Plain Language or Easy Language? The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Communication

The solution lies in two linguistic concepts that are often confused: Plain Language and Easy Language. Both reduce barriers to comprehension, both are considered a means of accessible communication, but they follow different rules, are aimed at different target groups and have different legal status.

This article explains what constitutes both variants, where the differences lie, which laws and standards apply and which variant is the right one for which purpose.

What is Easy Language?

Easy Language is a highly simplified, rule-based form of the German language. It was originally developed for people with learning difficulties and follows a fixed set of rules documented by the Netzwerk Leichte Sprache, the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) and, more recently, the DIN SPEC 33429.

Easy Language is not just a simplification, it is an independent linguistic system with clear guidelines:

• ✓ One thought per sentence, usually no longer than eight to ten words
• ✓ Only main clauses, no subordinate clauses
• ✓ Long words are broken up, for example "Bundes-Tag" or "Bundes·tag"
• ✓ Subjunctive, passive voice and genitive are largely avoided
• ✓ Foreign words and technical terms are replaced or explained in a glossary
• ✓ Negations are avoided because they make comprehension harder

Texts in Easy Language are also typographically clear: large font, short lines, plenty of white space, often accompanied by pictograms or icons. Every Easy Language text must be reviewed by people from the target group before publication, this so-called review group is a mandatory part of the creation process.

In terms of language level, Easy Language sits at roughly CEFR level A1 to A2.

What is Plain Language?

Plain Language is also a simplified form of German, but is far less strictly regulated than Easy Language. It aims to make texts understandable for the general public without reducing them to a bare minimum. In terms of language level, Plain Language sits at roughly B1 level.

Unlike for a long time, Plain Language now has two documented standards: the international DIN ISO 24495-1 has defined language-independent core principles since 2024 (relevance, findability, understandability, applicability). DIN 8581-1 then applies these principles specifically to the German language. Neither standard is legally binding, but both serve as orientation. In addition, various organizations, such as the Klar-Text initiative, the Federal Office of Administration and language research institutes, have published their own recommendations that are similar in their basic approach but differ in detail.

Typical features of Plain Language:

• ✓ Sentences generally no longer than 15 to 20 words, subordinate clauses are allowed
• ✓ Technical terms are avoided or explained, but are not banned outright
• ✓ Active constructions are preferred, passive voice is allowed
• ✓ Foreign words are adapted into German or explained
• ✓ Clear structure with meaningful headings, short paragraphs and clear lists

Plain Language dispenses with special typographic forms such as hyphens in compound words and does not require mandatory review by a target group. It is more flexible to use, can be produced more quickly and fits many editorial contexts, from government texts and press releases to product descriptions in e-commerce.

The most important differences at a glance

Plain Language and Easy Language are often confused because both produce simplified texts at first glance. On closer inspection, however, they differ in almost every respect:

• ✓ Target group: Easy Language is primarily aimed at people with learning difficulties, cognitive impairments, dementia or very little knowledge of German. Plain Language addresses the general public, people with functional illiteracy, low reading skills, German as a second language or simply a preference for easy-to-understand information.
• ✓ Set of rules: Easy Language follows a binding, documented set of rules (Netzwerk Leichte Sprache, BMAS guidelines, DIN SPEC 33429). Plain Language is guided by DIN ISO 24495-1 and DIN 8581-1, alongside various recommendations with a similar basic orientation.
• ✓ Language level: Easy Language sits at A1 to A2 level. Plain Language corresponds to roughly B1.
• ✓ Sentence length: In Easy Language, a sentence ideally contains one thought and no more than eight to ten words. In Plain Language, 15 to 20 words per sentence are acceptable.
• ✓ Sentence structure: Easy Language allows only main clauses. Plain Language permits simple subordinate clauses.
• ✓ Typography: Easy Language calls for large type, short lines and broken-up compound words (hyphen or interpunct). Plain Language has no typographic requirements.
• ✓ Images and pictograms: Easy Language recommends accompanying pictograms. In Plain Language, images are optional.
• ✓ Review: Easy Language texts must be reviewed by people from the target group before publication. Plain Language has no mandatory review.
• ✓ Effort: Producing Easy Language content takes considerably longer and costs more, since translation, review and layout are more involved. Plain Language can be produced more quickly.

Legal situation in Germany

The legal status of Plain Language and Easy Language differs considerably, and is a blind spot for many companies and authorities.

Disability Equality Act (BGG): For federal public bodies, Easy Language has been explicitly enshrined in Section 11 of the BGG since 2018. Public authorities must provide information in Easy Language if this is necessary to enable people with intellectual disabilities or mental impairments to access administration and information. The BITV 2.0 (Barrier-Free Information Technology Ordinance) specifies this obligation further: public authority websites must provide explanations in Easy Language, at least on the content and function of the website as well as pointers to further information in Easy Language.

Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG): The BFSG, which has been mandatory for many private companies since June 28, 2025, does not explicitly require either Easy Language or Plain Language. It refers to WCAG 2.2 conformance level AA as the technical standard. However, WCAG requirement 3.1.5 (reading level) at level AAA calls for a simpler supplementary version if a text requires a higher level than the lower secondary level. AAA is not a legal requirement, but is sometimes required by the EU for public-sector content.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Under international law, Articles 9 and 21 of the UN CRPD call for access to information in an accessible form. Easy Language is understood as one means of implementing this right.

DIN SPEC 33429: Since March 2025, the DIN SPEC 33429 has been publicly available as a technical specification for Easy Language. It is not a binding standard, but an important reference framework for quality assurance.

DIN 8581-1 and DIN ISO 24495-1: For Plain Language, the DIN ISO 24495-1 and the DIN 8581-1 built on it have likewise existed as documented standards since 2024. They are not legally binding either, but give companies a solid basis for quality assurance.

Practical consequence: Public bodies are clearly obliged to offer Easy Language. Private companies under the BFSG are not required to offer Easy Language, but anyone who wants to make content accessible to a broad target group should at least use Plain Language, particularly in areas such as terms and conditions, privacy policies, product descriptions or help pages. In the event of a threatened warning letter under the BFSG, comprehensible language is an important argument for compliance.

Practical examples of both variants

The difference becomes especially clear with concrete examples. Three typical sentences and their translations.

Original sentence (standard): "If you wish to withdraw from the contract within the statutory withdrawal period of fourteen days from receipt of the goods, please send us your declaration of withdrawal in text form."

Plain Language (B1): "You can withdraw from the contract within 14 days. To do so, send us a message by e-mail or letter."

Easy Language (A1/A2): "You can give the goods back. You have 14 days to do this. Please write us a message. An e-mail is enough."

A second example from a government context:

Original: "To apply for housing benefit, you must provide suitable evidence of your total household income."

Plain: "If you want to apply for housing benefit, you must provide proof of your income. This applies to everyone living with you."

Easy: "Do you want to get housing benefit? Then you must show your income. This also counts for the other people. The other people live with you."

The examples show: Plain Language remains recognizably flowing text, while Easy Language is far more structured and reduced.

Which version is right for my website?

The choice between Plain Language and Easy Language depends on three factors: target group, legal requirement and resources.

Choose Easy Language if:

• ✓ You are a public body and must comply with Section 11 of the BGG
• ✓ Your target group explicitly includes people with learning difficulties, cognitive impairments or dementia
• ✓ You run inclusive educational, social or healthcare services
• ✓ You offer products or services where comprehension is critical to success for vulnerable target groups (assistive devices, medication information, emergency services)
• ✓ You are aiming for WCAG 2.2 AAA compliance for certain content areas

Choose Plain Language if:

• ✓ You are a private company addressing the general public
• ✓ You want to make content more accessible without investing in the full Easy Language framework
• ✓ You want to make terms and conditions, privacy policies, FAQ sections or product descriptions easier to understand
• ✓ People with German as a second language are part of your target group
• ✓ You want to scale quickly and flexibly without setting up review groups

Combine both if you have a diverse target group. In practice, a three-tier approach often works well:

• ✓ Standard text for the main target group
• ✓ Plain Language for people with lower reading skills
• ✓ Easy Language for particularly critical content

Federal government websites demonstrate this approach and mark the respective versions with clear buttons or tabs.

Common mistakes in implementation

In practice, typical mistakes occur with both variants, reducing or completely negating the benefit for the target group.

With Easy Language:

• ✓ Texts are published without a review group and fail to reach the target group
• ✓ The rules are only partially applied (short sentences, but no hyphens in compound words)
• ✓ Content is reduced so much that essential information is lost
• ✓ The texts are not labeled as Easy Language, so the target group cannot find them at all

With Plain Language:

• ✓ The simplification stays superficial, short sentences alone do not make a text easier to understand if the terms remain abstract
• ✓ Technical terms are explained, but in a hidden location
• ✓ The structure of the original is retained instead of being rethought for the new target group
• ✓ Plain Language is confused with Easy Language, meaning neither target group is served optimally

With both variants: Texts are created once and never updated when the original content changes. This leads to inconsistent information. The link between the standard text and the simplified version is missing or unintuitive. There is no responsible editorial team ensuring quality over the long term.

How SiteCockpit supports simplified language

With easyLanguage, SiteCockpit offers its own module that automatically converts content into Plain Language or Easy Language, directly in the SiteCockpit dashboard. This significantly reduces editorial effort and lays the groundwork for WCAG-compliant, understandable language options.

As part of the accessibility analysis, SiteCockpit also checks whether a website offers content in Easy Language or Plain Language and how it is structurally integrated. The easyMonitoring module detects missing language markup, checks the findability of simplified versions and documents the WCAG requirements around reading level (criterion 3.1.5).

easyTranslate can also automatically generate translations into other languages, an important building block for multilingual audiences who should be addressed in addition to simplified language. The legal documentation of the language offerings is automatically included in the accessibility statement via easyStatement.

Important: easyLanguage provides an automated foundation but does not fully replace editorial translation into Easy Language or Plain Language, that remains a linguistic and specialist task, which for Easy Language must always additionally involve a review group. SiteCockpit does ensure, however, that the technical implementation is WCAG-compliant and that the simplified content remains findable for the target group.

So, Plain Language or Easy Language?

The question "Plain Language or Easy Language?" cannot be answered in general terms, it depends on the target group, legal obligation and resources. If you need a clear answer, three guidelines can help:

• ✓ Public bodies are obliged under the BGG and BITV 2.0 to offer Easy Language, at least for explanations of the website and for content relevant to vulnerable target groups.
• ✓ Private companies under the BFSG do not have to offer Easy Language, but benefit from Plain Language: better comprehensibility, higher conversion and reduced legal risk, especially in terms and conditions, privacy policies and withdrawal notices.
• ✓ Whoever can offer both wins. A website with standard text, a Plain Language version and Easy Language explanations for particularly critical content not only meets formal requirements, but also turns inclusion into lived practice.

The most important insight: Plain Language and Easy Language are not competitors, but complementary tools. Anyone who understands the difference can use them deliberately, and make digital content genuinely accessible to everyone.