UK central government publishing
GOV.UK style guide, annotated
The UK government’s style guide turns plain English into word swaps anyone can check, with dated changes. Its best rules quoted with notes, and its gaps.
The GOV.UK style guide applies to all content on GOV.UK, the website of the UK government. It has a section on writing for the site and an A to Z of words, names, and forms. The guide is now on a separate publishing guidance site, marked as beta. The old gov.uk addresses redirect there. It is the clearest public example of a words section that uses exact pairs: say this, not that.
Best parts, quoted with notes
Voice and tone
incisive (friendliness can lead to a lack of precision and unnecessary words) – but remain human (not a faceless machine)
Has: where it applies, reason. Says why friendliness is held back, then sets the opposite limit: still human.
Voice and tone
Write conversationally. Picture your audience and write as if you were talking to them one-to-one, but with the authority of someone who can actively help.
Has: where it applies. Gives the writer someone to picture, and keeps the casual tone in check.
Words and style
Do not use formal or long words when easy or short ones will do. Use ‘buy’ instead of ‘purchase’, ‘help’ instead of ‘assist’, and ‘about’ instead of ‘approximately’.
Has: exact value. Three word swaps a writer or a checker can apply directly.
Words and style
deliver, use ‘make’, ‘create’, ‘provide’ or a more specific term (pizzas, post and services are delivered - not abstract concepts like improvements)
Has: exact value, where it applies. Gives replacements and says which things can still be delivered.
Words and style
Use contractions like ‘you’ll’, but avoid negative contractions like ‘can’t’ or ‘don’t’. Many users find negative contractions hard to read, or misread them as the opposite of what they say.
Has: exact value, reason. Splits one rule into allowed and banned forms, with the reader problem behind it.
Words and style
If a requirement is legal, but it’s administrative or part of a process that will not have criminal repercussions, then use ‘need’.
Has: exact value, where it applies. Picks the word by how serious the requirement is. ‘Must’ and ‘can’ get their own rules.
Words and style
do not use ordinal numbers for the day - for example: 2 June and not 2nd June
Has: exact value, right and wrong. Right and wrong forms side by side. The What’s new page dates this change.
Words and style
All suggestions are reviewed once a month by content designers and technical writers at the Government Digital Service (GDS).
Has: date. Says who decides changes to the guide and how often they meet.
What it leaves out
- Pages show no last-updated date. To see when a rule changed you have to find it on the separate What’s new page. Source
- The A to Z entry for ‘click’ starts with “Don’t”, a negative contraction that the same A to Z’s ‘contractions’ entry says to avoid. Source
What to take from it
- Write words rules as swaps. A person or a search can check “Use ‘buy’ instead of ‘purchase’”.
- Give the reason for the rules that people will argue with, for example the rule on negative contractions.
- Keep a dated list of changes, and say who decides them.