About plain-language-design
A writing and review skill for making content easier to understand, especially for readers with cognitive disabilities, limited literacy, or under stress. It provides practical checks for clarity, jargon, instructions, and sentence length.
Key features
- 01Apply a five-second comprehension test
- 02Find and replace jargon
- 03Clarify actions and instructions
- 04Check sentence length and voice
- 05Review text against readability benchmarks
Use cases
- 01Rewrite instructions for clearer next steps
- 02Review interface labels and error messages
- 03Make specialist or critical content easier to read
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/After installing, type/plain-language-designin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Details
From the project READMEPlain Language Design
Write and evaluate content so that people with cognitive disabilities, low literacy, non-native language skills, or high stress can understand it on the first read.
Plain language is not dumbed-down language. It is clear language. It respects the reader's time and cognitive resources.
The Tests
5-Second Test
Can someone read this sentence and understand it in 5 seconds? If not, rewrite.
Jargon Test
Would someone outside your industry understand every word? If not, replace the word or define it inline.
Action Test
For any instruction or button: is the next step completely unambiguous? "Save and continue" beats "Next". "Delete this item" beats "Remove".
Passive Voice Test
Passive voice hides who does what. "Your application has been rejected" → "We could not approve your application. Here's what to do next."
Sentence Length Test
- Aim for 15–20 words per sentence maximum
- One idea per sentence
- One instruction per paragraph
Common Replacements
| Instead of | Use |
|---|---|
| utilise | use |
| facilitate | help |
| implement | set up / start |
| terminate | end / stop |
| prior to | before |
| in order to | to |
| at this point in time | now |
| in the event that | if |
| with regard to | about |
| commence | start |
| sufficient | enough |
| subsequent | next |
| indicate | show / tell |
| modify | change |
Readability Benchmarks
- General public: grade 6–8 reading level
- Specialist audience: define terms, short sentences
- Critical content (medical, legal, financial): plain language summary alongside the full text
- Buttons, labels, error messages: grade 4–6 always
How to Review
- Read every piece of text aloud — stumbles reveal complexity
- Check sentence length (count words — flag any over 25)
- Identify jargon, acronyms, and idioms
- Verify every instruction has a clear, single action
- Check that error messages say: what happened + why + what to do
Output Format
When reviewing: present a table of flagged text with the original, the issue, and a rewritten version. When writing: produce plain language content with a note on the target reading level achieved.