A new study about inclusive language

I came across a new study on the readability and comprehensibility of inclusive language.

And it’s the kind of data we’ve been missing.

What the study looked at 🔎

Researchers analysed how gender-inclusive translations affect real people taking a high-stakes online referee certification test for quadball (a mixed-gender contact sport).

They compared:

– The original English test
– Translations into French, Italian, Spanish and German

And, in three of those languages, a direct comparison between a “generic masculine” version and an inclusive version of the same test

This wasn’t a lab experiment. This was a timed, performance-based certification exam.

What they found 💡

Yes, inclusive strategies visibly change the text.

– In French, up to 21% of the words were affected by inclusive forms (the text is also longer when it’s written with inclusive language)
– In Italian and Spanish, 16–17%

So the text does look different.

But when participants took the test under time pressure? There was no measurable difference:

– Not in completion time
– Not in test scores
– Not in performance

In any of the languages studied!

The researchers conclude 🎯

“While inclusive strategies do impact the text itself, especially for French, this has no measurable impact on readability (time needed to complete the test) or comprehensibility (test score).”

Why it matters ✊

We still have very few empirical, real-world studies on inclusive language. And this one is particularly interesting because:

– It’s not about ideology.
– It’s not about DEI training.
– It’s not about opinion surveys.

It’s about sports rules and referee certification. A technical, time-sensitive context.

And inclusive language did not prevent people from understanding the content or succeeding.

For years, the dominant argument has been: “Inclusive language makes texts unreadable.” This study suggests something different: inclusive language may change how a text looks, but it doesn’t change how well people understand it.

And that distinction matters.