Language Usage

• Be friendly and conversational
• Have a consistent voice and tone
• Use inclusive language
• Use appropriate reading level & language for the target audience 
• Define essential terms and unfamiliar words

Learner-facing content may not:

• Use taboo and exclusionary language
• Make unverified educational claims or other assumptions

Voice and Tone

• Write like you speak using plain language. Avoid overly formal language.
• Address learners directly by using the first or second-person (you, we), like you would in a face-to-face setting.
• Use connecting language and transitions to help learners know what to expect and draw connections between concepts.
• Avoid the use of ALL CAPS. Instead, use bold or italic text for emphasis.

Inclusive Language

• Avoid pop culture references (actors, movies, singers, etc.) unless absolutely necessary. These quickly become dated or may be unfamiliar to learners.
• Avoid idioms such as “it’s raining cats and dogs” or “they were feeling blue.” These are culturally specific and may be unclear to students from different cultural backgrounds or those who have neurodivergent brains. 
• Use names and examples that reflect diversity. This includes showing diverse family structures, diverse cultural backgrounds, and people with disabilities.
• Be direct and literal, especially in titles, so learners can easily find what they’re looking for in the table of contents or nav bar.

Inclusive Words

Inclusive words should always be used. Lists of inclusive words are readily available online, and a few are linked in the resources section below.

Some commonly used inclusive words include, but are not limited to:

• Select
• Review
• Explore

Words to Avoid

Taboo and exclusionary words may not be used. Your Grammarly account will flag most of these words and suggest an alternative. If a problematic word is not being flagged, please reach out to your CDM or IDM with a request that the word and its suggested alternative be added to Grammarly’s Style Rules.

Some common banned words include, but are not limited to:

• Click
• Watch
• Listen
• Kid(s)
• Daycare

Educational Claims

Professional Learning courses may not make unverified educational claims. Therefore, they should avoid the word “learn” and all variants of it. For example, avoid phrases such as, “In this lesson you will learn…”

• The American Psychological Association Inclusive Language Guide
• University of Washington IT Inclusive Language Guide
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Inclusive Language Guide
• Preparing for Cultural Diversity: Resources for Teachers
• Federal Plain Language Guidelines
• Style Guide: Readability – PLS
• Style Guide: Artificial Intelligence
• Style Guide: PLS Audience
• Style Guide: SLS Audience