A vague request to “write clearly” gives a language model little to follow. SimpleEnglish takes a more testable approach: it turns clarity into rules for sentence length, voice, word choice, and structure, drawing on a controlled language used in aerospace maintenance writing. The useful distinction is that plain English is the default, while stricter vocabulary checks are reserved for users who explicitly request STE-style compliance.
What Sets It Apart
- Separate rules guide chat replies and longer documents, so concise answers do not inherit the same constraints as procedures or descriptions.
- Conditions come before commands, and each word should keep one meaning across a document. These rules target common sources of confusion, not just long sentences.
- The project reports fewer formatting defects and fewer STE-linter violations in tests of version 2.0.1. Those results do not establish how later versions perform, and the linter measures rule compliance rather than reader comprehension.
- Strict mode is not certification. ASD does not certify writing tools, and the project does not include the standard’s restricted vocabulary lists.
Who It’s For
Great fit if you use an AI agent to draft technical documentation for readers outside your field, especially procedures, runbooks, or error messages. Look elsewhere if you need marketing copy, a particular brand voice, or guaranteed ASD-STE100 compliance. The rules deliberately favor plain, restrained prose over persuasive style.
