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Grammar and vocabulary

Discover the importance of proper grammar and vocabulary in UX writing. This subchapter will guide you on how to use language effectively to create professional and easily understandable content.

Grammar tenses​

  • Use present simple tense to describe an action or instruction

  • Only use simple verb forms in the past or future when necessary

  • click, browse, upload
  • file loads, file loaded
  • clicking, being clicked, was clicking
  • file is going to be loaded, file has been loaded

Active voice​

  • Configuration file opens.
  • Admin provides read-only access.
  • Measure performance.
  • Click submit.
  • Calculate the data.
  • The configuration file is opened.
  • Read-only access is provided by Admin.
  • Performance is measured.
  • Submit is clicked by user.
  • The data is calculated by application.

UI terminology​

  • Mouse terminology: drag, hover, point, tap, click

  • Touchscreen gestures: tap, drag, flick, touch and hold, double-tap, swipe, pinch, spread

  • Basic terminology: checkbox, drop-down, field, icon, menu, link, radio button, window

  • click
  • hover
  • press
  • mouse over

Idioms and phrasal verbs​

  • Avoid multi-word phrasal verbs when one word works

  • Avoid idiomatic expressions

  • Avoid cultural references

  • remove
  • calculate
  • continue
  • mobile device
  • get rid of
  • add up
  • carry on
  • Apple, Android, iOS, smartphone

Jargon, buzz words and terms​

  • Use simple vocabulary

  • Do not avoid technical terms but consider if you need to explain them

  • Define new or unfamiliar terms and use existing explanations (do not reinvent the wheel)

Abbreviations and acronyms​

  • Avoid abbreviations (info, incl, excl) and acronyms (SIOS for Siemens Industry Online Support)

  • Explain acronyms initially and in full unless well known: Asset Performance Suite (APS)

  • Capitalization only for acronyms that are proper nouns

  • No periods in abbreviations or acronyms

  • Never make up your own acronyms: https://www.acronymfinder.com/

  • light emitting diodes (LEDs)
  • APS
  • EU
  • I/O component, I/O list, I/O module
  • Light Emitting Diodes (LEDS)
  • A.P.S.
  • E.U.
  • IO component, i/o list, I-O module

Time based vocabulary: Last, latest and recent​

  • Last implies nothing else will follow. It's the last, and after this it is finished. No more are coming.

  • Latest implies that it is the last to date, which means there could be more to follow. Most recent. Newest.

  • Recent is more time focused and is similar to latest. It means that it happened a short time ago.

  • Latest update
  • Latest summary
  • Recent events
  • Last update
  • Last summary
  • Last events