To dumb down your writing, use simple words, explain any jargon, keep sentences and paragraphs short, and make clarity your goal. Then test how easy the text is to read. Done well, simple writing does not talk down to readers: it lets every one of them get the message.
In the real world, sophisticated writing often does not work, and the reason people give most often is that it is simply too hard to understand. If you are a writer, there will come a time when you need to think seriously about dumbing down your writing.
Dumbing down your writing does not mean that you are condescending to your readers. The point is to make sure that everyone who reads the document gets the message without misunderstanding it.
So how do you dumb down your writing without insulting your readers? Here is how.
1. Use simpler words
Just because you think readers should understand what you mean doesn't mean that they will. Avoid obscure words, because they slow readers down: they have to stop and read a passage twice to understand what it is really about. Simple words let your readers move through a passage easily.
Another reason to use simpler words is that not all readers are fully alert while they read. Take novels, for instance: many people read them when they are tired and about to fall asleep. Will those tired brains understand the big words as they come up?
Go simple. Instead of acquiesce, use agree. Instead of construe, use interpret. Your readers will thank you.
2. Understand who your readers are
Your readers may not have the same educational, social, or cultural background as you. Never assume that they will understand every phrase, idiom, or piece of jargon you put into your writing.
If you really have to use jargon, add a short explanation of what it means. That helps your readers follow what is going on. If your readers come from many countries, these tips for writing in Global English help as well.
3. Shorten your sentences and paragraphs
In general, a long sentence is harder to read and understand than a short one. Check your writing for sentences with twenty or more words, and split them into shorter sentences wherever you can.
The same applies to paragraphs. At school, your teacher may have taught you that a paragraph should contain at least five sentences. Use your own judgment to decide whether a paragraph needs that many. In many cases, shorter paragraphs work best.
4. Aim for clarity
When all is said and done, the point of your writing is to communicate your ideas to the readers. If you make it clear to them what you want to say, you are right on the mark. Nothing else matters as much.
Also make sure that your writing is free from spelling and grammar errors, because they can spoil your work in more than one way. The Spell Checker marks them for you, and its Picky mode also points out wordy phrases and wording that could be simpler.
5. Test it
Once you have made your text clear and easy to read, test how easy it really is. One measure you can use is the Flesch Reading Ease test, one of the Flesch-Kincaid readability tests.
The formula uses the average length of the sentences and the average number of syllables per word to give the text a score. The higher the score, the easier the text is to read.
A score of 60 to 70 counts as plain English: students in 8th or 9th grade, about 13 to 15 years old, can understand it easily. That is the score to aim for when you write for the general public. For more ways to cut a text down to what matters, see how to simplify your content.
Is dumbing down always the way to go?
No, dumbing down your writing is not always the best idea. In some cases, readers may even think that simple writing is all you can do.
Take advertising and marketing, for example. In an advert, simple words usually work best: if you want to make a sale, avoid big words and jargon. But when you write an advertising or marketing proposal for the management, a very simple style may give the impression that you are not a very good writer.
When you write for a client, try to find a balance between simplifying for the readers and pleasing the client.