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Texas Department of Insurance
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Plain language resources

TDI is committed to making its publications easier to understand. We encourage insurance companies to do the same.

Use these resources to simplify your publications. It can help your company cut costs and reduce complaints.

Plain language webinars, examples, and checklists

Resources

  • Plainlanguage.gov: Federal plain language guidelines and resources.
  • 18F Content Guide: A collection of best practices for web content produced by the General Services Administration’s 18F office.
  • National Archives: Guidelines for clear legal documents.
  • Write’s plain language tools: Checklists and guides for making your writing clear and easy to understand.
  • SMOG readability calculator: Test the grade level required to read your text. After you enter your text, you’ll get the SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook) grade-level score. You’ll also get the Flesch Reading Ease score.
  • Books recommended for writing legal text in plain language:
    • Asprey, M. Plain Language for Lawyers. 4th ed. Sydney, NSW: The Federation Press, 2010.
    • Kimble, J. Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please. Durham: Carolina Academic Press, 2012.
    • Kimble, J. Lifting the Fog of Legalese. Durham: Carolina Academic Press, 2006.
    • Garner, B. Legal Writing in Plain English. University of Chicago Press, 2013.

For more information, contact: MediaRelations@tdi.texas.gov

Last updated: 2/16/2023