National Adult Literacy Database

The acronym CLAD stands for Clear Language and Design. This clear-language thesaurus suggests simpler, plainer alternatives for a variety of relatively complex yet common English words. The more complex words are listed alphabetically on one side of a page and the plain-language suggestions are listed opposite them. This resource would be especially useful for anyone writing for an audience with a wide range of language skills or an audience with limited language skills and vocabulary. The plain-language alternatives would help ensure the writer's message is communicated clearly to all readers.