By Lee Bone and Stuart

Peacock

Full of the Jargon you shouldn‟t use....

And the easy words you should use instead!

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 A
Abuse
Abuse is when someone treats you badly. This might be
by hurting you, or making you do something you don‟t
want to do.
The person doing this to you might be someone who is
meant to care for you.

Types of Abuse
When someone hits you or hurts you, it is Physical
abuse. They might punch you, kick you or hurt you in
another way.

Emotional abuse is when someone talks to you in a

horrible way, for example they might make fun of you,
swear at you, shout at you and make you feel really bad.
It can also be when you are forced to do something you
do not want to do.

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Accommodation: Somewhere you can stay. For example
it can be a hotel or somewhere you go on holiday.

Or it can be somewhere you live in for longer. If you pay

rent for where you live, you are living in rented
accommodation.

Easier words: a place to stay, a place to sleep,

somewhere to live, your home

Acknowledge: This means when you let someone know

that they have been listened to. For example, if you send
a job application and they send you a letter telling you
they‟ve got it, this is called an acknowledgement.
Easier words: Letting someone know, thanking someone,
listening to someone

Acute Hospital: This is a hospital where they have to

treat people with a really serious illness or disability.
If this term is used, it should be explained!

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Advocacy: This means when you stand up for someone
or something you believe in.
Easier words: supporting someone, active support, strong
beliefs, and defending someone.

Agenda: This is when you write up a plan for what you

want to do. For example an agenda for a meeting has a
list of what people will talk about.
Easier words: plan, listing something, list of things to
do/talk about, list of items, memo

Annual: An event that happens every year or once a year.

Easier words: yearly event, this year‟s event, once a year

Attend: This means when someone goes to or turns up

at an event. For example when you attend an interview or
a meeting.
Easier words: going to something, turning up to
something

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 B
Banquet: This means when a lot of food is made for a lot
of people. This is usually for a big party or event.
Easier words: feast, big meal, lots of food, big party,
spread

Beginning: This means the start of something. For

example a story has a beginning, middle and an end.
Easier words: Start, first part, opening, introduction.

Benefit: This means when there is something that is good

for you.
For example a benefit of using Easy Read information is
that you could get more customers.
Benefit can also mean money that people get from the
government to help them.

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One example is the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Disabled people can get this benefit if they need help with
personal care or have walking difficulties.

Easier words: improve something, give you a better

chance, and help you

Bereavement: This means when someone is sad after

they lose something that is important to them.
For example if a person has a friend or family member
who has died, they are suffering bereavement.
Easier words: upset, sad, suffering, break down, missing
someone who‟s gone

Breach: This means when you break or separate from

something. It can also mean when you break a promise or
break the law.
For example if somebody gave out information that you
wanted to keep secret this is called breach of
confidentiality.
Easier words: break, separate, not keeping a promise

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 C
Commission: This means when someone is chosen to
do a certain job.
It can also mean work that you only get every so often,
instead of full-time.
Easier words: duty, an important job, in charge of
something, hiring someone, work placement

Commitment: This means making a promise that you

will definitely do something.
For example, a surgery would tell you they have a
commitment to provide you with the best medical care
and a high standard of service.
Easier words: making a promise, helping someone

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Communicate: This means when you talk to someone
or get in touch with them. This could be face-to-face, on
the telephone, by email, or another way.
Easier words: get in touch with someone, talk, speak,
contact, and pass on information

Complaint: This means when you have something bad

to say or something has happened that you don‟t like.
For example if you bought a computer that did not
work, you could complain to the shop you got it from.
Easier words: let someone know you‟re unhappy, telling
someone what you don‟t like, and trying to take action
when something bad happens

Compliment: This means when you have something

good or positive to say about something.
It is the opposite of a complaint.
For example, if you told a restaurant how good their food
was, you are giving them a compliment.
Easier words: let someone know you‟re happy, telling
someone what you like, showing respect, admiring
something, and saying how good something is.

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Consent: This means giving permission, someone has
to agree to something.
For example if a doctor wants to give treatment to a
patient, they need the patient‟s consent.
Easier words: agreeing to something, saying something
is OK

Consultation: This means when a group of people get

together to talk about things and say what they think.
Easier words: asking people questions, finding out things,
researching

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 D
Discharge - This means when you are well enough to
leave the hospital.
If this term is used, it should be explained!

Discrimination - this means when someone is treated

badly or not treated fairly because they are different in
some way.
For example people with disabilities often suffer
discrimination.

People are also treated badly because of their religion.

People are also treated badly sometimes because of their

skin colour or the country they are from.

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It can also be about if someone is a man or woman, or
how old they are.

It can also be because of something someone believes

in, or how someone chooses to live their life.

Easier words: bullying, being treated badly, not being

respected, leaving people out.

Discuss: This means when you talk about something in

detail.
Easier words: talking, speaking, and letting someone
know what you think.

Dissatisfied: This means when you are not happy with

something. It is the opposite of satisfied.
Easier words: not happy, unhappy, sad, upset, not
pleased

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Duplication: This means when you make another copy of
something. For example when you photocopy something.
Easier words: making a copy of something, making more
than one of something.

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 E
Eligibility: This means whether you are able to do
something or not.
For example you might not be eligible for Disability
Benefit if you have a full time job.
Easier words: if you can do something, if you‟re allowed
to do something, if you‟re the right person

Enhance: This means when you make something better.

Easier words: improve, make something better, quality,
and add to

Equality: This means when everyone is treated the same.

For example it should not matter if a person has a
disability. If they are treated fairly this is Equality.
If someone with a disability is treated badly, this is
Inequality.
If these terms are used, they should be explained!

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Establish: This means when something is created or set
up. For example when a company first starts up, they are
being established. It can also mean when a fact or
statement is proven as right.
Easier words: set up, start up, open, build up, confirm

Evaluation: This means looking over something and

trying to find out how successful it has been.
Easier words: summing things up, judge, conclude, wrap
things up, reaching a decision

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 F
Facilitate: This means when a person starts up something
or is in charge of it, and tries to make it easy.
For example if you facilitate something, you are setting it
in motion, and getting it started.
In the NHS, the term „Facilitator‟ is used for someone
who sorts out a patient‟s healthcare and gives them
treatment.
Easier words: make easy, help with, getting things
started, setting things in motion

Facsimile: This is another word for sending a fax.

If this word is used it should be explained!

Favourable: This means something that sounds really

good or really promising.
For example if it is a sunny day the weather is favourable.

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Or if you treat someone favourably it means you might be
treating them better than someone else.
Easier words: good, promising, in your favour, something
that sounds good

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 G
GP (General Practitioner): This is another name for a
Doctor.
If this term is used, it should be explained!

Grievance: This means when someone feels they have

been treated wrongly. They might have a problem with
something and want to make a complaint.
To find out what complaint means go to page 8.
Easier words: being treated unfairly, having a problem,
having a concern

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 H
Head-hunting (business term)
This means when a company is trying to find new people
to work for them. They want to find people with lots of
skills and who would be good for the company.
Easier words: recruiting, searching, employing people

Hierarchy: This means when people are put into some

kind of order. For example the boss of a company is at
the top of the hierarchy.
The person at the top of the hierarchy is the one in
charge and is the most important.
If this term is used, it should be explained!

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 I
Inclusion: This means being part of something, to be
included.
Easier words: taking part, to be allowed into a group, be a
part of something

“In confidence”: This means that when someone is told

something, they have to promise not to tell anyone
else.
For example, a doctor might not be allowed to say
something about a patient.
Easier words: keeping a secret, not telling anybody.

Independent: This means doing things for yourself with

not much help, and living your own life.
Easier words: being in control, doing things by yourself,
happy, proud.

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Initiate: This means setting up something or getting
something started.
For example when a project has been initiated, it means
that it has just started.
Easier words: setting up, getting things ready, planning
something, getting things off the ground.

Integrate: This means to put something into place. For

example companies will sometimes integrate new
computer systems.
Easier words: put in place, set up, include

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 J
Jargon: This is something you should not use!
Also known as:
 Gibberish
 Gobbledygook
 Mumbo jumbo
 Drivel
 Nonsense
 Waffle
 Difficult words
 Hard to understand
Too many documents and letters use jargon.
This means they use words that are too long or too
complicated.
Use Easier Words instead! This dictionary has examples.
If you use Easier Words, more people will be able to
understand!

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 K
Keynote: A „keynote‟ is the main part, or the most
important part of something.
This can be in a document, book or speech.
For example when a politician makes a keynote speech,
they will say what their main ideas are.
Easier words: main point, important part, main idea

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 L
Liaison: This means when different people or groups are
in contact with each other or work together.
Easier words: working together, sharing ideas, talking
over things.

Literacy: This means the ability to read and write.

If this term is used, it should be explained!

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 M
Mandatory: This means something you have to do or
something that has to be done-you don‟t get a choice.
For example if staff training is “mandatory”, you have to
do it.
Easier words: something you have to do, has to be done.

Maximize: This means to make something as high or

great as possible.
For example if a company is “maximizing” their profits it
means they found a way to make lots of money.
Easier words: Make something bigger, increase

Misconstrue: This means when you make a mistake and

do not understand something properly.
Easier words: getting something wrong, not
understanding somebody.

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Monitoring: This means keeping an eye on someone or
something and keeping track of what‟s going on.
For example a doctor might have to monitor a person who
has a serious illness.
Easier words: checking over someone, keeping your eye
on them, looking after them

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 N
Nationality: This means the country that you come from
or were born in.
For example people from Britain are of British nationality.
Easier words: the country you come from, being a citizen
of a country.

Negative: This means when something is bad or not very

good.
Or if someone is being negative about something they do
not have much hope.
It is the opposite of being positive.
Easier words: bad, not very good, having bad feelings,
saying „no‟ to something

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Neglect
This is when the person who is meant to be looking after
you doesn‟t do anything to help you, or leaves you on
your own for a long time.
It can mean they are not feeding you or keeping you
clean.
Easier words: not being looked after, being left alone, not
being treated very well.

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 O
Outcome: This means the result of something that has
happened.
For example if a person makes a complaint the company
will do something about it – this is called an outcome.
Easier words: result, end of something, what happens,
conclusion

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 P
Participate: This means when you take part or are
included in something.
For example if you go to a meeting and say what you
think, you are participating in it.
Easier words: taking part, going to something, getting
involved.

Preparation: When you are ready to do something. For

example for when you are moving to a new home or going
on holiday.
Easier words: getting ready, sorting things out, planning

Preventative: This means stopping something from

happening.
For example you can get “preventative screening” at
hospital that might help stop you getting a disease or
illness.
Easier words: stop, put a stop to, avoid, and put off
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Priority: This means the most important thing.
For example if someone has a list of things to do the one
that is most important will be their priority. (It is more
important than other thing)
Easier words: main thing, main concern, most important

Programme: This means a big event, it can also be a big

project where companies do research and try and get
information.
Easier words: big event, project

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 Q
Qualitative: This means research about how good
something is, or the quality of it.

Quantitative: This means research about how many

people feel, think or act in a certain way-it is about the
number of people.

Questionnaire: This means a list of questions that you

fill out answers for.
For example if you‟ve used a service they might give you
a questionnaire to find out what you think.

If you use these terms, they should be explained!

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 R
Requirements: This means what someone needs.
For example a person in a wheelchair would probably
require a ramp or someone‟s help to get into a
building.
Easier words: what you need, have need of, expect to be
there

Responsibility: This means something that you have to

do or are expected to do.
For example Nurses have a responsibility to look after
their patients.
Easier words: job, duty, task, have to do, expected to do

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 S
Service users: These are people who use a service, i.e.
the general public.
If this term is used, it should be explained!

Solution: This means what you‟re trying to find when

solving a problem.
For example when you are tired, a good night sleep is the
best solution.
Easier words: solve, sort out the problem, finding the
answer, resolve, getting the best result.

Statutory - A statutory organisation is one that has to be

there, by law.
Examples would be the Police, and District, Borough and
County Councils.
If this term is used, it should be explained!

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 T
Time scale: This means how long something takes.
Easier words: expected time, how long it will take, period
of time

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 U
Unlawful: This means when someone does something
that is against the law.
For example when someone steals another person‟s
property it is unlawful.
Easier words: breaking the law, against the law.

Untoward: This means when something happens that is

unexpected or when something bad happens.

For example Councils often refer to:

“Serious Untoward Incidents”
These are incidents where people are attacked or suffer
abuse.

If this term is used, it should be explained!

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 V
Volunteering: This means when someone chooses to do
something by themselves.
For example voluntary work means working without
getting paid.
If this term is used, it should be explained!

Vulnerable: A person who might not be safe and could

get hurt. For example people with disabilities could be
vulnerable.
A vulnerable person could be:

Someone with a disability or a mental health problem

Someone who is very ill

Older people

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 W
Wage earner: This means the person in a house/family
who works and earns money.
If this term is used, it should be explained!

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 X
Xerography: This means when you photocopy things.
You can use a photocopier to make more copies of
important documents and other things.
If this term is used, it should be explained!

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 Y
Yardstick: This means how you measure something, or
how you compare things.
Here is an example of how this word is used:

„Test scores are not the only yardstick of academic

achievement‟.

This means that exams are not the only thing that
matter when you are at school or college.

There are other ways of measuring how well a student is

doing.
If this term is used, it should be explained!

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 Z
Zenith: This means the highest point of what someone
can achieve. It means the very best they can do.
Easier words: doing your best, highest point, achieving,
excellence

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