Strong writing is clear, calm, and easy to act on. Yet many drafts leave readers tired. Long sentences, stacked clauses, and filler words build a wall of fog between your ideas and your audience. This guide shows a practical way to trim a fifth of a draft while keeping every idea intact. It draws on readability science and plain language practice. It also provides a repeatable workflow you can use on any article, page, or email.
We use simple UK English throughout. We also show small examples you can copy. If you run a content team, the same steps will help you make leaner copy. They will also help you if you write alone. Your aim is to win attention and trust. For more resources, visit wordcraftz.com for guides and templates. You can also explore plainenglish.co.uk, nngroup.com, gov.uk, hemingwayapp.com, and readable.com for further reading and tools.
What readability really means
Readability is not about dumbing things down. It is about reducing friction so ideas travel faster. A readable text lets a busy person find the point, understand it, and decide what to do next. The core of readability science is simple. Short words beat long words. Verbs beat nouns. Active sentences beat passive constructions. Concrete beats abstract. Structure beats chaos. When you follow these rules for a whole piece, you remove waste while the message stays whole.
Why cutting by twenty percent works
Writers often add words to feel safe. They stack modifiers to sound careful. They repeat ideas to make sure they land. The result is a heavy draft. Cutting by twenty percent forces choices. You remove fillers, hedges, and doubled ideas. What remains is a clean line of argument. Readers reward this with trust and action. This is why readability science is good business as well as good style.
The five step cutdown method
You can use this five step method in a single sitting. Open your draft and work through each step in order. Do not jump around. The order matters because each step sets up the next.
Step one remove throat clearing
Remove any lines that only set the scene without adding value. Find phrases like in this article we will. It is important to note these. Recognize the purpose of this piece. Move key promises to the first two lines and cut the rest. Readability science calls this front loading. It respects the time of the reader and helps search engines surface the right page.
Step two turn nouns into verbs
Nominalisations hide action. They slow the pace and increase cognitive load. Change make an improvement to improve. Change conduct an analysis to analyse. Change have a discussion to discuss. This plain swap can remove three or four words at a time. It also turns your text from static to active. That is a direct gain for clarity and it is a textbook move in readability science.
Step three cut filler and hedges
List every hedge and filler you can find. Common ones include very, actually, basically, somewhat, in fact, and really. Remove them unless the meaning depends on them. Then scan for doublets like each and every, first and foremost, and various different. Keep one word and cut the rest. This is routine work in readability science and it always pays off.
Step four shorten long sentences
Most readers can carry about twenty words per sentence before they stumble. Aim for an average of fifteen to twenty. Break chains of clauses into two sentences, sometimes three. Replace which and that clauses with a clean second line. Use full stops as a service to your reader. Readability science gives you permission to be brief without being thin.
Step five rebuild structure for scannability
A clear layout is part of the message. Use short paragraphs, clear subheads, and bullet lists where they help. Start each section with a line that states the core point. Put examples after the point, not before it. Build a simple pattern that repeats so the eye learns what to expect. This discipline is not only about words. It is about how the eye and brain work together during reading.
A before and after example
Before
The successful implementation of the new policy will need the careful consideration of a range of factors. Multiple departments must effectively coordinate to guarantee that the anticipated benefits are fully realised within the projected timeline.
After
Consider the key factors to make the new policy work. Coordinate the right teams so the benefits arrive on time.
The meaning is the same. The second version uses half the words. It uses verbs, breaks nominal forms, and removes the heavy frame. It is a live illustration of readability science in practice.
How to plan a cut before you edit
A good cut starts with a quick audit. Open your draft and answer three questions.
First what is the one action you want from the reader. Second what three ideas must be in the final piece. Third what sections or lines can go without any loss. Write the answers in one small list. Put the target action at the top. Now you have a north star and a map for your edit. The map lets you say no to good but non essential lines. The target action keeps your tone clear and direct. This is strategic use of readability science, not random trimming.
The high value edit list
Use this short list to save time. Each move keeps meaning intact while words fall away.
Use one clear topic per sentence. Place the topic before the verb. Put the action close to its object. Replace weak to be forms with stronger verbs. Swap abstract nouns for concrete words. Replace long phrase forms with shorter ones. Here are some common swaps you can make right now.
At this point in time becomes now. To becomes to. Because becomes because. In the event that becomes if. A large number of becomes many. Before to becomes before. After to becomes after. With regard to becomes about. Assess an assessment becomes assess. Explain an explanation becomes explain. Make an improvement becomes improve. Conduct an investigation becomes investigate. The use of becomes use. Carry out a review becomes review. Undertake a review becomes review.
These changes save words without touching the message. This is the craft end of readability science and it works across sectors and formats.
Tone and rhythm that support speed
Short words help. So do words with concrete images. Choose clear over clever. Avoid strings of prepositions like of, to, and for. Two are fine. Three start to grate. Limit commas. Use them when they help meaning, not as a breath aid. Read each line aloud. If your voice runs out of air, cut or split the sentence. This active approach is part of readability science because the ear is a strong judge of strain and ease.
How to keep expert depth after the cut
Many teams worry that shorter copy will look thin. You can keep depth while you cut. The trick is to move detail to the right place. Put core ideas up front. Push fine detail to a later section or a linked resource. Offer a short version first and a longer version second. Readers who need more will find it. Readers who do not can still act with confidence. This two layer shape follows common sense and it is supported by this discipline and user testing.
Tools that make the work faster
Use a reading grade calculator. Readability science gives you a clear baseline for progress. Use a reading grade calculator to get a quick measure. Then use a style checker to find long sentences and sticky phrases. You can paste text into hemingwayapp.com or readable.com for a quick scan. You can also review useful guidance on GOV.UK for plain language rules that fit public facing content. For research on how people scan and read on screens, visit nngroup.com. For broad plain language advice, read the resources at plainenglish.co.uk. For templates and checklists you can use, visit wordcraftz.com.
A timed workflow you can reuse
Set a timer for thirty minutes. Spend five minutes on the audit. Spend ten minutes on the five step cutdown method. Spend five minutes on structure. Spend five minutes reading aloud and making rhythm edits. Spend the last five minutes on a tool based scan to catch any long sentences you missed. This small routine is enough to trim a fifth of most drafts. It is also a habit you can build. Habits beat sudden bursts in the long run and they align with what this discipline suggests about steady practice.
Common traps that add words without adding value
Avoid opening with a long history of the topic. Avoid signpost lines that say what the next part will do. Avoid verb strings that wander. Avoid passive voice unless the actor does not matter or should be hidden for a good reason. Avoid long chains of adjectives. Avoid three synonyms where one will do. These traps are well known in this discipline and they are easy to fix once you can spot them.
Checklists you can share with your team
Use this short checklist when you review someone else. It works in any field.
One does the first line state the point. Two does each paragraph lead with its main idea. Three do sentences average under twenty words. Four do verbs carry the action. Five is there a clear call to action. Six do subheads help scanning. Seven are fillers and hedges removed. Eight are there any doubled ideas. Nine do examples support the point rather than delay it. Ten is the tone calm and direct. These ten items capture the heart of readability science in a form you can apply at speed.
How to report results after you cut
Stakeholders like numbers. After an edit, record the word count before and after. Record the average words per sentence. Record the number of fillers removed. Record the reading grade if you track it. Show a before and after paragraph to make the gain visible. Then link the new version to a metric that matters. It is time on page, task completion, trial signups, or support tickets avoided. Tying changes to outcomes is one more way that this discipline becomes a business tool rather than a private art.
Often asked questions
Will shorter copy always work better. No. Some legal or technical domains need longer lines for precision. Use judgement. The aim is not short for its own sake. It is clarity in service of the reader.
Can we use this method for creative work. Yes. Even in story formats you can remove filler and keep the voice.
Should we always avoid passive voice. No. Use it when the actor is unknown or unimportant. The point of this discipline is not to enforce a single style. It is to remove friction so ideas move fast and true.
Practice routine for teams
If you lead a team, set a simple weekly practice. Choose one live page and run the five step method as a group. Let one person own the audit. Let another person hunt for fillers. Let a third person mark long sentences. Read the new version aloud and ask one question. Can a new reader act with confidence after one pass. Log what you cut and what you kept. Over a few months you will build a shared sense of clarity and a house style that clients notice. You will also build speed, which matters when deadlines are tight. End each session by recording a few numbers and one learning, then file them where the team can find them. Small steps compound.
Final takeaways
Cutting by twenty percent is a smart default. Readability science supports this target with evidence from real readers. Start with a brief audit. Apply the five step method. Rebuild structure for scanning. Read aloud. Use tools to catch what you miss. Report results with simple metrics. Most of all, respect the time of your readers by saying what matters and cutting what does not. When you do, you will keep meaning while words fall away. That is the promise of readability science and it is yours to use today. For more templates and examples, visit wordcraftz.com.
