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ubiquitous language
The same word for the same thing in the chat, the code, and the tests. The noun list is the spec.
What is ubiquitous language?
Ubiquitous language comes from domain-driven design: the team shares one noun set, and the code uses that set instead of a more “technical” dialect.
Why does ubiquitous language matter when vibe coding?
This is the actual choke point in vibe coding. If you can say “debounce,” one sentence is enough. If you can only say “don’t spin while I type,” the model guesses among neighbours. The language is not style. It is compression.
How do you do ubiquitous language?
Before a feature, list objects and verbs: task, owner, mark done. The prompt uses only those words. If the model renames them, rename the code back. Do not adopt its dialect.
How do you ask a model for ubiquitous language?
Use only these nouns: (list). Code, tests, and UI copy use them. Do not invent synonyms. If the tree already uses other words, rename to this list.
What goes wrong with ubiquitous language?
A noun list that lives only in chat. Next week’s thread invents another. The list has to live in the repo.