Always use the same terms

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If you mean the same thing, use the same term.

If you use different terms, readers may think that you mean different things. Consistent terminology is also important when users want to skim your text for particular information, and when they use full-text search.

Variety is excellent for novels and for English tests at school. In technical writing, however, there’s little room for creativity. Keep it simple and stupid (the KISS principle).

If you’re writing sales texts and want to make your texts more conversational and vivid, vary the unimportant words rather than the important words.

Make a terminology list of the terms that you use and of the terms that you don’t use (see Be consistent).

Don’t use the terms that are on your blacklist within the visible text of your document, but add them as index keywords so that they appear in the alphabetical index. Readers who don’t yet know which particular term you use can then find a topic even if they’re looking for the “wrong” term.

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Decision aids

When in doubt:

use the word that’s used in the user interface or printed on the product

use the word that your users will be looking for when they skim a text

use the simpler word

use the shorter word

 

No:

If you’ve purchased a new application, you must first install the software before you can use the program.

Yes:

If you’ve purchased a new program, you must first install this program before you can use it.

Examples

Some typical examples of terms that need a decision on which words you use are:

Do you say computer, or PC, or machine, or client, or workstation, or unit?

Do you say sound adapter, or sound card?

Do you say pointer, or mouse pointer, or cursor, or mouse cursor, or arrow, or mouse arrow, or I-beam?

Do you say keyboard shortcut, or quick access key, or shortcut key, or accelerator key, or hotkey, or speed key, or fast key, or quick key, or key combination?

For recommendations, see FAQ: Standard terms and phrases.

 


Feel free to repeat a word

FAQ: Standard terms and phrases

Be consistent