At Fluid, we’ve noticed that most of our European clients are moving away from using strictly UK or US English. Instead, they are choosing international English for their global outreach language.
Today, more people speak English as a second language than as a native language. Every English-speaking region has its own idiosyncrasies and localised characteristics. Businesses face a challenge: how do you ensure your message works with a truly global audience?
General tips
A key first step is understanding your customers—not just where they are located, but also how they prefer to communicate. Different cultures have varying expectations of professional business interactions. While it is important to take these into account when setting the tone of your messages, there are several golden rules that apply across the board.
These guidelines are particularly important if your text might eventually be translated by a human or processed by AI:
- Prioritise brevity: Keep sentences short, clear and direct.
- Structure: Stick to one main point per paragraph.
- Avoid localisms: Avoid slang, regional abbreviations, niche cultural references and complex phrasal verbs (e.g. use ‘mention’ or ‘raise’ instead of ‘bring up’).
- Maintain consistency: Be disciplined with the terminology that you use.
- Standardise: Use universal formats for dates, measurements and currencies to avoid confusion.
- Improve scanability: Include bullet points and clear headings to help readers quickly digest the information.
More resources
For those seeking more in-depth technical guidance, we highly recommend The Global English Style Guide: Writing Clear, Translatable Documentation for a Global Market by John R. Kohl.
How Fluid can help
At Fluid, our team includes expert native English editors and copywriters. We are here to help you tailor your business communications to fit diverse markets and ensure your voice is heard, no matter the destination.