—while still meeting your needs as the writer.
Plain language isn’t about “dumbing down.” It’s about respecting your readers’ time and attention. Whether you rely on quick readability tools, test with real readers, or simply walk through the checklist, each step brings you closer to writing that works.
Keep practicing. Keep checking. And keep your readers at the center.
For more support, examples, and links to helpful organizations, visit Plain Language Resources at Plainly, Garbl.
Thanks for reading—and for caring enough about your readers to write clearly for them.
Plainly,
Gary B. Larson (Garbl)

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