Plain English Alternatives

Replace complex or pompous words with plain English alternatives.

Source: Plain English Campaign A-Z of Alternative Words (2001), Australian Government Style Manual (2024), plainlanguage.gov

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Contents

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G-H
• I
• L-M
• N-O
• P
• R
• S
• T-U
• V-Z
• Phrases to Remove Entirely

A

Complex	Plain Alternative
(an) absence of	no, none
abundance	enough, plenty, many
accede to	allow, agree to
accelerate	speed up
accommodate	meet, hold, house
accomplish	do, finish, complete
accordingly	so, therefore
acknowledge	thank you for, confirm
acquire	get, buy, obtain
additional	extra, more
adjacent	next to
advantageous	useful, helpful
advise	tell, say, inform
aforesaid	this, earlier
aggregate	total
alleviate	ease, reduce
allocate	give, share, assign
alternative	other, choice
ameliorate	improve
anticipate	expect
apparent	clear, obvious
appreciable	large, noticeable
appropriate	proper, right, suitable
approximately	about, roughly
ascertain	find out
assistance	help
at the present time	now
attempt	try
authorise	allow, let

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B

Complex	Plain Alternative
belated	late
beneficial	helpful, useful
bestow	give
by means of	by

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C

Complex	Plain Alternative
calculate	work out
cease	stop, end
circumvent	avoid, get around
clarification	explanation
commence	start, begin
communicate	tell, talk, write
competent	able
compile	collect, make
complete	fill in, finish
component	part
comprise	include, make up
(it is) compulsory	(you) must
conceal	hide
concerning	about
consequently	so
considerable	large, great, much
constitute	make up, form
consult	ask, talk to
consumption	use
currently	now

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D

Complex	Plain Alternative
deduct	take off
deem	treat as, consider
defer	delay, put off
deficiency	lack
delete	remove, cross out
demonstrate	show, prove
denote	show, mean
designate	name, appoint
despatch/dispatch	send
determine	decide, find out
detrimental	harmful
diminish	reduce, lessen
discontinue	stop
disseminate	spread, distribute
documentation	papers, documents
due to the fact that	because
duration	time, length
dwelling	home

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E

Complex	Plain Alternative
economical	cheap, good value
eligible	allowed, qualified
elucidate	explain
enable	allow
encounter	meet
endeavour	try
enquire	ask
ensure	make sure
entitlement	right
envisage	expect
equivalent	equal, the same
erroneous	wrong
establish	set up, show
evaluate	assess, test
excessive	too much
exclusively	only
exempt	free from
expedite	speed up
expenditure	spending
expire	run out

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F

Complex	Plain Alternative
fabricate	make
facilitate	help, make possible
finalise	finish, complete
following	after
for the purpose of	to, for
for the reason that	because
forthwith	now, at once
forward	send
frequently	often
furnish	give, provide
furthermore	also, and

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G-H

Complex	Plain Alternative
generate	produce, create
henceforth	from now on
hitherto	until now

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I

Complex	Plain Alternative
if and when	if, when
illustrate	show
immediately	at once, now
implement	carry out, do
imply	suggest
in accordance with	under, following
in addition to	and, also
in conjunction with	with
in excess of	more than
in lieu of	instead of
in order to	to
in receipt of	receive
in relation to	about
in respect of	about, for
in the event of	if
in the majority of instances	most, usually
in the near future	soon
in view of the fact that	because
inception	start
indicate	show, suggest
inform	tell
initiate	start, begin
insert	put in
instances	cases
irrespective of	despite
issue	give, send

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L-M

Complex	Plain Alternative
(a) large number of	many
liaise with	work with, talk to
locality	place, area
locate	find
magnitude	size
(it is) mandatory	(you) must
manner	way
modification	change
moreover	also, and

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N-O

Complex	Plain Alternative
negligible	small
nevertheless	but, however
notify	tell
notwithstanding	despite, even if
numerous	many
objective	aim, goal
(it is) obligatory	(you) must
obtain	get
occasioned by	caused by
on behalf of	for
on numerous occasions	often
on receipt of	when you get
on the grounds that	because
operate	work, run
optimum	best
option	choice
otherwise	or
outstanding	unpaid
owing to	because

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P

Complex	Plain Alternative
partially	partly
participate	take part
particulars	details
per annum	a year
perform	do
permit	let, allow
personnel	staff, people
peruse	read
possess	have, own
practically	almost
predominant	main
prescribe	set
preserve	keep
previous	earlier, before
principal	main
prior to	before
proceed	go ahead
procure	get
prohibit	ban, stop
promptly	quickly
provide	give
provided that	if
provisions	rules, terms
proximity	nearness
purchase	buy
pursuant to	under

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R

Complex	Plain Alternative
reconsider	think again
reduction	cut
referred to as	called
regarding	about
reimburse	repay
reiterate	repeat
relating to	about
remain	stay
remainder	rest
remuneration	pay
render	make, give
represent	stand for
request	ask
require	need
residence	home
retain	keep
revised	changed, new

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S

Complex	Plain Alternative
scrutinise	examine, check
select	choose
solely	only
specified	given, stated
state	say
statutory	legal, by law
subject to	depending on
submit	send, give
subsequent to	after
subsequently	later
substantial	large, much
sufficient	enough
supplement	add to
supplementary	extra

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T-U

Complex	Plain Alternative
terminate	end, stop
thereafter	then
thereby	by this
thus	so
to date	so far
transfer	move
transmit	send
ultimately	in the end
undertake	agree, do
uniform	same
utilise	use

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V-Z

Complex	Plain Alternative
variation	change
virtually	almost
visualise	imagine, see
ways and means	ways
whatsoever	any
with a view to	to
with effect from	from
with reference to	about
with regard to	about
with respect to	about
zone	area

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Phrases to Remove Entirely

These phrases often add nothing. Delete them:

• a total of
• absolutely
• actually
• all things being equal
• as a matter of fact
• at the end of the day
• at this moment in time
• basically
• currently (when "now" or nothing works)
• I am of the opinion that (use: I think)
• in due course (use: soon, or say when)
• in the final analysis
• it should be understood
• last but not least
• obviously
• of course
• quite
• really
• the fact of the matter is
• to all intents and purposes
• very