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Information Status

We are currently revising content on plainlanguage.gov, including the federal guidelines, training materials, and other online resources. We’ve temporarily paused accepting training requests until after this update is complete. We hope to resume training later in the fall 2023.

Writing and reference tools

There are millions of words in the English language. Many you have never heard before, and many you may have heard but don’t know their correct definition, spelling, or pronunciation.

Dictionaries, thesauruses, and grammar sites are excellent tools that can help you clarify your word choice. By using words in their correct context, you will express your ideas clearly, and your reader will benefit from your accuracy.

Most of us in plain language aren’t grammar experts, but we often get questions about grammar, so we’ve included a few grammar resources here.

Dictionaries

  • Try Dictionary.com for quick word definitions.

  • One Look, pulls up definitions from more than one source, giving you a multiple list of dictionaries with definitions you can compare.

Thesauruses

Grammar sites