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The U.S. Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal.”
Generations of Americans have been taught that in this context, the word “men” should be read as including both men and women.
Other common instances of gendered language include words that assume connections between jobs or roles and gender (like “policeman”) and language conventions that differ depending on the gender of the person being discussed (like using titles that indicate a person’s marital status).
Sometimes, it is appropriate to use gender neutral terms. For example, Star Trek writers developing material for contemporary viewers were able to create a more inclusive version of the famous phrase “where no man has gone before” while still preserving its pleasing rhythm: Star Trek explorers now venture “where no one has gone before.” The table below provides options available for use.
| Gendered noun | Gender-neutral noun |
| man | person, individual |
| mankind | people, human beings, humanity |
| freshman | first-year student |
| man-made | machine-made, synthetic, artificial |
| the common man | the average person |
| chairman | chair, chairperson, coordinator, head |
| mailman | mail carrier, letter carrier, postal worker |
| policeman | police officer |
| steward, stewardess | flight attendant |
| actor, actress | actor |
| congressman | legislator, congressional representative |
| Sir (in “Dear Sir,” etc.) | Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Editor, Dear Members of the Search Committee, To Whom it May Concern |
What can you do when you’re faced with one of those gender-neutral or gender-ambiguous language situations? You have several options:
1. Try making the nouns and pronouns plural
If it works for your particular sentence, using plural forms is often an excellent option. Here’s an example of a sentence that can easily be rephrased:
If we make “student” plural and adjust the rest of the sentence accordingly, there’s no need for gendered language (and no confusion or loss of meaning):
2. Use “they” as a singular pronoun
Most of the time, the word “they” refers to a plural antecedent. For example,
But using “they” with a singular antecedent is not a new phenomenon, and while it remains uncommon in formal writing, it has become quite common in speech. In a conversation, many people would not even notice how “they” is being used here:
Some people are strongly opposed to the use of “they” with singular antecedents and are likely to react badly to writing that uses this approach. Others argue that “they” should be adopted as English’s standard third-person, gender-neutral pronoun in all writing and speaking contexts. Keep your audience in mind as you decide whether the singular “they” is a good solution for any gender-related problems in your writing.
