Genetic intervention and assisted reproduction raise ethical issues surrounding human embryos. Human cloning and stem cell research similarly raise many difficult issues surrounding the moral status of the human embryo. Debate and discussion on these topics can be facilitated or hampered by the language used to present the issues. A power struggle is occurring over the terms to be used in the ethical discussions both in public and professional circles. For example, embryonic stem cell research has been called therapeutic cloning, embryo-destructive cloning, nuclear transplantation and various other terms. The resulting problems for ethical debate are revealed in a study of public opinion surveys about stem cell research. One poll reported that 65% approved of such research and 25% disapproved, while another poll reported 24% approval and 70% disapproval. The two surveys differed primarily in the way they described ‘stem cell research’. Examples of how this debate has been framed in the professional literature and recent media coverage will be presented and evaluated. Choices over terminology have the potential to skew the discussion and push the conclusions one way or another. While recognizing that language is never neutral, a commitment to accuracy and clarity is needed. Euphemism must be avoided. Such standards are based on widely accepted principles of moral reasoning, argumentation, and critical thinking. Examination of ethical arguments in light of these principles provides a way of critiquing conclusions in a secular and pluralistic milieu. It can also provide helpful guidance in the formulation of stronger arguments to defend one’s own ethical conclusions. If trust in public debate is to be achieved, ethical standards must be maintained in the way communication occurs about controversial issues. As George Orwell stated, language should be used “as an instrument for expressing and not for concealing or preventing thought.” That advice is particularly relevant in today’s bioethical debates. Practical examples of how this can be done in the areas of genetic and reproductive ethics will be presented.