Or: Why “Click the Green Square on the Left” Makes Me Want to Scream
Somewhere out there, a well-meaning person wrote this sentence:
“Click the green square on the left to continue.”
And look – it probably worked fine for them.
On their 27″ monitor.
With perfect color vision.
In English.
Using a mouse.
But the moment that sentence lands on a screen reader, a mobile device, or someone navigating by voice or magnifier, it turns into a puzzle.
- What if you can’t see green?
- What if your screen is zoomed in, and the “left” is now “below”?
- What if there are five squares?
- And what even is a square? Is it a button? A link? A weirdly cropped image?
This is why words matter.
Because language is navigation.
Language is clarity.
Language is access.
Say what you mean, and mean what you say
Let’s start with something simple:
Why do accessibility experts always say to use the phrase “skip to main content” instead of just “skip to content”?
Because of screen readers.
Screen readers pronounce words based on context. So when you write:
“Skip to content”
…it might come out as:
Skip to conTENT
(that happy feeling you get with a cup of cocoa and a book)
Instead of:
Skip to CON-tent
(as in “the actual stuff on this page”)
That’s a heteronym – two words spelled the same but pronounced differently depending on meaning. English is full of them: tear and tear. Lead and lead. Bow and bow. They trip up screen readers constantly.
So instead of being vague or clever, be specific. Say what you mean.
Say: Skip to main content
Not: Skip to content
(Unless you’re okay with it sounding like a mood.)
Reading level isn’t about dumbing down
Let’s talk about language complexity for a moment.
There’s a tool called the SMOG Index – short for Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (yes, really). It estimates how many years of education someone needs to understand your writing.
Most people read comfortably around a 9th grade level (age 14 – 15).
Some newspapers aim for age 8.
This chapter? We’re aiming for age 12 – 13.
That doesn’t mean talking down. It means writing clearly, without filler or fluff or needlessly long sentences.
You can still be smart.
You can still be funny.
You just need to make sure people don’t have to fight your writing to understand it.
Simple words for complex ideas. That’s the magic.
Expand your abbreviations (no one likes alphabet soup)
You might love a good abbreviation – PIN, FAQ, NASA.
But screen readers don’t always pronounce them the way you expect.
- Sometimes they spell out each letter (F-A-Q)
- Sometimes they try to read it as a word (like faq)
- Sometimes they just confuse everyone, including you
Not all abbreviations are equal:
- Acronym: You say it as a word (NASA, OPEC)
- Initialism: You say the letters (FBI, BBC)
- Abbreviation: You shorten the original (mgmt, dept, info)
The easiest fix? Just expand it the first time:
“NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)”
“PIN (Personal Identification Number)”
“FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)”
It’s fast. It’s kind. And it saves people from getting lost in a bowl of alphabet soup.
Unusual words need context, too
We all have a few favorite words we probably shouldn’t use as often as we do.
Maybe yours is quixotic.
Or contretemps.
Or verisimilitude.
But for people with cognitive impairments, non-native speakers, or anyone just unfamiliar with the term, that one word might be a wall.
You don’t have to eliminate big words – just explain them.
You can:
- Add an explanation in parentheses
- Use a tooltip or glossary
- Write the meaning into the sentence itself
“The report was quixotic – idealistic to the point of being unrealistic.”
“We have decided to spare him knowledge of this contretemps (an awkward or difficult situation or mishap).”
Even Kindle lets you long-press to define a word. Your site should offer the same grace.
It’s like tapping on a word in your Kindle: helpful, immediate, and never condescending.
Voice navigation and pattern matching
Some users operate websites entirely by voice – using tools like Dragon or built-in speech recognition.
Here’s the trick:
They rely on pattern matching between what’s on screen and what they say aloud.
So if you have a button that says “Start your application,” but the real label in your code is “Begin process,” voice users might not be able to click it at all.
The fix? Make sure the start of the visible label matches the code label.
- Bad: “Start your application” → ARIA label: “Begin process for registration flow”
- Good: “Start your application” → ARIA label: “Start your application (new users only)”
Let them say what they see.
Icons need labels
What does 🛒 mean?
Is it a cart? A basket? A trolley? Checkout?
Now imagine trying to use that icon without being able to see it – or without knowing which term it maps to in your country, your app, or your context.
Icons aren’t universal.
They’re often ambiguous.
They need text.
At minimum, give them accessible names. Even better? Visible labels alongside the icons, especially for critical functions like navigation, payment, or settings.
When in doubt: label the dang thing.
The problem with “left”
Let’s go back to that instruction:
“Click the green square on the left.”
Seems simple. But what if:
- The user can’t see green?
- The layout has reflowed for mobile, and the square is now on top?
- The screen reader doesn’t describe spatial relationships like “left”?
- There are five green squares, and none of them are labeled?
This is why directional language can be a minefield.
“Click below.” “The form to the right.” “Use the button on the top left.”
Instead, give things labels. Use heading levels. Point to structure, not position.
If you must describe location, back it up with actual identifiers:
“Click the green ‘Submit Order’ button, below the billing form.”
Better yet?
“Click the ‘Submit Order’ button.”
Because color, layout, and position are all fluid – but words can be stable.
Quick checklist: Are your words working for people?
- Are you using clear, specific language?
- Have you expanded any abbreviations on first use?
- Is your content written at a comfortable reading level?
- Have you defined any complex or unusual words?
- Do visible labels match ARIA or screen reader labels?
- Are icons paired with accessible (and preferably visible) text?
Language is infrastructure
It’s not just about politeness. Or branding. Or tone of voice.
Language is how we move through a page.
It’s how we understand what to do.
It’s how we know we belong here.
And that means:
Language should open doors, not shut people out.
You don’t have to write like Hemingway. But you do have to write like someone who wants to be understood.
So write like someone’s trying to get something done. Write like the reader is distracted, struggling, or unfamiliar – because they often are.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say.
And make sure your words help people get where they’re going.
Because it’s not just about readability.
It’s about being readable to someone who’s already doing their best.