🔤 Writing for Multilingual Readers and Translation
How to write English-language information that is easier to read, translate, interpret, and use
Introduction | Why This Matters | Plain Language | Readers | Sentences | Words | Consistent Terms | Design | Translation Prep | Machine Translation | Review | Checklist
This guide is for people who write and edit English-language information for readers who use English as a second or additional language.
The guide may be useful in public agencies, nonprofits, schools, hospitals and clinics, legal and justice organizations, workplaces, retail and food-service businesses, and community groups.
It can help people who prepare public notices, forms, instructions, websites, outreach materials, health information, legal information, workplace information, school materials, community resources, and customer-service messages.
The guide is also useful for translators, interpreters, reviewers, teachers, tutors, and bilingual staff who help people move between English and another language.
The main purpose is practical: to help writers prepare English-language information that is easier to read, easier to translate or interpret, and easier to use. It does not try to cover every part of English grammar, plain language, translation, interpretation, or English learning.
That purpose is especially important for immigrants, members of immigrant families, visitors from other countries, and others whose first, main, or preferred language is not English.