Importance of Written English in Technical Writing

Technical writing is often misunderstood as the act of writing product manuals or explaining how a product works. Many students and fresh graduates assume that strong verbal English skills alone are sufficient for technical writing tasks. However, technical writing is a specialised form of communication that depends heavily on formal, structured, and precise written English.

In academic and professional environments, technical documentation acts as a permanent reference. Readers rely on it long after the author is unavailable. Because of this, the quality of written English directly affects how accurately information is understood, retained, and applied. Written English is therefore a core competency for anyone involved in technical writing.

Verbal English vs written English in technical contexts

Verbal English and written English differ significantly in purpose and structure, especially in technical documentation.

Verbal English

• Often informal and spontaneous

• Supported by tone, gestures, and facial expressions

• Allows immediate clarification and back-and-forth discussion

Written English

• Must be formal, precise, and logically organised

• Must stand on its own without the author’s presence

• Leaves no room for real-time clarification

In many organisations, this distinction is overlooked. Documentation responsibilities are often assigned based on spoken fluency rather than writing proficiency. While verbal communication skills are important, technical documentation demands a strong command of written English to ensure clarity, consistency, and accuracy.

This gap highlights the need to educate developers, testers, managers, and other stakeholders about the unique nature of technical writing. Documentation is not an afterthought or a secondary task. It requires a reader-first mindset focused on long-term usability and precision. Improving documentation quality starts with recognising technical writing as a specialised skill, not an extension of verbal communication ability.

Why written English is critical in technical documentation

Written English plays a vital role in technical documentation for several reasons:

• Ensures clarity and precision
  Clear instructions help users understand exactly what actions to take.

• Reduces ambiguity
  Simple, direct language and grammatically correct sentences prevent readers from guessing intent.

• Maintains consistency across documents
  Consistent terminology and phrasing make content easier to follow across versions and teams.

• Supports multiple audiences
  End users, developers, testers, and support teams can rely on the same document.

• Improves global accessibility
  Clear written English helps readers whose first language is not English understand the content more easily.

Because of this, a technical writer must pay close attention to word choice, sentence structure, tone, grammar, and formatting. Every sentence should have a clear purpose and guide the reader logically through the information.

Types of written English used in technical documentation

Technical documentation uses different styles of written English depending on the audience and objective.

• Instructional English
  Provides clear, step-by-step guidance to help users perform tasks.

• Descriptive English
  Explains features, components, or technical concepts in detail.

• Procedural English
  Describes workflows, processes, and sequences in a logical order.

• Reference-style English
  Presents concise, factual information for quick lookup.

• Support-focused English
  Uses clear and reassuring language to help users resolve issues.

• Marketing or product blog English
  Uses clear, engaging language to explain product features, benefits, or updates to a broader audience.

Knowing when and how to apply these styles is essential for producing effective technical documentation.

Why this still matters in the age of AI

Straight answer: yes, any good LLM can generate written English.

However, unless you understand writing standards, you cannot judge or guide the output. If you are unaware of basic documentation principles—or your organisation’s writing standards—the result quickly turns into AI slop.

AI can assist with writing, but it cannot replace a writer’s understanding of structure, clarity, tone, and audience expectations. Standards still matter. Human judgement still matters.

What if someone is strong in written English but not in spoken English?

Strong written English alone is not sufficient for a technical writer. A decent level of spoken English is also required.

Technical writers interact with multiple stakeholders as part of information gathering. You speak with developers, testers, product managers, designers, and support teams to understand systems, workflows, and edge cases. In this sense, a technical writer functions much like a journalist within the business unit.

Because of this, spoken communication skills matter. Definitely not a drawback if you are too good at it. In fact, it often gives you an edge by improving confidence and comfort during discussions.

Conclusion

Technical writing is not just about knowing English. It is about using written English effectively for technical purposes. Verbal fluency alone is not enough to create high-quality documentation.

A technical writer must demonstrate proficiency in formal written English, strong audience awareness, and structured presentation of information. When written English is used well, technical documentation becomes a valuable asset—one that improves product usability, reduces errors, and enables efficient communication across organisations.