Use Strong Phrasing in Your Headings

Headings and subheadings are one way you can make your document reader-friendly by building in “information-rich signposts.” Why do they work? Specific, informative headings increase readability and contribute to the F-shaped reading pattern.

“Informative Headings Improve Readability,” a PDF document from the University of Minnesota Download PDF document from the University of Minnesota (also embedded below), shows the differences between generic category headings, descriptive headings, and informative headings. As a rule of thumb, if your headings are so general that they could appear in any document, you can improve them.

Informative Headings Improve Readability Download Informative Headings Improve Readability