Pardon our French

English grew from 2 roots. Anglo-Saxon gave us everyday words like start, help and letter/email. After 1066, Latinate French added words like commencement, assistance, and correspondence.

Now we use words from both roots. One root is clear and concise, the other feels official and distant. That difference matters when we write for busy people.

Our brains understand Anglo-Saxon words quickly

Words passed down from Anglo-Saxon tend to be familiar (‘dog’ versus ‘canine’) and shorter (‘utilisation’ versus ‘use’). And our brains love short and familiar words because it they can recognise and understand them quickly.

But with Latinate French words, it’s- the opposite (less familiar and longer). Even though they only make up about one quarter of our words, Latinate French words take more mental effort to decode.

When readers have to work hard, they read more slowly and tire sooner. This means they might just give up reading that email you sent.

Experts (and everyday readers) prefer Anglo-Saxon alternatives

Many of us learnt that longer, more complex (usually Latinate French) words sound professional, signalling our credibility. But readers don’t agree. Research from the Nielsen Norman Group found that ‘even experts prefer plain language’. And not just any experts, researchers studied usability with highly educated online readers from science, technology and medical fields.

You may worry that using Anglo-Saxon alternatives with fewer syllables (‘enough’ instead of ‘sufficient’) will ‘dumb your writing down’. But it doesn’t, rather it sharpens your writing and ensures that you haven’t buried your meaning under extra words.

If it’s good enough for the experts, it’s good enough for us!

The best word for the situation depends on your reader

We’re not banning Latinate French. But you should double check that you’re choosing the best word for the situation.

For example, a surgeon would certainly prefer ‘incise’ to ‘cut’. ‘Incise’ implies something clean, controlled and precise, whereas ‘cut’ loses this nuance. The surgeon’s colleagues would understand this term and patients would likely appreciate not being ‘cut into’.

But in an office setting, you can absolutely ‘ask’ for an opinion instead of ‘soliciting’ one, without fear of losing nuance or being misunderstood.

Our advice? Choose the Anglo-Saxon alternatives when they don’t change your meaning.

Your readers will thank you

Choosing words that are easier for experts and everyday readers alike benefits them and you. Readers will get through your emails faster, have fewer questions and make better decisions. You will have a complete response sooner, more time for business-critical tasks and a clear direction for your team.

So save French for your cheeses, not your emails and keep it short and simple with our starter list of long words and their alternatives.

Want a full list of the short and simple words our clients love? Or help communicating confidently and concisely with your readers? Contact us for plain language training.