The Awful English Language

Anyone who has navigated the wonderful world of standards will appreciate “The Awful German Language,” Mark Twain’s iconic essay about the challenges in navigating sentence structure. The English language can be even more awful, even more subject to interpretation. There is a need for simplicity and clarity in standards and specifications. Understanding the nuances of complex documents, especially those written by individuals with diverse backgrounds, takes a bit of concentration. This is particularly important where standards are used for many different types of high-value product that are used in microelectron-
ics, medical, and aeronautic applications.