Language and tone standards for all written content across 3 languages English (British, East African), French (Francophone African), and Kiswahili (East African standard). Enforces authentic, culturally appropriate, professional communication in each language. Apply throughout all content generation steps.
Language and tone standards for all written content across 3 languages English (British, East African), French (Francophone African), and Kiswahili (East African standard). Enforces authentic, culturally appropriate, professional communication in each language. Apply throughout all content generation steps.
Language and tone standards for all written content across 3 languages English (British, East African), French (Francophone African), and Kiswahili (East African standard). Enforces authentic, culturally appropriate, professional communication in each language. Apply throughout all content generation steps.
Language Standards Multi-Language Tone & Grammar
Overview
Use this skill as the multilingual language-governance layer for the repository. It keeps English, French, and Kiswahili content professional, culturally appropriate, and internally consistent across translated or multi-language outputs.
Use When
Use when content is being created or reviewed across more than one supported language.
Use when translation quality, tone consistency, or cultural fit matter.
Use as a language overlay on top of another content skill.
Do Not Use When
Do not use as a substitute for core strategy, structure, or factual accuracy.
Do not force identical phrasing across languages when natural usage differs.
Do not let localisation drift into meaning changes.
Required Inputs
Source text or content brief
Target language or set of languages
Audience, country, and cultural context
Any fixed terminology, brand language, or compliance phrasing
Workflow
Identify the target language, audience, and purpose of the content.
Apply the relevant language-specific standards and tone rules.
Preserve meaning while adapting phrasing for natural local usage.
Keep terminology and brand cues consistent across languages.
Reconcile multilingual outputs with the source content and site structure.
Flag terms or nuances that require human confirmation.
Quality Bar
The language feels natural to its target audience.
Meaning stays consistent across languages.
Tone matches the brand and region.
Terminology is controlled and repeatable.
Anti-Patterns
Word-for-word translation that sounds unnatural.
Letting one language version drift strategically from the others.
Mixing registers or regional variants unintentionally.
Ignoring culture-specific connotations in business language.
Outputs
Language-standard-compliant content or edits across the supported languages
Terminology and tone corrections
Any localisation questions requiring follow-up
All website copy, headings, calls to action, descriptions, and microcopy must follow this style guide for their respective language. This is a cross-cutting standard applied throughout every content-writing step.
Core Principles (All Languages)
Clear and direct. Sentences are straightforward, grammatically careful, logically structured.
Formal and respectful. Politeness is essential. Communication shows courtesy and humility.
No excessive marketing language. Avoid drama, exaggeration, slang.
Professionally indirect. Soften directives with courteous phrasing.
Also avoid: American slang (FYI, ASAP, BTW), dramatic emotional tone, excessive exclamation marks.
Instead of abbreviations, write in full: "Please respond as soon as possible."
Assertive Language (All Languages)
Hedging language communicates uncertainty. If you're not sure you're any good, how can prospects beSection Replace weak phrasing with confident, assertive alternatives:
Hedging (weak)
Assertive (strong)
Feel free to reach out
Contact me / Get in touch
In case you're interested
InterestedSection Contact me
Perhaps we can work together
Let's work together
Maybe we're a good fit
Add a "Who is this forSection " section
We might be able to help
We can help
It could potentially improve
It improves
This applies across all three languages. In French: "N'hesitez pas a nous contacter" is acceptable (culturally standard), but avoid excessive hedging like "Il serait eventuellement possible de...". In Kiswahili: use direct invitations ("Wasiliana nasi" not "Labda unaweza kuwasiliana nasi").
Condescending Phrases Ban (All Languages)
Never use these patterns in any language:
"Research suggests that..." Which researchSection What nicheSection What size businessesSection Too vague to be credible. Only cite research if it features your target audience and their specific problems.
"If you're a business owner..." / "Si vous etes un entrepreneur..." / "Kama wewe ni mfanyabiashara..." If you know your audience IS business owners, address them directly. Don't do the "if" dance.
AI Language Avoidance (All Languages)
AI-generated text has recognisable vocabulary and patterns. Every piece of content must pass as entirely human-written.
Tier 2 Overused by AI (use sparingly, never in headlines): compelling, captivating, cutting-edge, game-changer, revolutionary, transformative, innovative, streamline, empower, unparalleled, elevate, ignite, safeguard, enduring, seamless, holistic, curate, resonate, underscore, showcase
Tier 3 Flagged in combination (fine alone, AI-tell together): crucial, facilitate, enhance, ensure, enable, encourage, essential, navigate, compelling, drive, embodies, emphasises. Rule: no more than one Tier 3 word per paragraph.
Banned phrases: "In today's fast-paced world", "It's important to note", "In the realm of", "Embark on a journey", "Game-changer", "Treasure trove", "Digital landscape", "Ever-evolving", "Not only X but also Y" (overused), "X isn't just Y; it's Z", "From X to Y, [subject] has..." (listicle pattern), "Whether you're [X] or [Y]..." (false inclusivity)
Banned structural patterns: Uniform sentence lengths (vary deliberately), "Furthermore/Moreover/Additionally" as paragraph openers, excessive em dashes (max 2 per article), three-item lists in every paragraph, present participial openers ("Leveraging our...", "Fostering an environment...")
Required human markers: Vary sentence length (mix 4-word and 30-word sentences), take clear positions ("I recommend" not "One might consider"), use the client's own vocabulary from their docs, include strategic contractions (2-4 per 500 words in English)
See blog-writer/references/human-voice-standards.md for the full blacklist with replacements, detailed techniques, and Voice DNA extraction process.
English CTAs and Button Text
Apply respectful tone to buttons and UI text:
Generic/Aggressive
East African Style
Buy Now
Place Your Order
Sign Up
Register Today
Get Started
Begin Your Journey
Learn More
Find Out More
Contact Us
Get in Touch
Download
Download the Brochure
FRENCH (fr) Francophone African Professional Standard
Core Characteristics
Formal francophone African French not Quebecois, not Belgian variants.
Respectful and courteous professionalism with warmth.
Standard French grammar and conventions.
Vous (formal) throughout all professional communication never "tu".
Culturally appropriate for Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal, DRC, Gabon.
French Spelling and Grammar
Use standard French orthography:
Accent marks required: e, e, e, e, a, u, c, ,
Double-check diacritical marks (many African translators omit them)
UTF-8 encoding mandatory
Apostrophes in Astro JSX Templates (French, Swahili, all languages)
CRITICAL: Single-quoted JS strings inside Astro JSX expressions (.astro template section) CANNOT contain straight apostrophes ('). This breaks the build because the apostrophe terminates the string early.
Rules for any text containing apostrophes (e.g. French d', l', n', qu'; Swahili ng'):
Use double-quoted strings for any JS string literal that contains an apostrophe: "d'excellence" not 'd\'excellence'
Never use \u2019 escape sequences Astro's template compiler may not handle them correctly
Never use backslash-escaped apostrophes (\') in JSX template expressions they work in frontmatter JS but fail in template JSX
HTML text content is fine apostrophes in regular HTML <p>d'excellence</p> work without escaping
For JSX expression strings that need both " and ', use template literals: `string with ' and "`
Verb Conjugation
Use vous for all formal communication (not tu)
Example: "Veuillez remplir le formulaire" (not "Remplis le formulaire")
Imperative form: "Veuillez" + infinitive for politeness
Gender Agreement
All adjectives and past participles must agree with gender:
"La page est completee" (feminine)
"Le service est complete" (masculine)
"Les pages sont completees" (feminine plural)
French Dates and Numbers
Date format: 17 fevrier 2026 (or 17 fevrier 2026)
Month names: Lowercase (fevrier, not Fevrier)
Numbers: Use space or period for thousands: 1 000 or 1.000 (not 1,000)
Use terms understood across francophone Africa (not Canada-specific, not France-specific):
Budget (not "subvention")
Entreprise (company, not "compagnie")
Personnel (staff, not "employes" alone)
Client (customer/client, standard everywhere)
Formation (training, widely used)
French CTAs and Button Text
English
French (Formal)
Sign Up
S'inscrire
Register
Creer un compte
Contact Us
Nous contacter
Learn More
En savoir plus
Submit
Soumettre
Download
Telecharger
Place Your Order
Passer votre commande
Get Started
Commencer maintenant
French-Specific Considerations
In-Country Reviewer Required
All French content must be reviewed by a native francophone speaker from the target market (Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal, DRC, Gabon). Send for review before publishing.
Text Expansion
French is typically 2040% longer than English. Design for 1.3x expansion:
Buttons must accommodate longer labels
Navigation items must wrap gracefully
Form labels must not overlap fields
Regional Variations
Avoid country-specific terms unless relevant:
Use neutral francophone African vocabulary
Avoid France-centric references
Avoid Canadian (Quebecois) terminology
KISWAHILI (sw) East African Standard
Core Characteristics
Standard East African Kiswahili not regional dialects (Mombasa, Zanzibar variants).
Formal/respectful register throughout professional communication.
Humble and relationship-focused Swahili culture emphasizes harmony.
Use formal register in all professional communication:
Avoid slang (sheng, Nairobi street language)
Use full words (hakuna = do not have, not "hakuna matata")
Respectful pronouns and address forms
Tense Selection
Present habitual: -na- (Anataka = He/she wants)
Near future: -ta- (Atakuja = He/she will come)
Past completed: -li- (Alifika = He/she arrived)
Conditional: -ki-, -ngali (Akija = if he/she comes)
Kiswahili Dates and Numbers
Date format: Februari 17, 2026 (or 17 Februari 2026)
Month names: English borrowed (Januari, Februari) no Kiswahili equivalents universally understood
Day of week: Jumapili (Sunday), Jumatatu (Monday), Jumanne (Tuesday), etc.
Numbers: Use spaces for thousands: 1 000 (not 1,000)
Currency: Shilingi (Sh, KES for Kenya), or specified in design-tokens.md
Kiswahili Courtesy and Formality
Standard Openings (Business)
Habari yakoSection (How are youSection formal)
Tunataka kuwashukuru... (We want to thank you...)
Tunakuomba... (We kindly request...)
Respectful Phrases (Kiswahili)
Tafadhali (please polite request)
Asante sana (thank you very much)
Karibu sana (welcome, you're welcome)
Pole pole (take it easy, go slowly suggests respect/patience)
Haba na haba hujaza kibaba (little by little fills the measure patience/humility)
Tunataka kuwajua (We want to know / We would like to learn)
Tutakurejea (We will respond to you)
Tukikubali (If we may, with your permission)
Closings
Kwa heshima (with respect)
Wakati mwingine (another time / we hope to hear from you)
Tunatumaini kuongea nayo upya (We hope to speak with you again)
Kiswahili Vocabulary Standards
Preferred Professional Terms
Kusimamia (to manage, oversee)
Kutekeleza (to implement, execute)
Kushiriki (to participate, engage)
Kusaada (to help, support)
Kuboresha (to improve, enhance)
Kupatiana (to agree, coordinate)
Kuhakiki (to verify, confirm)
Kuarifu (to inform, notify)
Kujifunza (to learn)
Muhimu (important, significant)
Faida (benefit, advantage)
Lengo (goal, objective)
Words to Avoid (Too Colloquial)
Slang/sheng use formal Kiswahili
Hyperbolic marketing words
English insertions without Kiswahili alternative available
Kiswahili CTAs and Button Text
English
Kiswahili (Formal)
Sign Up
Jisajili
Register
Andika Jina
Contact Us
Wasiliana Nasi
Learn More
Jua Zaidi
Submit
Tuma
Download
Pakua
Place Your Order
Agiza Bidhaa
Get Started
Anza Sasa
Kiswahili-Specific Considerations
In-Country Reviewer Required
All Kiswahili content must be reviewed by a native Kiswahili speaker from East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda). Regional variants exist; ensure reviewer is from target market.
Text Expansion
Kiswahili is typically 1030% longer than English. Design for 1.2x expansion:
Buttons must flex for longer labels
Navigation items must wrap gracefully
Form labels must have clear spacing
No Dialects
Use standard East African Kiswahili
Avoid Mombasa Swahili (maChinwali features)
Avoid Zanzibari Swahili (historical variants)
Avoid regional slang or sheng (Nairobi street language)
Relationships and Harmony
Kiswahili communication culture emphasizes relationships:
Lead with greetings and acknowledgment
Use plural forms to show respect (sisi = we, kuambia mtu = speak to a person)
Avoid direct criticism or bluntness
Always acknowledge the relationship before asking for action
When This Skill Applies
This skill is cross-cutting it applies throughout all content generation:
All visible website text: headings, body copy, service descriptions, about pages, CTAs
Meta descriptions and SEO text
Alt text for images: clear, descriptive, respectful, in target language
Error messages and form labels: polite, never terse
Email templates and contact responses
Microcopy: tooltips, helper text, notifications
Integration with Other Skills
i18n: Determines which language versions are built
page-builder: Applies language standards when creating content
seo: Uses language standards for meta tags, titles, descriptions
sector-strategies: Industry-specific tone within language standards
design-system: Visualizes language standards in typography and layout
Enforcement Checkpoints
Before publishing any page, verify:
English pages: British spelling, East African tone, no marketing hype
French pages: Formal French, vous throughout, francophone African vocabulary, reviewed by francophone
Kiswahili pages: Standard Kiswahili, formal register, no slang, reviewed by East African native speaker
All pages: No truncation or text overflow in any language
All pages: Grammatically correct, properly punctuated, culturally appropriate
All pages: CTAs use respectful, inviting language (not aggressive)
Language-Specific Reviewers
Before publishing in any language, assign review:
English: East African professional (optional native review; standards in this guide)
French: Native francophone speaker from Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal, DRC, or Gabon
Kiswahili: Native Kiswahili speaker from Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda
All translations reviewed by in-country professionals before publishing.
