The Government Digital Service style guide covers style, spelling and grammar conventions for all content published on GOV.UK
Words to avoid
Plain English is mandatory for all of GOV.UK so please avoid using these words:
- agenda (unless it’s for a meeting)
- advancing
- collaborate (use ‘working with’)
- commit/pledge (we need to be more specific – we’re either doing something or we’re not)
- deliver (pizzas, post and services are delivered – not abstract concepts like ‘improvements’ or ‘priorities’)
- deploy (unless it’s military or software)
- dialogue (we speak to people)
- disincentivise (and incentivise)
- empower
- facilitate (instead, say something specific about how you’re helping)
- focusing
- foster (unless it’s children)
- impact (don’t use this as a synonym for ‘have an effect on’, or ‘influence’)
- initiate
- key (unless it unlocks something. A subject/thing isn’t ‘key’ – it’s probably ‘important’)
- land (as a verb only use if you’re talking about aircraft)
- leverage (unless in the financial sense)
- liaise
- overarching
- progress (as a verb – what are you actually doing?)
- promote (unless you’re talking about an ad campaign or some other marketing promotion)
- robust
- slimming down (processes don’t diet – we are probably removing x amount of paperwork etc)
- streamline
- strengthening (unless it’s strengthening bridges or other structures)
- tackling (unless it’s rugby, football or some other sport)
- transforming (what are you actually doing to change it?)
- utilise
Avoid using metaphors – they don’t say what you actually mean and lead to slower comprehension of your content. For example:
- drive (you can only drive vehicles; not schemes or people)
- drive out (unless it’s cattle)
- going forward (it’s unlikely we are giving travel directions)
- in order to (superfluous – don’t use it)
- one-stop shop (we are government, not a retail outlet)
- ring fencing
With all of these words you can generally replace them by breaking the term into what you’re actually doing. Be open and specific.
