peterbamuhigire/east-african-english

East African English — Language & Tone Skill

All website copy, headings, calls to action, descriptions, and microcopy must follow this style guide. This is the foundational language standard applied before and during every content-writing step.

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Use when

• Language and tone standard for all written content. Enforces authentic East African English as used in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania — formal, clear, respectful, British-influenced, and professionally courteous. Apply to every piece of text generated for the website.
• Apply it alongside the primary deliverable skill whenever wording, tone, or editorial quality needs control.

Do not use when

• Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
• Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.
• Do not use this skill as a substitute for the main document, strategy, or copy-generation skill.

Workflow

1. Read the requested draft, source text, or surrounding brief before making language decisions.
2. Apply the rules in this skill consistently across the whole deliverable, not only the obvious problem lines.
3. Return corrected copy, guidance, or a style-constrained draft that the paired skill can use directly.

Anti-Patterns

• Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
• Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
• Do not mix British and American English, and do not apply the rules inconsistently across the same deliverable.

Outputs

• A reusable style standard, rewrite, or editing pass that improves another deliverable rather than replacing it.

References

• Use the inline instructions in this skill now. If a references/ directory is added later, treat its files as the deeper source material and keep this SKILL.md execution-focused.

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Required Input

Start with the draft or brief being written. Confirm the target country when known; otherwise apply neutral East African business English by default.

Core Characteristics

1. Clear and direct. Sentences are straightforward, grammatically careful, and logically structured. No slang in professional communication.
2. Formal and respectful. Politeness is essential. Communication shows courtesy and humility.
3. British English spelling. organisation, programme, centre, colour, travelling (double "l").
4. Professionally indirect. Avoid bluntness. Soften directives with courteous phrasing.
5. Measured confidence. Confident without arrogance. No dramatic or exaggerated language.

British English Standards

Spelling

Always use British spelling:

| Correct | Incorrect | |---------|-----------| | organisation | organization | | programme | program | | centre | center | | colour | color | | travelling | traveling | | specialise | specialize | | honour | honor | | favourite | favorite | | analyse | analyze | | defence | defense | | licence (noun) | license (noun) | | catalogue | catalog | | enquiry | inquiry |

Dates

Write dates in day-month-year order:

• 17 February 2026
• 17th February 2026

Never use month-first American format (February 17, 2026).

Tone by Country Context

When the client is based in a specific country, adjust the tone slightly:

Uganda — Warm and Relational

• Very polite and appreciative
• Frequent use of "kindly"
• Emphasis on harmony and goodwill

We highly appreciate your support in this matter. Kindly be informed that the funds have been received.

Kenya — Confident and Business-Oriented

• Efficient and practical
• Clear timelines and expectations
• Professional firmness

Please share the signed agreement by Friday, 21 February 2026. The project remains on schedule.

Tanzania — Calm and Measured

• Formal and slightly conservative
• Respectful and patient rhythm
• Influenced by Swahili sentence structure

We kindly request your guidance on the next steps. The matter is under review, and we shall revert shortly.

When no specific country is indicated, use the neutral East African style — a balanced blend of all three.

Courteous Phrases to Use

These are natural and expected in East African business English:

• Kindly find attached…
• We kindly request…
• Please be advised that…
• We would like to inform you…
• Thank you for your continued support.
• We look forward to your response.
• We appreciate your partnership.
• Should you require any further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Vocabulary Standards

Preferred Professional Words

Use simple, professional vocabulary:

• facilitate, implement, undertake, liaise, coordinate
• engage, support, enhance, review, confirm
• advise, revert (meaning "respond" — widely accepted in East Africa)
• significant, important, strategic, beneficial, valuable

Words and Phrases to Avoid

Never use exaggerated marketing language:

| Avoid | Use Instead | |-------|-------------| | groundbreaking | significant | | revolutionary | innovative | | game-changing | strategic | | amazing | commendable | | awesome | excellent | | incredible | remarkable | | unleash | enable | | skyrocket | improve significantly | | supercharge | strengthen | | crushing it | performing well |

Also avoid:

• American slang and casual abbreviations (FYI, ASAP, BTW)
• Overly creative marketing language
• Dramatic emotional tone
• Complex academic vocabulary
• Excessive exclamation marks

Instead of abbreviations, write in full:

Please respond as soon as possible.

Sentence Style

Use Full, Balanced Sentences

• No fragments or telegram-style copy
• Moderate length — not too short, not too complex
• Logical structure with clear subject-verb-object order

Good:

The team has completed the initial assessment and will submit the final report by the end of the week.

Professional Indirectness

Soften directives. Never sound blunt or commanding.

| Too Blunt | East African Style | |-----------|--------------------| | Send the report today. | Kindly submit the report by close of business today. | | You are wrong. | There appears to be a misunderstanding regarding the figures provided. | | We need payment now. | We kindly request that the outstanding balance be settled at your earliest convenience. | | Fix this immediately. | We would appreciate your urgent attention to this matter. |

CTAs and Website Microcopy

Apply the same respectful tone to buttons, links, and short UI text:

| Generic | 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 |

Avoid aggressive sales language. CTAs should be inviting, not pushy.

Openings and Closings (for letters, emails, contact forms)

Openings

• Dear Sir/Madam,
• Dear Mr. Otieno,
• Greetings,
• We refer to the above subject matter.

Closings

• Yours faithfully, (when you do not know the recipient)
• Yours sincerely, (when you know the recipient)
• Kind regards,
• Best regards,

Often followed by:

We look forward to your favourable response.

Reference Paragraph — Neutral East African Business Style

Use this as a benchmark for tone and rhythm:

We wish to inform you that the training programme will commence on 3 March 2026 at our Nairobi office. Kindly confirm your availability at your earliest convenience. Should you require any further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us. We appreciate your continued partnership and look forward to working together.

Quality Standards

• British English spelling is consistent throughout the deliverable.
• Tone stays professional, respectful, and recognisably East African rather than American, slang-heavy, or globally generic.
• CTAs, directives, and service language remain courteous without becoming weak or vague.

When This Skill Applies

• All visible website text — headings, body copy, service descriptions, about pages, CTAs
• Meta descriptions and SEO text
• Alt text for images (clear, descriptive, respectful)
• Error messages and form labels (polite, never terse)
• Any generated email templates or contact responses

This skill runs alongside every other skill. The design-system chooses how text looks; this skill governs what it says and how it sounds.