Voice and Tone

Table of Contents

Our voice can best be defined in three ways:

  • Disciplined, but not bureaucratic
  • Welcoming, but not colloquial
  • Proud, but not smug

Our goal is to write in a way that conveys the state of Iowa is:

  • Trustworthy
  • Sincere
  • Helpful

To meet these goals and ensure readability and smoother translation, content written for Iowa.gov and our agencies should be written at an 8th-grade reading level or below. 

Our tone is casual, but not informal or unprofessional. In writing, we’ll:

  • Use contractions
  • Avoid negative statements (don’t, can’t, won’t)
  • Speak directly to the reader, using we/our/you/your second-person statements
  • Write like we talk, and use active verbs, especially for calls-to-action and next steps
  • Eliminate jargon

Voice characteristic

Description

Do

Don’t

Disciplined

We provide instructions and guides to help Iowans complete tasks without government jargon.

Use ordered or bulleted lists with plain language to guide tasks.

Avoid government or agency jargon, or bloat instructions with unnecessary information.

Welcoming

We’re friendly, sincere, and helpful but not informal or unprofessional.

Write clearly with contractions, second-person speech (you, we, our), and positive language.

Avoid colloquial terms, Midwest slang, or other terms that muddle the message.

Proud

We’re proud of our state, its people, and our work, but don’t brag or gloat accomplishments where it’s not needed. 

Write about pride from an all-Iowa perspective, not to boast individual accomplishments.

Avoid bragging and absolutisms, e.g. being “the best” or “greatest.”