No hyphen.
How we write for Smart
At Smart, we have different audiences depending on what channel we're using, and what product or service we're talking about.
Most of the time we're talking to people directly about their personal finances and their pension savings. We sell and explain sophisticated products to our clients and customers. We need to make sure they understand us and trust us – or where to go if they need help.
These principles should apply to everything we write, and they form the backbone of our tone of voice.
We know our audience
It's easier to write well if you understand who you're writing for.
By knowing what your audience is interested in or worried about, your content will:
- be relevant
- catch their attention
- answer their questions
It's important to know how your audience talks. This will help you use the same terms and phrases as them when talking about an issue or topic. Your content will then be easier to understand and find.
We put the user first
Don't publish everything you can. Only tell someone what they need to know so they can complete their task. Nothing more.
People don't usually read text unless they want information or instructions. When you write, the first question you should ask is "what does the user want to know?".
Meeting a user need means being:
- specific
- informative
- clear and to the point
We're compliant
As a leading fintech operating our own master trust, we need to make sure all our content is compliant.
Some of the things we write will have to go through specific compliance and legal sign off to meet regulation. But even if it doesn't, our content should always stick to these guidelines to make sure it's compliant.
- Don't make any wild, misleading, or untrue claims. For example, "Our pension scheme means you'll be rich in retirement"
- Give guidance, never advice. Refer people to The Pensions Advisory Service, Pension Wise and other services if they need advice
- Always use the right names for things such as products, services and legislation. For example, it's Smart Pension Master Trust not The Smart Pension scheme
- Make it clear who or where communications are coming from. This will usually be us, but it could also be one of our partners, a director or trustee, or another third party
We make our content easy to read
Our content should provide clear, easy to understand information to our users. Complicated writing and large blocks of text get in the way of this information.
Easy to read content uses:
- short sentences
- sub-headed sections
- bulleted lists (like this one)
We use plain English
The average reading age in the UK is about 9 years old. Even if our audience contains those with a higher reading age, we should use words that are easy to understand wherever possible.
Try to avoid jargon or difficult terms. If you have to use them, make sure you explain them.
Plain English doesn't mean "dumbing down" your writing or only using short words. It's about getting your message across efficiently and in a friendly manner.
Using plain English is as simple as writing in the way most of us speak.
- Write in the active voice wherever appropriate (see below)
- Use 'you' and 'we'
- Use everyday words you know the reader will understand
- Use contractions when it feels natural to do so
- Avoid turning a process into a noun – this is known as "nominalization". For example, "upon arrival" should be "when you arrive"
If you find yourself about to write, type or dictate a word you wouldn’t use in every day conversation, look it up in the A to Z of words to avoid. You should find a simpler alternative. Often there will be a choice of several words. You need to pick the one that best fits what you are trying to say.
Using the active voice
When writing for Smart, we use the active voice and avoid the passive voice.
Active voice:
- "we've set up your workplace pension"
Passive voice:
- "your workplace pension has been set up"
We avoid the passive voice because it's often wordier, difficult to read, and overly formal – meaning it can alienate readers.
It can be difficult to spot the passive voice. A good rule of thumb is that if your clause could end with "...by monkeys." and still make sense, you're probably using the passive voice. For example:
- "50% of your to-do list has been completed" (...by monkeys)
- "contributions of £123 were made by your employer" (...by monkeys)
- "a pension transfer was initiated (...by monkeys) last month"
There are some exceptions to avoiding the passive voice. For example, if you're talking about an action that will be taken by someone other than Smart, the user, or someone known to them:
- "your funds will be invested"
You may also choose to use the passive voice in error messages or in negative communications, to avoid placing blame on the user:
- "your password was entered incorrectly"
- "your scheme will be cancelled unless you..."
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
It's an acronym for Payroll and Pension Data Interface Standard. So not papdis or Papdis.
Sentence case – not Participation Agreement.
Avoid the passive voice – it's wordy, difficult to follow, and often alienates us from our reader.
You can easily move most instances into the active voice.
- Passive voice
The account was closed - Active voice
We closed the account
- Passive voice
Your complaint will be escalated - Active voice
We'll escalate your complaint
- Passive voice
This form has been completed - Active voice
You've completed the form
A good rule of thumb to help you identify passive voice is to add the phrase "by monkeys" to the end of your clause ("Your account will be closed... by monkeys"). If it still makes sense, you're probably writing in the passive voice.
Find more details on the passive voice and how to spot and avoid it on the Smart names page.
Not pass word.
Generally, try to avoid ‘pension pot’. Instead refer to money held with Smart as ‘pension savings’. You can see how to use 'pension savings' in the entry below.
Smart Retire has ‘pots’. Someone who joins Smart Retire can split their pension savings between four pots, each designed to meet a different need in retirement. These are called the flexible income pot, later life pot, rainy day pot and inheritance pot.
To refer to money held with Smart. Not "pension funds". Always use "pension savings" in the first instance. You can refer to them as "your savings" from then on if appropriate.
Not telephone.
Not telephone number.
Always style with upper case P and S, including in the acronym (as above).
Not post code.
We want to make sure we're always being inclusive when talking to or about our users. This means using appropriate pronouns.
When talking to a user always use second-person pronouns. When talking about Smart always use first person pronouns. For example, "We'll send you an email".
When talking about a user, always use they/them pronouns unless you know their pronouns.
Never address anyone by or refer to anyone by she/he pronouns unless you definitely know which ones they use.
Use single quotes when paraphrasing something. Use double quotes in all other instances.
Where there is a sentence that ends with something in quote marks, the full stop should go "outside the quotation marks, like this". For US English, it's the other way round and the full stop should go "inside the quotation marks, like this."
A pot in Smart Retire where a user can set aside money for emergencies. Write in sentence case.
For example, "re-enter your password".
No hyphen.
SAVA is the name of Smart's virtual assistant.
SAVA uses she/her pronouns.
We always use upper case for her name as it is an acronym for Smart's Avatar Virtual Assistant.
Her name is pronounced the same as the word “saver”.
To refer to money held with Smart. Not "funds". Always use "pension savings" in the first instance. You can refer to them as "your savings" thereafter if appropriate.
Don't use them. Ever.
Use set up as a verb and setup as a noun. Don't use setup as an adjective.
Not log in.
Not log out.
Use sentence case unless it forms the name of a specific single employer trust. You can follow the first instance with the acronym in brackets – "Single employer trust (SET)" and use the acronym for further instances if you would like.
When talking about the company.
Two words.
Name of Smart Pension's master trust. Capitalise the M and the T.
Two words.
Call to action for the beginning of a process.
Capitalise.
Hyphenated.
You can capitalise the words "team", "practice" or "discipline" if it forms part of a name. For example, Team Awesome, the Design Practice, or the Marketing Team.
You shouldn't capitalise it if it doesn't form part of a name. For example:
- I'll hand the documents over to the other team
- Have you met our team of marketers?
- I see there's lots of good work going on in your practice.
- Will anyone from your discipline be joining?
- We're thinking of forming some sort of separate graphic design team.
We capitalise PEG names as though they are proper nouns. For example, the Savings and Administration PEG. Or the Retirement and Member Payments (RAMP) PEG.
We always say "The US". Not "USA", "America", "U.S." or any other variation.
Lower case "t" at the beginning, unless it is at the beginning of a sentence.
For any online content (on the platforms, in emails, on websites), avoid URLs – link with some descriptive anchor text (Read about the annual allowance on the Pension Wise website, not www.pensionwise.gov.uk). The exception to this is PDFs, where you need to write the URL out.
When you do need to write a URL out, always use www. at the beginning. Don't use title case in URLs (www.smartpension.co.uk, not www.SmartPension.co.uk), as this makes them harder to read.
Whenever we hyperlink text, there must be a description of what the link is or where it goes. The simplest way to do this is to describe the purpose of the link in the hyperlinked text or using the page title. We can also use icons (pdf icon describes the type of document), and alt text.
For example, visit our support site to find out how to sign in on our How do I sign in article.
On the platform, we will use aria tags, due to space limitations.
This is an accessibility guideline, meeting Success Criterion 2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only), level AAA.
Unusual words and difficult words, including idioms and jargon, need to have definitions, so users know what they mean. An unusual word is one that’s not used in everyday conversation,
The first time an unusual word or phrase is used we should write an inline definition.
If the word or phrase has multiple meanings in the same page, then we should write an inline definition each time there is a new meaning.
This is an accessibility guideline, meeting Success Criterion 3.1.3 Unusual Words, level AAA.
The former is a noun and the latter is an adverb. For example: Your up-to-date statement is kept up to date.
All one word, not 'user name'. Some usernames are email addresses, but not all.
For video-only content, like silent movies, silent demos and animations, there needs to be a text description that describes what’s happening on screen.
The aim is to create the same experience with your text as you get from the video.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded), level A.
For videos that have dialogue, there needs to be accurate and complete captions. These can be always on (open captions) or hideable (closed captions).
Using YouTube’s automatic captions isn’t enough as the accuracy can’t be guaranteed.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded), level A.
If the video is a live webcast or broadcast, we can use real-time text translation in captions, such as on YouTube.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.4 Captions (Live), level AA.
Videos also need to have a specific audio track that includes audio descriptions. Users must be able to select whether to use this audio track or not. You can do this by having a separate video that includes only the audio description soundtrack.
Live videos do not need audio descriptions.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded), level AA.
One word, no hyphen in the UK and Australia. Hyphenated (well-being) in the US and the rest of the world.
Sentence case, no hyphen, two separate words. For example, "we are selling white label partnerships".
Sentence case. Not a proper noun. No hyphen. For example, "check your wifi connection"
Not capitalised. For example, "If you make a will you can also make sure you don’t pay more Inheritance Tax than you need to".
Use "you can" instead of "you are able to"
Don't use abundance – use enough, plenty, a lot, or say how many.
Don't use accede to –use allow or agree to.
Don't use accelerate – use speed up.
Don't use accentuate – use stress.
Don't use accommodation – use where you live or home.
Don't use accompanying – use with.
Don't use accomplish – use do or finish.
Don't use according to our records –use our records show.
Don't use accordingly –use in line with this or so.
Don't use acknowledge –use thank you for.
Don't use acquaint yourself with – use find out about or read.
Don't use acquiesce– use agree.
Don't use acquire – use buy or get.
Don't use additional –use extra or more.
Don't use adjacent – use next to.
Don't use adjustment – use change or alteration.
Don't use admissible use the term allowed or acceptable.
Don't use advantageous – use useful or helpful.
Don't use advise – use tell or say, unless you're giving advice (in which case, make sure it's compliant!)
Don't use affix – use add, write, fasten, stick on, fix to.
Don't use afford an opportunity –use let or allow.
Don't use afforded – use given.
Don't use aforementioned or aforesaid –use this or earlier in this document.
Don't use aggregate – use total.
Don't use aligned –use lined up or in line.
Don't use alleviate – use ease or reduce.
Don't use along the lines of –use like or as in.
Don't use ameliorate – use improve or help.
Don't use amendment – use change.
Don't use anticipate – use expect.
Don't use apparent – use clear, plain, obvious, seeming.
Don't use applicant (the) – use you.
Don't use application – write use.
Don't use appreciable – use large or great.
Don't use apprise – use inform or tell.
Don't use appropriate– use proper, right, suitable.
Don't use appropriate to – use suitable for.
Don't use approximately – use about or roughly.
Don't use as a consequence of – use because.
Don't use as of the date of –use from.
Don't use as regards – use about or on the subject of.
Don't use ascertain – use find out.
Don't use assemble – use build, gather, put together.
Don't use assistance –use help.
Don't use at (your, our, its, their) discretion – use can or may.
Don't use at an early date – use soon, or say when.
Don't use at the moment – use now.
Don't use at the present – use now
Don't use attempt – use try.
Don't use attend –use come to, go to, be at.
Don't use attributable to – use due to, because of.
Don't use authorise – use allow or let.
Don't use authority – use right, power, may.
Don't use axiomatic – use obvious, or goes without saying.
Don't use belated – use late.
Don't use beneficial – use helpful or useful.
Don't use bestow –use give or award.