The Government Digital Service is to gradually phase out the use of "eg", "etc" and "ie" on its websites to help people using screen readers and those who aren't native English speakers.
The GDS style guide was introduced in the last parliament in a bid to provide officials with a one-stop shop for advice on style, spelling and grammar conventions when publishing online.
It has been frequently updated since its launch, and Persis Howe, content community manager at the GDS, said the aim of the new tweaks was to improve accessibility and ensure that all government webpages used plain English.
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“Several programs that read webpages for those with visual impairment read ‘eg’ incorrectly,” she said in a blogpost, with the shortened version of "example" often read aloud as "egg".
“Most people who use these programs are used to their quirks, but it’s jarring to hear the wrong words.”
She said that, although "eg" does get read correctly by screen readers, there were clearer ways of making the same point, adding that many people who don't have English as a first language may not understand this sort of shorthand term.
As such, the GDS style guide will be updated to require webpage authors to use "for example", "such as" or "including" instead.
However, Howe noted that there were more than 4,000 uses of "eg" on GOV.UK, and that these would remain until existing content was replaced.
“We’re not going for a ‘big bang’ approach,” she said.
Other words that will be replaced over time are "ie" – which Howe said was not well understood and could be replaced with "meaning" or "that is" – and "etc", which is often not necessary and can be avoided.