Technical & Copy Writing – How to Use Gender-Neutral Language

© Ugur Akinci
Whenever possible, avoid using gender-biased words and phrases.
For example, instead of “Chairman,” you can try “Chair,” “Moderator,” or “Facilitator.” But if the gender of the “Chair” is obvious from the context, then you can use “Chairman” or “Chairwoman” as appropriate.
Here are some other suggestions (inspired by Microsoft Style Guide):
OLD USAGE: Man. Mankind.
TRY: Humanity. People. Humankind.
OLD USAGE: “He mans the boat.”
TRY: “He operates the boat.”
OLD USAGE: “The candidate was manhandled on the campaign trail.”
TRY: “The candidate was roughed up on the campaign trail.”
OLD USAGE: Salesman.
TRY: Sales Representative. Sales Person.
OLD USAGE: Man-made.
TRY: Synthetic. Manufactured.
OLD USAGE: Manpower.
TRY: Workforce. Staff. Personnel.
OLD USAGE: Man-hour.
TRY: Person-hour.
OLD USAGE: … to a man
TRY: …without exception
OLD USAGE: Manhunt.
TRY: Hunt for fugitive.
(An excerpt from my book 101 Ways to Power-Up Your Writing )