Inclusive language: Other

The inclusive language analysis in Yoast SEO assesses your posts and pages in several categories: age, appearance, race, culture and ethnicity, disability and neurodiversity, gender, sexual and romantic orientation, and socioeconomic status. There are some non-inclusive terms that don’t fit into one of these categories. So, in this article, we’ll go into these terms and their more inclusive alternatives.

Minorities

The word minorities is often used in an overgeneralizing or inaccurate way. And in some contexts, it can even be derogatory. Try to avoid using it and instead be as specific as you can about the group that you are referring to (for example, people of color, disabled people, people from marginalized groups). If a more specific alternative is not available, the word minorities can be inclusive when preceded by a modifier, for example, gender and sexuality minorities or ethnic minorities.

Avoid using minorities as a synonym for marginalized groups or underrepresented groups. This is inaccurate because members of these groups are not necessarily minorities in all contexts. And not all minority groups are marginalized or underrepresented.

• Non-inclusive: minorities
• Inclusive: marginalized groups, underrepresented groups, gender and sexuality minorities

Normal/abnormal

Avoid describing people or their behavior as normal or abnormal. These words often carry a lot of stigma and judgment. They are also quite vague and subjective in meaning – what’s “abnormal” to one person or in one culture, can be “normal” to someone else or in a different culture. Instead of using the words “normal” or “abnormal”, it is more inclusive to describe the specific trait or behavior that you are referring to. Alternatively, the words typical or atypical can be inclusive alternatives if you want to describe how common or uncommon a specific experience is.

• Non-inclusive: disabled people and normal people; transgender people and normal people
• Inclusive: disabled people and non-disabled people; transgender people and cisgender people

• Non-inclusive: a normal person needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep
• Inclusive: a typical person needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep

Learn more

Do you want to read more about these terms and why it matters to choose inclusive alternatives? Check out the following articles:

• APA Style: Racial and ethic identity
• A major request: Please stop calling us minorities
• “GSM”

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