---
title: "Be concise"
source: 18F Guides
source_url: https://github.com/18F/guides
licence: CC0-1.0
domain: engineering
subdomain: 18f-guides
date_added: 2026-04-25
---

To keep content understandable, concise, and relevant, it should be:

- Specific
- Informative
- Clear and concise
- Brisk but not terse
- Incisive (friendliness can lead to a lack of precision and unnecessary words) but human (not something generated by a faceless machine)
- Serious but not pompous or emotionless—adjectives can be subjective and make the text sound more emotive and like spin

You should:

- Use contractions (such as _can’t_ and _won’t_)
- Not let caveats dictate unwieldy grammar (for example, say _You can_ rather than _You may be able to_)
- Use the language people are using
- Use [Google Trends](https://www.google.com/trends) to check for common search terms
- Use short sentences
- Check sentences with more than 25 words to see if you can split them for clarity

Words ending in *–ion* and *-ment* tend to make sentences longer and more complicated than necessary. Avoid turning verbs into nouns, a common sign of governmentese at work.

## Keep sentences short and sweet

Express only one idea in each sentence. Try to keep sentences at 25 words or fewer. Resist the temptation to put everything in one sentence.  

Here’s an example of how you might transform a too-long sentence into something more manageable.

Instead of:

> Due to privacy and logistical considerations, passes cannot be replaced if lost or stolen; a new Paper Voucher must be accessed by going to our website and completing the same activities to obtain a new Paper Voucher.

Use:

> Unfortunately, we can’t replace lost or stolen passes. [Get a new pass on our website](https://www.recreation.gov/pass/).

## Additional resources
- [Plainlanguage.gov: Write short sentences](https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/concise/write-short-sentences/)
- [Gov.UK writing guide: Be concise](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk#be-concise)
