Acronyms and Terminology Guidelines

  • Article

4/19/2010

You can help users learn more quickly by using terminology that is clear, consistent, and familiar. Avoid jargon such as "screen real estate" and "reboot."

Note

Translating jargon increases localization time and costs.

When using acronyms, follow these guidelines:

  • Confirm that the acronym isn't already being used to represent a different phrase or name.
  • To conserve user interface space, do not spell out acronyms.
  • Determine whether the acronym will be problematic in languages other than English.

See Also

Concepts

User Interface Text Guidelines