IF YOU WRITE IN ALL CAPS, STOP IT!

MANY LAWYERS THINK THAT THE BEST WAY TO EMPHASIZE A WRITTEN PASSAGE IS TO PUT IT IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. THESE LAWYERS ARE MISGUIDED. WRITING A PASSAGE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS MAKES IT HARDER TO READ. ALSO IT MAKES THE READERS UNCOMFORTABLE; THEY GET THE FEELING THAT THE WRITER IS SHOUTING AT THEM. AND NO ONE LIKES TO BE SHOUTED AT.

IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH, ASK YOURSELF HOW MUCH YOU ARE ENJOYING READING THIS POST. ASK YOURSELF WHETHER THIS POST LOOKS BETTER OR WORSE THAN THE OTHER POSTS ON THIS BLOG. ASK YOURSELF WHETHER THIS POST IS EASIER TO READ OR HARDER TO READ THAN THE OTHER POSTS.

IF YOU STILL DON'T BELIEVE, TRUST THE EXPERTS:

• THIS ARTICLE BY RUTH ANNE ROBBINS, PAGE 115 (PDF PAGE 10)
• THIS ADVICE BY THE U.S. SEVENTH CIRCUIT, BOTTOM OF PAGE 6
• THIS PAGE FROM THE WEB STYLE GUIDE
• DICTIONARY OF MODERN LEGAL USAGE, PAGE 130
• GARNER'S MODERN AMERICAN USAGE, PAGE 129
• THE REDBOOK, § 2.19

IF YOU STILL DON'T BELIEVE, CLICK ON "CONTINUE READING" BELOW, AND SEE HOW MUCH BETTER THIS POST LOOKS — HOW MUCH MORE READABLE IT IS — WITH MOSTLY LOWER-CASE LETTERS.

IF YOU'RE STILL TEMPTED TO EMPHASIZE VIA ALL CAPS, DO YOUR READERS A FAVOR: ASK YOUR LOCAL COMPUTER EXPERT TO DISABLE THE CAPS LOCK KEY ON YOUR KEYBOARD.

Many lawyers think that the best way to emphasize a written passage is to put it in all capital letters. These lawyers are misguided. Writing a passage in all capital letters makes it harder to read. Also it makes the readers uncomfortable; they get the feeling that the writer is shouting at them. And no one likes to be shouted at.

. . .

If you still don't believe, trust the experts:

• This article by Ruth Anne Robbins, page 115 (PDF page 10)
• This advice by the U.S. Seventh Circuit, bottom of page 6
• This page from the Web Style Guide
• Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage, page 130
• Garner's Modern American Usage, page 129
• The Redbook, § 2.19

. . .

If you're still tempted to emphasize via all caps, do your readers a favor: ask your local computer expert to disable the Caps Lock key on your keyboard.

Comments

[Faraz Rabbani]

THANK YOU FOR THAT REMINDER.

:)

[Dan Hull]

First time you ever yelled at me.

[Aaron]

That was exhausting to read - I'm so accustomed to upper case being "yelling" that it literally sounds like that in my head. I had a boss who ONLY wrote emails that way - it didn't affect her, but I always secretly despised it. By-the-by, you might find this interesting - "minor wisdom" in google turns your blog up first, and the actual judge 2nd and 3rd. I thought it was kinda funny, in an ironic sort of way.

[Russ]

hi,

First I must say ! What makes someone a real expert? Does it have to do with some level of education ? I think not !
It is mearly an opinion based on known information. I do not believe there are any experts at anything.. As for an opinion, I will offer mine on ALL CAPS..
Our whole society has been brow beat into believing certain things that make no logial sense. such as all caps being shouting, or to go further. lets take for example the entire english language. it is highly overrated and way over complicated. I dont know much about other languages or how to write them, But from what i have seen of them and some ancient writings i have seen. They do not use upper and lower case or much punctuation at all! people still understand them and can read them. Much of what i see of modern english appears to be useless time wasting crud that some scholar made up years ago, then convinced every body it was nessecary. As for ALL CAPS for being hard to read ! that is just whiny B/S. Our lives are complicated enough as things are. Why cant people just grow up and stop bickering about it. This would have taken a lot less time to type in all caps and i'll bet you could still read it. After all an idiot is still an IDIOT in upper or lower case.
Thanks for your time.

Russ

[Prasad]

I have to agree...
In my opinion all caps doesnt look like English language at all. I never heard about it being compared to yelling; but hey that is another reason not to do so!! Of course, it is difficult to read; plus everything in the statement is emphasized. It may (all caps) may have something to do with American Schooling?

[Andrew Mitton]

I've never understood the rules requiring all caps for emphasis. I thought all provisions in a contract were important. Maybe I'm missing something. If someone wants something emphasized in a contract I think the better way to do it, in this day and age of color printers, is to mark it in red or purple or whatever your favorite color is and bold it. That should do the trick.

[Chris]

Dear Russ: ALL CAPS being harder to read is not whiny B/S. You obviously don't know a whole lot about the subject. It is harder is because the mind reads by recognizing the physical shapes of words, not letter by letter, as one would be forced to do if the text was all in caps. Now who's the idiot??

[cj]

In fact, lower case letters ARE easier on the eyes and much easier to read. Historically, that was precisely the reason two sets of letters were designed/created. Naysayers, do your research. For starters, here's a link: http://www.linfo.org/lower_case.html. Some specifics on the whys are contained in the article.

[Linda]

Are capital letters are inherently hard to read. No, we are just not used it. This article explains why.
http://www.whatmakesthemclick.net/2009/12/23/100-things-you-should-know-about-people-19-its-a-myth-that-all-capital-letters-are-inherently-harder-to-read/