Common terms we use
This page explains the everyday terms and phrases we use across our content. It helps ensure consistency, clarity and accessibility for everyone reading our information.
You will find guidance on how we refer to services, roles, organisations and processes—along with examples that show how we apply these terms in practice.
Using common language helps people understand what we mean and take action with confidence.
Spelling, capitalisation and preferred terms
- 2 weeks or every 2 weeks – rather than fortnight, fortnightly or bimonthly
- twice a month, every two months or six times a year – rather than bimonthly
- advisor
- mobile (not cell phone, not cellphone)
- phone rather than call, ring or telephone
- child support
- co-operation not cooperation
- co-ordinate not coordinate
- disability (not disabled)
- district council
- district nurse, not District Nurse
- doctor, rather than GP
- driving licence, not driver’s licence
- Council
- fill in, not fill out (when referring to a form)
- full-time
- healthcare
- ID, for example, photo ID not photo identification
- illness, rather than a medical condition
- infographic
- HMRC, not Inland Revenue or IR
- out-of-date
- outside the UK, rather than overseas or abroad
- Somerset has a boundary, not a border
- parish council
- partner, rather than spouse
- part-time
- pre-paid
- print (when referring to a form that can be printed out)
- second-hand
- self-employed
- travelling
- wellbeing
Terms we do not use
We do not say
- not together – it is clearer to say that people are not in a relationship
- in order to – ‘In order’ is unnecessary, so we leave it out – ‘To use this service…’
- it’s important to or it’s vital to – it is not our job to tell people what is important to them, either they have to do something or they do not
- lets you do or allows you to – it sounds like people serve the service, not the other way around
- please – ‘please phone’, ‘please email’ should be ‘phone’ or ’email’
- sets out – we use ‘shows’
- simply – we’ll explain a simple process simply, rather than saying it’s simple
- will – when we don’t need this word, for example, you need a copy of your birth certificate not – you will need a copy of your birth certificate
- your needs – state the actual needs instead.
We also avoid using jargon like
- advancing
- agenda – unless it’s for a meeting
- collaborate – we use ‘working with’
- combating
- commit, pledge, aim – we need to be more specific – we’re either doing something or we’re not
- countering
- currently
- deliver – pizzas, post and services are delivered, not abstract concepts like ‘improvements’ or ‘priorities’
- dialogue – we speak to people
- disincentivise and incentivise
- drive – we can only drive vehicles, not schemes or people
- empower
- entity
- facilitate – instead, we say something specific about how we’re helping
- focusing
- foster – unless it is fostering children
- going forward – it’s unlikely we’re giving travel directions
- impact (as a verb)
- initiate
- key – unless it unlocks something, it’s probably just ‘important’
- land – as a verb, unless you’re talking about an aircraft
- leverage – unless in the financial sense
- liaise
- one-stop shop – we’re a local government, not a retail outlet
- outcomes
- overarching
- progress – as a verb – say what you’re actually doing
- ring-fencing
- robust
- stakeholder – this means nothing or everything, and everyone has a different definition for it – say who is involved
- streamline
- strengthening – unless it’s strengthening bridges or other structures
- tackling – unless we’re talking about contact sports
- transforming – we state what people are actually doing to change a thing
- utilise – we say ‘use’ instead.
- We write words like ‘realise’, ‘solemnisation’ and ‘standardise’ with an ‘s’ not a ‘z’.