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Avoid jargon

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In the right context, for a particular audience, jargon serves as shorthand for well-understood concepts. But for less technical audiences, jargon can impede understanding.

Don’t use jargon if:

  • You can use a more familiar term, such as symbol instead of glyph.

  • The term is familiar to only a small segment of your readers.

  • The term isn't specific to software, networking, cloud services, and so on.

Avoid business, marketing, and journalistic jargon, such as using leverage to mean take advantage of.

Testing for jargon

Differentiating jargon from technical terminology is tricky. First, check the A–Z word list. If you don’t find the term, the following checklist can help.

  • If you think a term is jargon, it probably is.

  • If it’s an acronym or abbreviation, it may be jargon. Spell it out for clarity.

  • If a reviewer questions your use of a term, it may be jargon.

  • If the term is used in The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times, or in general-interest magazines, such as Time or Newsweek, it might be appropriate for some audiences.

  • If the term is used in technical periodicals such as CNET or Recode, it's probably OK to use for technical audiences.