Proofreading and Editing Gendered Language

Language shapes how readers perceive people, roles, and even entire organizations. Gendered language refers to words, phrases, or grammatical structures that unnecessarily imply a specific gender when gender is irrelevant.

Nowadays, inclusive communication isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s an expectation. Whether you’re working with marketing copy, internal documents, or academic writing, editors and proofreaders have a responsibility to help writers create clear, inclusive, and respectful text.

In this blog post, you’ll learn:

• What gendered language is and why it matters
• How to identify common examples of gendered language
• Practical alternatives to use instead
• When and how to suggest edits sensitively

For more on inclusivity in writing, check out our guide to inclusive language for content writers.

What Is Gendered Language? 

Gendered language is any wording that signals a particular gender when gender isn’t relevant to the message. It spans everything from default masculine pronouns (he, his) and gender-specific job titles (fireman, stewardess) to sentence structures that automatically treat male terms as the norm (e.g., “Each student must hand in his paper”).

Because these choices can unintentionally exclude or stereotype readers, proofreaders and editors should flag them and suggest inclusive alternatives – such as singular they, neutral job titles like police officer, or wording that avoids gender markers altogether.

Is Gendered Language a Problem?

In many professional and public-facing contexts, yes – gendered wording can create real challenges for both readers and organizations. Those challenges fall into a few broad areas:

• Inclusion and clarity: When copy defaults to he, mankind, or chairman, readers who don’t identify with those terms may feel overlooked or unsure whether the message applies to them. That distraction reduces comprehension and engagement.
  
• Credibility and tone: Outdated gendered phrases (e.g., maternal instinct as a shorthand for “caring”) can make otherwise persuasive writing seem biased or old-fashioned, undermining an author’s authority.
  
• Brand reputation: Companies are increasingly judged on the inclusivity of their language; exclusionary wording can trigger negative social-media coverage and erode trust.
  
• SEO and accessibility: Search engines and assistive technologies prioritize content that meets inclusive-language guidelines, so gender-neutral copy is more likely to rank well and reach a wider audience.
  
• Legal and compliance risk: Some jurisdictions now treat persistent use of exclusionary language in workplace or public-sector communication as potential discrimination, exposing organizations to complaints or penalties.

Here are some other points worth noting:

• Major style guides – including APA 7 and The Chicago Manual of Style – explicitly endorse singular they for indefinite or nonbinary references.
  
• Search-engine algorithms and AI writing assistants increasingly flag gendered job titles (salesman) and default masculine pronouns as accessibility issues.
  
• Many organizations have in-house language policies that require gender-neutral terminology; ignoring them can lead to inconsistent messaging or the need for costly rewrites.

While gendered language isn’t always “wrong,” in most modern business, academic, and public settings, it introduces barriers you can easily avoid by editing for neutrality.

Gendered Pronouns in English

English has male (he, him, his) and female (she, her, hers) personal pronouns that work well when referring to a specific individual whose gender is known. But when referring to a general or unknown person – or someone who is nonbinary – defaulting to he or she can exclude readers. For example:

If a student submits work late, he will lose 5% of the points on his paper.

This approach excludes anyone who doesn’t identify as he. A more inclusive approach would be to use the singular they or rephrase the sentence to avoid mentioning gender at all:

If a student submits work late, they will lose 5% of the points on their paper.

Late submission of work will result in a 5% point deduction.

Small edits like these can help make sure writing is clear, accurate, and welcoming to everyone.

Alternatives to Gendered Pronouns

Knowing gendered language can be exclusionary is one thing – knowing how to fix it is another. Fortunately, there are several easy strategies you can apply as a proofreader or editor. The right approach will depend on the tone and context of the writing, but here are some of the most useful tools:

1. Use Plural Nouns

Instead of writing about “a manager” or “an applicant,” try pluralizing the noun so you can use the gender-neutral they without raising eyebrows. For instance:

An applicant must ensure he provides all required documents on time. ✘

Applicants must ensure they submit all documents on time. ✔

2. Switch to Second Person

When appropriate, rephrasing the sentence to address the reader directly with you can be more engaging and inclusive:

Each team member must submit his weekly report by Friday. ✘

You must submit your weekly report by Friday. ✔

3. Use the Singular “They”

Modern style guides usually endorse singular they when referring to a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant:

When a customer contacts support, he should provide proof of purchase. ✘

When a customer contacts support, they should provide proof of purchase. ✔

4. Remove the Pronoun Altogether

Often, the cleanest solution is to restructure the sentence and eliminate the pronoun entirely. 

A doctor should ensure she updates patient records daily. ✘

Doctors should ensure records are updated daily. ✔

Daily record updates are essential. ✔

5. Use “He or She” Cautiously

Phrasing like he or she or his or her was once the go-to fix for inclusive language. But today, it can feel clunky, binary, and outdated. It’s best reserved for legal or highly formal documents where neutrality is required, and tone is less of a concern. For instance:

Each employee is responsible for his or her own safety while on site. ✘

Each employee is responsible for their own safety while on site. ✔

6. Respect Neopronouns When Used

If the person being referred to uses neopronouns like ze, xe, fae, or others, respect their preference. Include a brief explanation the first time the term appears if it’s likely to be unfamiliar to the reader:

Sam, who uses the neopronoun ze/zir (a gender-neutral alternative to he or she), presented the findings yesterday. Ze then shared the slide deck with the team. ✔

Other Types of Gendered Language 

Even when individual words look neutral, some everyday figures of speech still lean on masculine or feminine imagery. For instance: 

• Words that contain “man” but refer to humanity in general (e.g. mankind, manpower)
• Jobs or other roles that contain “man” (e.g., policeman, spokesman, postman)
• Words that imply a gendered stereotype (e.g., using ladylike to suggest being quiet, neat, or demure)
• Unnecessarily gendered terms where a neutral option exists (e.g., referring to a female comedian as a comedienne or a female actor as an actress)

These words are not always inappropriate. Some women who act prefer the term “actress” to “actor,” for instance. But unless a writer is referring to a specific individual for whom the gendered term is appropriate, it is typically best to use gender-neutral terminology instead.

Here are some more examples: 

Grammatically Gendered vs. Gender-Neutral Languages

English doesn’t assign grammatical gender to most nouns, but gendered expressions still show up regularly. Languages like Spanish, French, and German, on the other hand, use gendered forms for almost all nouns. Others – like Turkish and Mandarin – are grammatically non-gendered.

If you’re proofreading translated or multilingual content, consider the following:

• Direct swaps may not exist. For example, the Spanish masculine plural amigos might be translated as “friends” or written using inclusive forms such as amig@s or amigxs.
• New punctuation forms may be used in some contexts. In French, for example, étudiant·e·s combines the masculine étudiants and feminine étudiantes.
• Client guidelines may vary significantly across regions and industries.

In all cases, ensure you’re respecting context and flagging anything potentially exclusionary.

When to Edit Gendered Language

As a proofreader or editor, your top goals are clarity and accuracy. While reviewing a document, flag gendered terms that could distract or alienate readers. At the same time, avoid heavy-handed rewrites unless the brief specifically requests inclusive-language edits. If neutrality isn’t in scope, leave a concise, respectful comment explaining the issue and suggesting a fix; the client can then choose whether to adopt your recommendation.

When you do step in, keep these quick checks in mind:

• Scan compound nouns: Words with man or woman embedded – manpower, salesman, spokeswoman – usually have neutral equivalents such as workforce, sales rep, or spokesperson.
• Watch metaphorical adjectives and verbs: Labels like ladylike, maternal, or manly can be rephrased to highlight the actual trait (e.g., professional, supportive, assertive) instead of a gender stereotype.
• Check greetings and casual banter: Informal copy is where clichés like “you guys” or “girl-boss energy” often slip through. A quick tweak – “everyone,” “team,” or “bold leadership” – keeps the tone warm yet inclusive.
• Explain the why in the comments: If you change man-hours to person-hours, add a note such as “for neutrality and consistency with inclusive-language guidance.” Clear reasoning builds trust and helps writers learn for future projects.

Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor

At Knowadays, we believe ethical, inclusive editing is a skill every proofreader and editor should master. Our Becoming A Proofreader course lays the foundation for accurate, reader-friendly proofreading. And if you’re ready to take your skills further, Becoming An Editor includes a dedicated module on the ethics of editing – covering everything from inclusive and appropriate language to dealing with offensive or graphic content. 

Buy both courses as a bundle, and you’ll save 15%!

Try some lessons for free today.

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