Gender-Neutral Language in Writing

Why Gender-Neutral Language Matters

The use of gender-neutral language may seem unnecessary to some writers.

They argue that ‘everyone knows’ that masculine pronouns cover everyone, or that they have defined the use of he/him as meaning anyone.

This is, however, arguable. Writing can be taken out of context. An isolated quote, or even reading a different section of the text can give the impression that women or non-binary individuals are excluded. It is also likely to give the implicit impression that men are somehow the "default" human experience.

This is dangerous because it can lead to bias of thought and action.

It does not matter what the writer intended. What matters is the impression gained by the reader. Many readers read masculine pronouns to refer only to men. By using masculine language, writers can therefore inadvertently create the wrong impression.

There is also a ‘flip side’ to this. When masculine language is used to mean ‘everyone’, this can obscure situations when women were genuinely excluded.

For example, it is only recently that those running clinical trials have been required to state the gender balance in their sample. Historically, many clinical trials have largely involved men, often with the excuse that the data were easier to interpret without cyclical changes in hormones. This has led to a huge gap in information about how women respond to particular drugs or treatments—but this gap has only recently become clear.

Case study: ‘Man who has it all’

The satirical X (formerly Twitter) account ‘Man who has it all’ is dedicated to exposing casual sexism in language. The account was set up back in 2015 by a “working dad” to provide advice for “men juggling a successful career and fatherhood”.

Posts include:

“My wife is actually really good. She irons her own tops and makes her own sandwiches for work.” Steve, age 42. Wow! You're a lucky man Steve.

My friend is a history teacher. She's compiling a list of great historical figures and she needs a male to add to the list. Suggestions?

Just a little reminder that there's a word for male humans. It's MEN. No need to be squeamish. Avoid saying 'gentlemen' or 'the male of the species' in a weird embarrassed voice when referring to us. Thanks.

"I'm not hung up on the label 'Saleswoman' because I know it covers both women and men," Geoff, Saleswoman, age 50. Very sensible mate.

By turning gender-specific advice on its head, the author highlights the absurdity of some of the language used around women—and skewers the idea that "masculine" can ever truly mean ‘gender-neutral’.

Using Gender-Neutral Language in Writing

There are several different elements to using gender-neutral language in writing.

These include honorifics, pronouns, and descriptive terms. These need care because of the assumptions that we may make, often inadvertently, when seeing a name or honorific.

Honorifics

Honorifics are titles prefixing a person's name, for example Miss, Ms, Mr, Sir, Mrs, Dr and Lord.

Some of these, such as ‘Dr’, relate to qualifications. These should not be problematic. If you know that someone holds that qualification, you can use that term.

However, others, such as Miss and Mrs, relate to marital status. Many women, unsurprisingly, object to providing this information, especially when men do not have to do so. The term ‘Ms’ has therefore been adopted as an alternative.

The rule here is to consider the issue on the basis of the question ‘Are the boys doing it?’. This was described by Caitlin Moran in her book How to Be a Woman. If ‘the boys’ aren’t doing it (in this case, having to provide information about their marital status simply by giving their name), then why should women?

In other words, do not assume that you know which honorific a woman prefers on the basis of her marital status. Unless you know her preference, use “Ms” until instructed otherwise. Increasingly, the gender-neutral honorific "Mx" is also being used by those who do not identify with either male or female titles.

You should also take care not to assume that a doctor (for example Dr J. Smith) or someone with a gender-ambiguous name (for example Pat or Alex) is necessarily male.

Job Titles and Descriptive Terms

A number of job titles have traditionally included the word ‘man’ or ‘woman’, or had male- and female-specific versions.

These have now largely been replaced with gender-neutral terms, to cover everyone.

It is good practice to use these gender-neutral terms, rather than the gender-specific versions, even if you know (or think you know) the preferred gender of the person concerned.

Common Gender-specific Job Titles and Gender-neutral Alternatives

Chairman: Chair or Chairperson
Postman or Mailman: Post or mail worker
Stewardess: Flight attendant
Actress: Actor
Policeman: Police or law-enforcement officer
Fireman: Firefighter

Gender-Neutral Pronouns

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of adopting gender-neutral language for some writers is in the use of pronouns.

Proposed alternatives to the generic “he” include “he or she” (or “she or he”), “s/he”, or the use of “they” in the singular.

Some argue that phrases such as “he or she” and “s/he” are awkward and unnecessary. Similarly, some traditionalists have argued that to use “they” in the singular is a grammatical error. However, “they”, “their”, and “them” have long been grammatically acceptable as gender-neutral singular pronouns in English—dating back to the 14th century—and are now fully endorsed by major style guides, including the APA and the Chicago Manual of Style.

Words for Humans

Traditionally, the word “man” has often been used to mean humans in scientific terms, especially in subjects like anthropology.

Under these circumstances, the word was often capitalised, to show that it described a species. For example, “Man’s impact on the environment”.

This use of the term ‘man’ to represent both men and women is now seen as out-dated.

When referring to humans generally, it is more appropriate to use the terms “human(s)”, “human beings”, “humankind” or simply “people”.

There are two main ways to approach gender-specific pronouns in modern writing:

Adapt phrases to avoid the use of gender-specific pronouns and words entirely. For example, “To boldly go where no man has gone before” can be rephrased as “To boldly go where no-one has gone before.”
Use the plural form and rewrite the phrase. For example, the phrase “Today, the typical student knows what he wants to do when he graduates” can be easily rephrased as “Today, most students know what they want to do when they graduate”.

Either of these is considered completely acceptable in both academic and business writing.

Declaring Pronouns in Digital Writing

In modern professional writing, particularly in digital formats like email signatures, company bios, and LinkedIn profiles, it has become common practice to declare your own pronouns (e.g., she/her, he/him, they/them).

You do not need to be transgender or non-binary to do this. When cisgender individuals (people whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth) include their pronouns in their writing, it normalises the practice. This helps create an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable clarifying how they wish to be addressed, removing the guesswork for the reader.

A Final Word

Purely and simply, the use of gender-neutral language in writing comes down to two primary issues. The first is showing respect to your audience, and the second is ensuring you do not inadvertently mislead or confuse your readers with outdated assumptions.

Both of these seem worthwhile aims for any writer.

Continue to:
Know Your Audience
Formal and Informal Writing Styles