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The Importance of Word Choice in Writing

Sean Glatch  |  December 2, 2022  |  6 Comments

All strong writers have something in common: they understand the value of word choice in writing. Strong word choice uses vocabulary and language to maximum effect, creating clear moods and images and making your stories and poems more powerful and vivid.

The meaning of “word choice” may seem self-explanatory, but to truly transform your style and writing, we need to dissect the elements of choosing the right word. This article will explore what word choice is, and offer some examples of effective word choice, before giving you 5 word choice exercises to try for yourself .

Word Choice Definition: The Four Elements of Word Choice

The definition of word choice extends far beyond the simplicity of “choosing the right words.” Choosing the right word takes into consideration many different factors, and finding the word that packs the most punch requires both a great vocabulary and a great understanding of the nuances in English.

Choosing the right word involves the following four considerations, with word choice examples.

Words can be chosen for one of two meanings: the denotative meaning or the connotative meaning. Denotation refers to the word’s basic, literal dictionary definition and usage. By contrast, connotation refers to how the word is being used in its given context: which of that word’s many uses, associations, and connections are being employed.

A word’s denotative meaning is its literal dictionary definition, while its connotative meaning is the web of uses and associations it carries in context.

We play with denotations and connotations all the time in colloquial English. As a simple example, when someone says “greaaaaaat” sarcastically, we know that what they’re referring to isn’t “great” at all. In context, the word “great” connotes its opposite: something so bad that calling it “great” is intentionally ridiculous. When we use words connotatively, we’re letting context drive the meaning of the sentence.

The rich web of connotations in language are crucial to all writing, and perhaps especially so to poetry, as in the following lines from Derek Walcott’s Nobel-prize-winning epic poem Omeros :

In hill-towns, from San Fernando to Mayagüez, the same sunrise stirred the feathered lances of cane down the archipelago’s highways. The first breeze

rattled the spears and their noise was like distant rain marching down from the hills, like a shell at your ears.

Sugar cane isn’t, literally, made of “feathered lances,” which would literally denote “long metal spears adorned with bird feathers”; but feathered connotes “branching out,” the way sugar cane does, and  lances connotes something tall, straight, and pointy, as sugar cane is. Together, those two words create a powerfully true visual image of sugar cane—in addition to establishing the martial language (“spears,” “marching”) used elsewhere in the passage.

Whether in poetry or prose, strong word choice can unlock images, emotions, and more in the reader, and the associations and connotations that words bring with them play a crucial role in this.

2. Specificity

Use words that are both correct in meaning and specific in description.

In the sprawling English language, one word can have dozens of synonyms. That’s why it’s important to use words that are both correct in meaning and specific in description. Words like “good,” “average,” and “awful” are far less descriptive and specific than words like “liberating” (not just good but good and freeing ), “C student” (not just average but academically average), and “despicable” (not just awful but morally awful). These latter words pack more meaning than their blander counterparts.

Since more precise words give the reader added context, specificity also opens the door for more poetic opportunities. Take the short poem “[You Fit Into Me]” by Margaret Atwood.

You fit into me like a hook into an eye

A fish hook

An open eye

The first stanza feels almost romantic until we read the second stanza. By clarifying her language, Atwood creates a simple yet highly emotive duality.

This is also why writers like Stephen King advocate against the use of adverbs (adjectives that modify verbs or other adjectives, like “very”). If your language is precise, you don’t need adverbs to modify the verbs or adjectives, as those words are already doing enough work. Consider the following comparison:

Weak description with adverbs: He cooks quite badly; the food is almost always extremely overdone.

Strong description, no adverbs: He incinerates food.

Of course, non-specific words are sometimes the best word, too! These words are often colloquially used, so they’re great for writing description, writing through a first-person narrative, or for transitional passages of prose.

3. Audience

Good word choice takes the reader into consideration. You probably wouldn’t use words like “lugubrious” or “luculent” in a young adult novel, nor would you use words like “silly” or “wonky” in a legal document.

This is another way of saying that word choice conveys not only direct meaning, but also a web of associations and feelings that contribute to building the reader’s world. What world does the word “wonky” help build for your reader, and what world does the word “seditious” help build? Depending on the overall environment you’re working to create for the reader, either word could be perfect—or way out of place.

Consider your word choice to be the fingerprint of your writing.

Consider your word choice to be the fingerprint of your writing. Every writer uses words differently, and as those words come to form poems, stories, and books, your unique grasp on the English language will be recognizable by all your readers.

Style isn’t something you can point to, but rather a way of describing how a writer writes. Ernest Hemingway, for example, is known for his terse, no-nonsense, to-the-point styles of description. Virginia Woolf, by contrast, is known for writing that’s poetic, intense, and melodramatic, and James Joyce for his lofty, superfluous writing style.

Here’s a paragraph from Joyce:

Had Pyrrhus not fallen by a beldam’s hand in Argos or Julius Caesar not been knifed to death. They are not to be thought away. Time has branded them and fettered they are lodged in the room of the infinite possibilities they have ousted.

And here’s one from Hemingway:

Bill had gone into the bar. He was standing talking with Brett, who was sitting on a high stool, her legs crossed. She had no stockings on.

Style is best observed and developed through a portfolio of writing. As you write more and form an identity as a writer, the bits of style in your writing will form constellations.

Word Choice in Writing: The Importance of Verbs

Before we offer some word choice exercises to expand your writing horizons, we first want to mention the importance of verbs. Verbs, as you may recall, are the “action” of the sentence—they describe what the subject of the sentence actually does. Unless you are intentionally breaking grammar rules, all sentences must have a verb, otherwise they don’t communicate much to the reader.

Because verbs are the most important part of the sentence, they are something you must focus on when expanding the reaches of your word choice. Verbs are the most widely variegated units of language; the more “things” you can do in the world, the more verbs there are to describe them, making them great vehicles for both figurative language and vivid description.

Consider the following three sentences:

• The road runs through the hills.
• The road curves through the hills.
• The road meanders through the hills.

Which sentence is the most descriptive? Though each of them has the same subject, object, and number of words, the third sentence creates the clearest image. The reader can visualize a road curving left and right through a hilly terrain, whereas the first two sentences require more thought to see clearly.

Finally, this resource on verb usage does a great job at highlighting how to invent and expand your verb choice.

Word Choice in Writing: Economy and Concision

Strong word choice means that every word you write packs a punch. As we’ve seen with adverbs above, you may find that your writing becomes more concise and economical—delivering more impact per word. Above all, you may find that you omit needless words .

Omit needless words is, in fact, a general order issued by Strunk and White in their classic Elements of Style . As they explain it:

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.

It’s worth repeating that this doesn’t mean your writing becomes clipped or terse, but simply that “every word tell.” As our word choice improves—as we omit needless words and express ourselves more precisely—our writing becomes richer, whether we write in long or short sentences.

As an example, here’s the opening sentence of a random personal essay from a high school test preparation handbook:

The world is filled with a numerous amount of student athletes that could somewhere down the road have a bright future.

Most words in this sentence are needless. It could be edited down to:

Many student athletes could have a bright future.

Now let’s take some famous lines from Shakespeare’s Macbeth . Can you remove a single word without sacrificing an enormous richness of meaning?

Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.

In strong writing, every single word is chosen for maximum impact. This is the true meaning of concise or economical writing.

5 Word Choice Exercises to Sharpen Your Writing

With our word choice definition in mind, as well as our discussions of verb use and concision, let’s explore the following exercises to put theory into practice. As you play around with words in the following word choice exercises, be sure to consider meaning, specificity, style, and (if applicable) audience.

1. Build Moods With Word Choice

Writers fine-tune their words because the right vocabulary will build lush, emotive worlds. As you expand your word choice and consider the weight of each word, focus on targeting precise emotions in your descriptions and figurative language.

This kind of point is best illustrated through word choice examples. An example of magnificent language is the poem “ In Defense of Small Towns ” by Oliver de la Paz. The poem’s ambivalent feelings toward small hometowns presents itself through the mood of the writing.

The poem is filled with tense descriptions, like “animal deaths and toughened hay” and “breeches speared with oil and diesel,” which present the small town as stoic and masculine. This, reinforced by the terse stanzas and the rare “chances for forgiveness,” offers us a bleak view of the town; yet it’s still a town where everything is important, from “the outline of every leaf” to the weightless flight of cattail seeds.

The writing’s terse, heavy mood exists because of the poem’s juxtaposition of masculine and feminine words. The challenge of building a mood produces this poem’s gravity and sincerity.

Try to write a poem, or even a sentence, that evokes a particular mood through words that bring that word to mind. Here’s an example:

• What mood do you want to evoke? flighty
• What words feel like they evoke that mood? not sure, whatever, maybe, perhaps, tomorrow, sometimes, sigh
• Try it in a sentence: “Maybe tomorrow we could see about looking at the lab results.” She sighed. “Perhaps.”

2. Invent New Words and Terms

A common question writers ask is, What is one way to revise for word choice? One trick to try is to make up new language in your revisions.

If you create language at a crucial moment, you might be able to highlight something that our current language can’t.

In the same way that unusual verbs highlight the action and style of your story, inventing words that don’t exist can also create powerful diction. Of course, your writing shouldn’t overflow with made-up words and pretentious portmanteaus, but if you create language at a crucial moment, you might be able to highlight something that our current language can’t.

A great example of an invented word is the phrase “wine-dark sea.” Understanding this invention requires a bit of history; in short, Homer describes the sea as “οἶνοψ πόντος”, or “wine-faced.” “Wine-dark,” then, is a poetic translation, a kind of kenning for the sea’s mystery.

Why “wine-dark” specifically? Perhaps because, like the sea, wine changes us; maybe the eyes of the sea are dark, as eyes often darken with wine; perhaps the sea is like a face, an inversion, a reflection of the self. In its endlessness, we see what we normally cannot.

Thus, “wine-dark” is a poetic combination of words that leads to intensive literary analysis. For a less historical example, I’m currently working on my poetry thesis, with pop culture monsters being the central theme of the poems. In one poem, I describe love as being “frankensteined.” By using this monstrous made-up verb in place of “stitched,” the poem’s attitude toward love is much clearer.

Try inventing a word or phrase whose meaning will be as clear to the reader as “wine-dark sea.” Here’s an example:

• What do you want to describe? feeling sorry for yourself because you’ve been stressed out for a long time
• What are some words that this feeling brings up? self-pity, sympathy, sadness, stress, compassion, busyness, love, anxiety, pity party, feeling sorry for yourself
• What are some fun ways to combine these words?  sadxiety, stresslove
• Try it in a sentence:  As all-nighter wore on, my anxiety softened into sadxiety: still edgy, but soft in the middle.

3. Only Use Words of Certain Etymologies

One of the reasons that the English language is so large and inconsistent is that it borrows words from every language. When you dig back into the history of loanwords, the English language is incredibly interesting!

(For example, many of our legal terms, such as judge , jury , and plaintiff , come from French. When the Normans [old French-speakers from Northern France] conquered England, their language became the language of power and nobility, so we retained many of our legal terms from when the French ruled the British Isles.)

Nerdy linguistics aside, etymologies also make for a fun word choice exercise. Try forcing yourself to write a poem or a story only using words of certain etymologies and avoiding others. For example, if you’re only allowed to use nouns and verbs that we borrowed from the French, then you can’t use Anglo-Saxon nouns like “cow,” “swine,” or “chicken,” but you can use French loanwords like “beef,” “pork,” and “poultry.”

Experiment with word etymologies and see how they affect the mood of your writing. You might find this to be an impactful facet of your word choice. You can Google “__ etymology” for any word to see its origin, and “__ synonym” to see synonyms.

Try writing a sentence only with roots from a single origin. (You can ignore common words like “the,” “a,” “of,” and so on.)

• What do you want to write?  The apple rolled off the table.
• Try a first etymology:  German: The apple wobbled off the bench.
• Try a second:  Latin: The russet fruit rolled off the table.

4. Write in E-Prime

E-Prime Writing describes a writing style where you only write using the active voice. By eschewing all forms of the verb “to be”—using words such as “is,” “am,” “are,” “was,” and other “being” verbs—your writing should feel more clear, active, and precise!

E-Prime not only removes the passive voice (“The bottle was picked up by James”), but it gets at the reality that many sentences using  to be are weakly constructed, even if they’re technically in the active voice.

Of course, E-Prime writing isn’t the best type of writing for every project. The above paragraph is written in E-Prime, but stretching it out across this entire article would be tricky. The intent of E-Prime writing is to make all of your subjects active and to make your verbs more impactful. While this is a fun word choice exercise and a great way to create memorable language, it probably isn’t sustainable for a long writing project.

Try writing a paragraph in E-Prime:

• What do you want to write? Of course, E-Prime writing isn’t the best type of writing for every project. The above paragraph is written in E-Prime, but stretching it out across this entire article would be tricky. The intent of E-Prime writing is to make all of your subjects active and to make your verbs more impactful. While this is a fun word choice exercise and a great way to create memorable language, it probably isn’t sustainable for a long writing project.
• Converted to E-Prime: Of course, E-Prime writing won’t best suit every project. The above paragraph uses E-Prime, but stretching it out across this entire article would carry challenges. E-Prime writing endeavors to make all of your subjects active, and your verbs more impactful. While this word choice exercise can bring enjoyment and create memorable language, you probably can’t sustain it over a long writing project.

5. Write Blackout Poetry

Blackout poetry , also known as Found Poetry, is a visual creative writing project. You take a page from a published source and create a poem by blacking out other words until your circled words create a new poem. The challenge is that you’re limited to the words on a page, so you need a charged use of both space and language to make a compelling blackout poem.

Blackout poetry bottoms out our list of great word choice exercises because it forces you to consider the elements of word choice. With blackout poems, certain words might be read connotatively rather than denotatively, or you might change the meaning and specificity of a word by using other words nearby. Language is at its most fluid and interpretive in blackout poems!

For a great word choice example using blackout poetry, read “ The Author Writes the First Draft of His Wedding Vows ” by Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib. Here it is visually:

Source: https://decreation.tumblr.com/post/620222983530807296/from-the-crown-aint-worth-much-by-hanif

Pick a favorite poem of your own and make something completely new out of it using blackout poetry.

How to Expand Your Vocabulary

Vocabulary is a last topic in word choice. The more words in your arsenal, the better. Great word choice doesn’t rely on a large vocabulary, but knowing more words will always help! So, how do you expand your vocabulary?

The simplest way to expand your vocabulary is by reading.

The simplest answer, and the one you’ll hear the most often, is by reading. The more literature you consume, the more examples you’ll see of great words using the four elements of word choice.

Of course, there are also some great programs for expanding your vocabulary as well. If you’re looking to use words like “lachrymose” in a sentence, take a look at the following vocab builders:

• Dictionary.com’s Word-of-the-Day
• Vocabulary.com Games
• Merriam Webster’s Vocab Quizzes

Improve Your Word Choice With Writers.com’s Online Writing Courses

Looking for more writing exercises ? Need more help choosing the right words? The instructors at Writers.com are masters of the craft. Take a look at our upcoming course offerings and join our community!

Sean Glatch

Interesting read. Would have appreciated some exercises to brighten our word choices.

Definitely! This link takes you directly to the word choice exercises: http://writers.com/word-choice-in-writing#exercises

Let us know if you try any of them!

I have written three novels and two children’s books without “To Be Verbs!”

http://www.mysteriousgems.net

E-Prime offers writers and readers more cogent and descriptive language by removing useless irregular verbs as To Be.

Writers have credited me with the first fiction novel ever written in E-Prime. I find it useful, I employ it 100% of the time in my fiction and about 90% in other forms.

[…] suggest looking through the Meaning and Specificity sections of “The Importance of Word Choice in Writing” by Sean Glatch, as these areas of writing will give you a breakdown about denotive and […]

Thank you for posting this excellent essay. It is now stashed in my “favorites”. Also, I loved the poem “In Defense of Small Towns”. Gorgeous writing. I will purchase the collection “Requiem for the Orchard”.

Again. Thank you.

Rebecca Hanley

I’m so glad this article was useful, Rebecca! Thanks for commenting, and I hope you enjoy Requiem for the Orchard.

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Word Choice: Master This Critical Writing Tool

by Fija Callaghan

Good writing has a way of singing on the page. Bad writing has a way of alienating the reader, and sometimes even causing offense without meaning to. Whether you’re writing fiction, poetry, essays, or academic papers, your specific choice of words—their style, impact, and connotative meaning—can make or break your connection with your audience.

In this article, we’ll take a deep look at what word choice means, some pitfalls to avoid in your writing, and how to choose the right word every time.

What is word choice in writing?

“Word choice” refers to the specific words a writer uses to create the most precise, persuasive, and engaging response possible. A skilled writer knows how to get the most out of their vocabulary and how to choose the best word for any readership. Word choice comes from elements like specificity, mood, writing style, and target audience.

We use word choice in daily life as well as writing. For instance, you might choose your words more carefully around someone you don’t know very well, or use more formal words in your workplace than with your friends. We choose different words when we’re talking to children than when we’re talking to adults, and we tend to use precise language in academic or technical writing.

Word choice means picking the exact best word for what we’re trying to say, and where and how we’re trying to say it.

Why is word choice so important to writers?

Precision is one of the most important tools we have available to us as writers. Some words may sound the same, but actually mean different things (like “affect” and “effect” ). Some words may have very similar meanings, but slightly different connotations when used in context (like “content” and “satisfied”).

When you find the perfect word to convey communicate encapsulate what you’re trying to say, you create a powerful connection with your reader.

On the other hand, if you use the wrong word, you can confuse your reader or even inadvertently cause offense. You may recognize this from misconstrued text messages or work emails. Incorrect words can also be vague and generalized, which keeps your reader at a distance. For example, if your character enters a “brightly glowing city,” that’s a bit more broad than looking up at a city that’s “luminescent.” The perfect word choice, particularly in fiction and poetry, can really bring a story to life.

Denotative vs. connotative word choice

When you’re considering which words to choose in a given situation, it can be helpful to think of it in terms of denotation and connotation . Denotation is a word’s literal dictionary definition: what it means according to the parameters set down by the English language. Connotation is more about its emotional impact—what it means “on the street,” or in everyday life.

For example, “hot” and “cold” are pretty straightforward dictionary definition words; they refer to temperature. But, they also have a range of hidden meanings around personality, attraction, and tension.

When you’re going over your writing, especially if you’re engaging in social or professional communication, double check that none of your word choices carry any secret, unwanted connotations.

Elements of word choice

Now that we understand word choices a bit better, let’s look at some of the elements that go into choosing just the right word.

1. Specificity

The English language is beautifully varied and precise. It can be argued that there are no true synonyms; every single word has a slightly different implied meaning. This means that while you might have a dozen or more words that can convey what you’re trying to say in a more-or-less general way, there might only be one word that perfectly captures your intended mood, meaning, and style.

Specificity comes from experience and mastery of language. As you expand your vocabulary, you’ll add more precise words to your toolbox to capture your reader’s attention.

2. Tone and mood

The right descriptive words and figurative language can amplify the overall mood and tone of a story . For example, a gothic story might use complex words that elicit images of dark passageways, moonless nights, and whispering petticoats. A romantic comedy, on the other hand, will use more colloquial English that feels bright, fun, and relatable.

This is a useful tool when you’re in your revision process; if you want to convey a particular mood to the overall narrative, go through and swap out select words with word choices that deepen the emotional impact of the prose.

3. Readership

Similar to tone and mood, this means choosing words that will resonate with your target audience. For instance, you’ll use very different word choices in a university-level thesis statement than you will in a middle-grade novel. In the former example, the wrong word choice can make you look unfocused and unprofessional. In the latter example, the wrong word choice can alienate your audience completely.

Likewise, using complex industry jargon in an article will limit your audience to people who already “speak” this language; however, it will land strongly with them because they’ll feel like you’re part of their tribe.

Whether you’re using formal language, technical terminology, or accessible storytelling for younger readers, choose words that the people you’re writing to will understand and relate to.

The way you structure your words in past, present, or future tense is a tricky skill for English learners to master. But, choosing the right word structure and narrative tense will make your writing read much more smoothly. These are details like can/could/could have or get/gotten/got. On the page, the difference is minuscule, but an incorrectly conjugated snag can break your reader’s connection with your story.

It also helps to be aware of language structures like active voice and passive voice —the way a sentence structures its subject and object in a moment of action. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered with our dedicated lesson on using active and passive voice !

5. Surprise

Finally, there’s no better way to create effective writing than to surprise your reader. When you’re writing descriptive language, see if you can come up with new ways of looking at the world that your reader hasn’t seen before. We’re all used to seeing the same metaphors, similes, and clichés in our favorite stories that we now tend to gloss over them when we read.

Instead of saying “the crescent moon was smiling,” what happens if you say “the moon was grimacing as if a hungry trucker had taken a bite out of it”? The reader sits up and pays attention, because now they can see your world clearly and vividly.

When you’re writing, and particularly when you’re revising, look for ways to breathe new life into your use of language.

Word choice traps to avoid

Now that we understand what goes into effective word choice, let’s look at some of the pitfalls new writers can fall into when choosing their words.

Commonly confused words

Even though the English language has a near-limitless reservoir of words to choose from, it has a shockingly limited choice of letters—only 26 for all those words!! That means that some words, by necessity, look or sound quite similar even though they have different meanings. This is where a lot of problems arise for new writers, particularly non-native speakers and young students.

Some commonly misused word choice examples include:

Affect and effect

Averse and adverse

Adversary and adversity

Accept and except

Elicit and illicit

Allusion and illusion

Their, there, and they’re

Your and you’re

And so forth. This is why it’s always a good idea to get editorial feedback if you’re not confident in your word choice skills.

Clichés are a natural part of exploring early writing. After all, we absorb them through the books we read and the conversations of our daily life. But, using clichés in your writing can suggest a lack of creativity, originality, and independent thought.

For example, telling your audience to “think outside the box” or describing a character as “dead as a doornail” are phrases your reader will have encountered many times before. Try using less common words to get your idea across. For instance, what else could a character be “dead as”? An aphid that stayed up late drinking weed killer? A 24-hour supermarket at 2am on a Tuesday night? If you catch yourself using a cliché, explore ways to give your writing a fresh voice.

Now with that being said, clichés can sometimes be useful for writing certain characters. For example, the villain of Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys loves using clichés wherever possible. If you decide to use this device, make sure you’re doing it intentionally and with purpose—not because you’ve run out of ideas.

Overly dense vernacular

When you’re writing about something you’re excited about—whether that’s a thrilling story or an article about an important topic—it can be easy to lose sight of the person you’re actually writing for. In a niche article or a story that’s set in a secondary world, be careful not to inundate your reader with words they may not be familiar with.

If you’re writing for a very targeted readership—for instance, in an academic or scientific journal—it’s usually okay to use a bigger word that makes sense in that industry’s context. But if you’re writing for a general or younger audience, make sure to explain and contextualize words that may be unfamiliar to the average person.

Extraneous verbosity

By which I mean using seventeen words when one will do just fine . For example, “Upon further reflection, I have come to the conclusion that” instead of “I have decided.” Or, “Regardless of the rather unfortunate fact that” instead of “Although.”

Like clichés, verbosity (or pompous wordiness) can be a fun character trait to explore. In the examples above, you can probably imagine the sort of person who would take the time to say those things. But as with all rules, make sure you’re breaking them intentionally to serve a purpose in the story.

Tips for improving word choice in writing

Now, here are a few things you can keep in mind for using strong word choice to improve your written work.

Expand your vocabulary

Strong writers have strong vocabularies: fact. You’ll have a better chance of choosing the right words every time if you have a bank of strong, specific words to choose from.

The easiest way to do this is by reading— a lot . Challenge yourself to read new genres and new material, and make a note of any words you’re not familiar with. Then, see if you can incorporate them into your everyday life (in the immortal words of Tai Frasier, “I hope it’s not sporadically!” ). Try to learn a new word every day.

Have a thesaurus to hand

Thesauruses (thesauri?) can be a double-edged writing tool. On the one hand, it can tempt writers to use a bunch of unnecessary words that they simply don’t need (see extraneous verbosity, above); on the other hand, it can be a great way to find just the right word instead of a so-so word that’s kind of okay.

If you’ve reached a pivotal moment in your story and you want to pinpoint exactly how your character is feeling, try reaching for your thesaurus. Instead of “sad,” “bereft,” “disconsolate,” “dispirited,” or “anguished” might be more fitting for your protagonist’s particular moment of woe.

Get editorial feedback

Sometimes, the best way to know you’ve used the right word choice in writing is to get a second pair of eyes. An editor or beta reader can catch any unintentionally misused words or negative connotation and ensure everything comes across with the meaning the author intended. They’ll help you ensure your phrases and sentences flow smoothly and land in an emotionally powerful way.

Using effective words will make you a better writer

Word choice may be a tricky skill to master, but using the right words to get your point across will make a world of difference to the way your writing is perceived. Once you master word choice, you can work towards developing your own unique voice confidentially, succinctly, and accessibly.

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Making the Right Word Choices for Better Writing

by Melissa Donovan | Oct 3, 2023 | Better Writing | 16 comments

Word choice is a critical component of good writing.

Have you ever read a sentence and wondered what it was trying to say? Ever gotten hung up on a word that felt out of place because the meaning of the word didn’t fit the context? When was the last time you spotted a word that was unnecessarily repeated throughout a page, chapter, or book?

There are two sides to any piece of writing. The first is the message, idea, or story. The other side is the craft of stringing words together into sentences and using sentences to build paragraphs. Adept writing flows smoothy and makes sense. Readers shouldn’t have to stop and dissect sentences or get hung up on words that are repetitive or confusing.

Which is why word choice is such an important skill for any writer to possess.

Common Word-Choice Mistakes

The right word can make or break a sentence. If we want our prose to be rich, vibrant, and meaningful, then we need to develop a robust vocabulary. As we write, revise, and proofread, there are plenty of common word-choice mistakes to watch out for. If we can catch those mistakes and fix them, we’ll end up with better writing.

Here are some word-choice to mistakes to watch out for in your writing:

Repetition: When the same words and phrases are repeated in a short space, they act like clichés, becoming tiresome and meaningless. Some words have to be repeated, especially articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. If we’re writing a story set on a submarine, the word submarine (or sub ) will get repeated frequently. That’s to be expected. However, repetitive descriptive words get monotonous. Every girl is pretty , every stride is long , everybody taps their keyboards. The fix: look for words that can be replaced with synonyms or alternative wording and avoid using the same descriptive words over and over again.

Connotation: With all the synonyms available, choosing the right word can be a challenge. Each word has a meaning, but most words also have connotations, which skew the meaning in a particular direction. Connotations are implied or emotional undertones that flavor a word’s meaning. If your character is going home , there is a much different implication than if the character is going to her house . The fix: when choosing synonyms, consider the connotation and emotional flavor of each option.

Precision: The best word choices are specific. One word might be vague and nondescript while another is vivid and descriptive. Consider the following sentences:

He wrote a poem on a piece of paper. He wrote a poem on a sheet of vellum.

The second sentence is more visual because the word choice ( vellum ) is more precise. The fix: whenever possible, choose the most precise word available.

Simplicity: Readers don’t want to have to run to the dictionary to get through a page of your writing, and most don’t appreciate the haughtiness that erudite writing evokes. If you’re writing to a highbrow audience, then by all means, feel free to pontificate, but to reach a wider audience, make your language accessible. The fix: check your text for rare and long words, and if you can replace them with more common or shorter words, do it.

Musicality: Sometimes, word choice comes down to musicality. How does one word sound in your sentence as opposed to another? If you’re trying to choose between words like bin and container , you might make your decision based on which word sounds better in the sentence. The fix: read sentences and paragraphs aloud to see how different words sound.

Thoughtful Word Choices for Better Writing

Whether you agonize over word choice while you’re drafting or during revisions, there are some incredibly useful tools for making word choice a breeze. In addition to using the tools that are at your disposal, consistently working to expand your vocabulary will do wonders for improving your language and word-choice skills:

• The thesaurus and the dictionary are your friends. Use them (especially the thesaurus).
• Read voraciously. Nothing will improve your writing and your vocabulary as well as the simple act of reading.
• Read and write poetry. Poems are full of vivacious words. You’ll develop a knack for word choice and grow a bountiful vocabulary if you study a little poetry.
• Play word games like Scrabble , Scattergories , and Words with Friends , which force you to actively use your vocabulary.
• Sign up for Word of the Day and commit to learning 365 words over the next year.

Have you ever gotten frustrated by reading a book that was peppered with poor word choices? Do you make a conscious effort to use the right words in your writing? How far will you go to find the perfect word for a sentence? Share your thoughts on how thoughtful word choices result in better writing by leaving a comment, and keep writing!

16 Comments

Thanks so much for this article. Though I actually did a few semesters of grad school, I still easily get caught up in several of the traps you mentioned. Nothing like a good guide in front of you to help you out.

Sometimes I get so caught up in writing a scene or conveying a particular message that I forget to think about word choice. That’s why I’m so glad I always get a chance to revise my work.

@Melissa Yes I have read plenty of sentences that I had to read over and over and over again, simply to crack the case of what it was attempting to say. As a reward, this has made me very aware of how critical word choice is. That is why I am so eager to improve my writing skills. In addition to not knowing the basics (what conjunctions and prepositions are), I could really use a lesson or two in word choice, descriptive writing, and an expansion in my vocab. I have supposedly been expanding my vocabulary for a while now, until I realized it could not be done without reading (misunderstanding the syntax and vocab; just to name a few reasons why I absolutely hate reading). So, I began to read, and I find myself hung-up on what I view to be very basic words, and it annoys the crap out of me. I have signed up for the word of the day on dictionary.com, but it seems that it goes through one side of the brain, and right out the other side that doesn’t care to process language. Lol! At the very most, I’ll recall having it as a word of the day, when I see it written in a book somewhere. I will not remember the definition. Strengths: repetition; simplicity; and musicality. Weaknesses: Have never given connotations any consideration. .just the denotative (underlying meaning); and precision (what I like to refer to as descriptive/visual writing). Please help! What are other ways can I expand my vocab and unlock the doors on the cell gate, that holds my creativity in captivity? As some would call it, “I would love to have my ‘creative juices’ flowing.” Thank you, in advance!

My suggestion is to keep a vocabulary journal. Keep reading and when you come across a word you don’t know, write it down in your vocabulary journal along with the definition. Then, once a week or once a month, read through the latest entries. I like word-of-the-day too, but the words are usually rare ones that don’t get used often. My other suggestion is to read poetry. It will do wonders for your vocabulary and learning about the nuances of word choice. Sound and Sense is a bit pricey but it’s my top recommendation for learning words and literary devices. Good luck to you!

This was very helpful and updated, I have two books I use which are also great; Writer’s First Aid By Kristi Holl and On Writing Well by William Zinsser. Both are available at amazon.com; however, I plan on subscribing here right after this post is successfully processed. This is a wonderful tool for all writers searching for ways to improve their craft.

Thanks, Robin, for your book recommendations and for subscribing. Keep writing!

Could I just hug you, Melissa? #HUGSSS

I am grinning WIDE after reading this ah-mazing post! Words seduce, strengthen and stimulate me, and hence I am committed to honing my writing skills.

I do have a Word a Day blog wherein I post an eclectic collection of words – some easy, some hard, some musical, some plain, some common, some uncommon – not every word can be used in our daily lives, but it gives me great joy to share my love for words with everyone!

Thank you so much #HUGS

Much love Kit

Hi Krithika,

Thanks for your kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed this post. Words can be magical and fascinating, and they are the building blocks of our craft, so it’s important for us to embrace them. Keep writing!

This is beautiful. I constantly tell people all the time word economy is one of the most important things in writing. If you can say it in a simpler and more visual manner,your readers will love you for it. I think the importance of the word choice and structure isn’t just about what’s being said but also momentum. People try to make things sound so poetic all the time which either 1) bores the reader if done incorrectly or 2) confuses them. That is why I try to write simple yet powerful sentences by choosing the correct words.

Logan, I agree one hundred percent! Even in poetry, word economy usually leads to a more compelling piece than a lot of excessive, unnecessary language, which only serves to weigh down the text.

There is a word (a single word, not a phrase, not the word diction) that means to agonize over word choice, but I have forgotten this word. Does anyone here know this term. Thank you in advance.

I’m not sure, but you might try Google or the thesaurus.

Great tips! Sharing…

Thanks, Bette!

Melissa, I totally agree with you on this article. Building an extensive vocabulary has had a huge effect on my writing ability. In the beginning stages of my craft, I struggled with finding the right words to enhance the narratives in the stories I wrote. I have to admit that in those days I encountered the most strenuous growing pains ever. Fortunately, those times are no more and I can say that I am grateful for rising to the occasion. Thank you for sharing this post.

You’re welcome, Derrick. I’m glad you found this article worthwhile.

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Word Choice in Academic Writing: Tips to Avoid Common Problems

What is “Word Choice” in Writing?

‘Word Choice” in writing is the usage of effective and precise language that conveys information not just in a functional way, but also to enlighten the reader. Effective word choice examples are the ones that use clichés sparingly, focuses on denotations and connotations, delivers straightforward meaning, avoids jargon, and is not characterized by a wide vocabulary.

Why is “Word Choice” Important in Writing?

As an author, choosing the right words while writing a manuscript is crucial for success. Academic writing, like most other forms of writing, is a series of choices. When it’s time to write, you have to carefully choose words that can clearly express the idea and then decide how you will rearrange those words into phrases, sentences, and even paragraphs. A strong word choice makes it easier for readers to understand the concept. It clarifies, explains, and expands ideas.

While evaluating word choice, it is important to address the concerns that restrict the author from disseminating correct information to the readers.

Some of the most common problems concerning word choice usage include the following:

Misused Words

Sometimes in a haste or out of ignorance, authors tend to use incorrect words. This arises mostly in cases of commonly confused English words .

Example 1: There were averse effects.

Revision 1 : There were adverse effects.

Reason for change : “Averse” means to be disinclined towards something, whereas “adverse” means detrimental.

Example 2: The journal excepted your article for publication.

Revision 2: The journal accepted your article for publication.

Reason for change: “Except” means to exclude something, whereas “accept” is the consent to receive something.

Words with Unwanted Connotations or Meanings

Example 1 : I sprayed the ants in their personal places.

Revision 1: I sprayed the ants in their hiding places.

Reason for change : The first sentence has a double meaning. The second sentence conveys the intended meaning and is completely clear.

Example 2: I want to do something different in my presentation.

Revision 2: I want to do something unique in my presentation.

Reason for change : “Different” mean something other than the regular activities, whereas “unique” implies something completely unusual and unrelated to the regularly presentation practices.

Using Complex Words Instead of Simpler Words

Example 1: “Conventional wisdom” is a relatively new designation .

Revision 1 : “Conventional wisdom” is a relatively new term .

Reason for change : The first sentence uses a complex word, whereas in the second sentence, it is substituted by a simple word with a clear meaning.

Example 2: It was difficult to comprehend .

Revision 2: It was difficult to understand .

Reason for change : The word “comprehend” is substituted by “understand” without changing the meaning of the statement.

Awkward Word Choices

Example 1: Child students’ consciousness for marine education still remains an open research problem for creating a suitable teaching plan.

Revision 1: Consciousness among young students for marine education still remains an open research problem for creating a suitable teaching plan.

Reason for change : The italicized phrase in the first sentence does not read well and lacks clarity to a certain extent, whereas the second is certainly clearer.

Example 2: I came to the realization that the answer is incorrect.

Revision 2: I realized that the answer is incorrect.

Reason for change : Sentence revised to avoid wordiness and provide direct information.

Incorrect Use of Words with Similar Meaning

Example: When discussing the definition of tuberculosis, we should address that physicians are required to quickly identify patients with risks of infection with pathogens.

Revision: When discussing the definition of tuberculosis, we should address that physicians are required to promptly identify patients with risks of infection with pathogens.

Reason for change: The word “quickly” means “rapidly, with speed,” whereas “promptly” means “both soon and quickly,” so the latter is the right word choice in this sentence.

Use of Jargon

Example: The dialectical interface between neo-Platonists and anti-disestablishment Catholics offers an algorithm for deontological thought.

Revision : The dialogue between neo-Platonists and certain Catholic thinkers is a model for deontological thought.

Reason for change: The words “dialectical interface”, “anti-disestablishment” make the sentence wordy and would not be understood by all the readers. The revised statement is a simplified statement to be easily understood by all without compromising its meaning.

Use of Clichés

Example: I am as loose as a goose today.

Revision : I am very relaxed today.

Reason for change: The cliché “loose as a goose” is replaced in the revised version to give direct information in a simpler manner.

Example: I came to the realization that this method won’t work out.

Revision : I realized that this method won’t work out.

Reason for change: The phrase “came to the realization” is replaced by “I realized” to reduce the word count and not hamper the meaning of the sentence.

Choosing Specific Words

Example: Previously, a substantial number of patients with HCAP were defined as having community-acquired pneumonia.

Revision: Previously, a substantial number of patients with HCAP were diagnosed as having community-acquired pneumonia.

Reason for change: The first sentence uses a word that conveys a meaning that is not as accurate as the word in the second sentence (also, from a content perspective, “diagnosed” is the accurate technical term here).

Moving on, word choice in academic writing also involves using words that are shorter and more concise than their lengthier counterparts, even though they mean the same. The table given below lists some such words.

Practice following exercises to improve word choice while writing a manuscript:

So, now you know that when you choose words to express your ideas, you not only have to think about what makes sense and sound the best to you but also what will make sense and sound the best to your audience. Thinking about the reader and their expectations will also help you make better decisions. As word choice is important, reviewing the evaluative modifiers is one way to revise for word choice.

Do follow these tips and choose the right words when writing your manuscript. Here’s to flawless academic writing!

How do you plan on overcoming the challenge of word choice in academic writing? Let us know about your experience while drafting academic papers in the comments section below!

You can also visit our  Q&A forum  for frequently asked questions related to different aspects of research writing and publishing answered by our team that comprises subject-matter experts, eminent researchers, and publication experts.

References:

The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill. Word Choice. Retrieved from http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/word-choice/

Word Usage in Scientific Writing . Retrieved from  http://www.chem.ucla.edu/dept/Faculty/merchant/pdf/Word_Usage_Scientific_Writing.pdf

Statistics Solutions. 5 Literal Word Choices to Improve Your Writing. Retrieved from http://www.statisticssolutions.com/5-literal-word-choices-to-improve-your-writing/

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4.3 Word Choice

Learning objectives.

• Identify the reasons why using a dictionary and thesaurus is important when writing.
• Identify how to use proper connotations.
• Identify how to avoid using slang, clichés, and overly general words in your writing.

Effective writing involves making conscious choices with words. When you prepare to sit down to write your first draft, you likely have already completed some freewriting exercises, chosen your topic, developed your thesis statement, written an outline, and even selected your sources. When it is time to write your first draft, start to consider which words to use to best convey your ideas to the reader.

Some writers are picky about word choice as they start drafting. They may practice some specific strategies, such as using a dictionary and thesaurus, using words and phrases with proper connotations, and avoiding slang, clichés, and overly general words.

Once you understand these tricks of the trade, you can move ahead confidently in writing your assignment. Remember, the skill and accuracy of your word choice is a major factor in developing your writing style. Precise selection of your words will help you be more clearly understood—in both writing and speaking.

Using a Dictionary and Thesaurus

Even professional writers need help with the meanings, spellings, pronunciations, and uses of particular words. In fact, they rely on dictionaries to help them write better. No one knows every word in the English language and their multiple uses and meanings, so all writers, from novices to professionals, can benefit from the use of dictionaries.

Most dictionaries provide the following information:

• Spelling. How the word and its different forms are spelled.
• Pronunciation. How to say the word.
• Part of speech. The function of the word.
• Definition. The meaning of the word.
• Synonyms. Words that have similar meanings.
• Etymology. The history of the word.

Look at the following sample dictionary entry and see which of the preceeding information you can identify:

myth , mith, n. [Gr. mythos , a word, a fable, a legend.] A fable or legend embodying the convictions of a people as to their gods or other divine beings, their own beginnings and early history and the heroes connected with it, or the origin of the world; any invented story; something or someone having no existence in fact.— myth • ic , myth • i • cal

Like a dictionary, a thesaurus is another indispensable writing tool. A thesaurus gives you a list of synonyms, words that have the same (or very close to the same) meaning as another word. It also lists antonyms, words with the opposite meaning of the word. A thesaurus will help you when you are looking for the perfect word with just the right meaning to convey your ideas. It will also help you learn more words and use the ones you already know more correctly.

precocious adj , She’s such a precocious little girl! : uncommonly smart, mature, advanced, smart, bright, brilliant, gifted, quick, clever, apt.

Ant. slow, backward, stupid.

Using Proper Connotations

A denotation is the dictionary definition of a word. A connotation , on the other hand, is the emotional or cultural meaning attached to a word. The connotation of a word can be positive, negative, or neutral. Keep in mind the connotative meaning when choosing a word.

• Denotation: Exceptionally thin and slight or meager in body or size.
• Word used in a sentence: Although he was a premature baby and a scrawny child, Martin has developed into a strong man.
• Connotation: (Negative) In this sentence the word scrawny may have a negative connotation in the readers’ minds. They might find it to mean a weakness or a personal flaw; however, the word fits into the sentence appropriately.
• Denotation: Lacking sufficient flesh, very thin.
• Word used in a sentence: Skinny jeans have become very fashionable in the past couple of years.
• Connotation: (Positive) Based on cultural and personal impressions of what it means to be skinny, the reader may have positive connotations of the word skinny .
• Denotation: Lacking or deficient in flesh; containing little or no fat.
• Word used in a sentence: My brother has a lean figure, whereas I have a more muscular build.
• Connotation: (Neutral) In this sentence, lean has a neutral connotation. It does not call to mind an overly skinny person like the word scrawny , nor does imply the positive cultural impressions of the word skinny . It is merely a neutral descriptive word.

Notice that all the words have a very similar denotation; however, the connotations of each word differ.

In each of the following items, you will find words with similar denotations. Identify the words’ connotations as positive, negative, or neutral by writing the word in the appropriate box. Copy the chart onto your own piece of paper.

• curious, nosy, interested
• lazy, relaxed, slow
• courageous, foolhardy, assured
• new, newfangled, modern
• mansion, shack, residence
• spinster, unmarried woman, career woman
• giggle, laugh, cackle
• boring, routine, prosaic
• noted, notorious, famous
• assertive, confident, pushy

Avoiding Slang

Slang describes informal words that are considered nonstandard English. Slang often changes with passing fads and may be used by or familiar to only a specific group of people. Most people use slang when they speak and in personal correspondences, such as e-mails, text messages, and instant messages. Slang is appropriate between friends in an informal context but should be avoided in formal academic writing.

Writing at Work

Frequent exposure to media and popular culture has desensitized many of us to slang. In certain situations, using slang at work may not be problematic, but keep in mind that words can have a powerful effect. Slang in professional e-mails or during meetings may convey the wrong message or even mistakenly offend someone.

Edit the following paragraph by replacing the slang words and phrases with more formal language. Rewrite the paragraph on your own sheet of paper.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Avoiding Clichés

Clichés are descriptive expressions that have lost their effectiveness because they are overused. Writing that uses clichés often suffers from a lack of originality and insight. Avoiding clichés in formal writing will help you write in original and fresh ways.

• Clichéd: Whenever my brother and I get into an argument, he always says something that makes my blood boil .
• Plain: Whenever my brother and I get into an argument, he always says something that makes me really angry.
• Original: Whenever my brother and I get into an argument, he always says something that makes me want to go to the gym and punch the bag for a few hours.

Think about all the cliché phrases that you hear in popular music or in everyday conversation. What would happen if these clichés were transformed into something unique?

On your own sheet of paper, revise the following sentences by replacing the clichés with fresh, original descriptions.

• She is writing a memoir in which she will air her family’s dirty laundry.
• Fran had an ax to grind with Benny, and she planned to confront him that night at the party.
• Mr. Muller was at his wit’s end with the rowdy class of seventh graders.
• The bottom line is that Greg was fired because he missed too many days of work.
• Sometimes it is hard to make ends meet with just one paycheck.
• My brain is fried from pulling an all-nighter.
• Maria left the dishes in the sink all week to give Jeff a taste of his own medicine.
• While they were at the carnival Janice exclaimed, “Time sure does fly when you are having fun!”
• Jeremy became tongue-tied after the interviewer asked him where he saw himself in five years.
• Jordan was dressed to the nines that night.

Avoiding Overly General Words

Specific words and images make your writing more interesting to read. Whenever possible, avoid overly general words in your writing; instead, try to replace general language with particular nouns, verbs, and modifiers that convey details and that bring yours words to life. Add words that provide color, texture, sound, and even smell to your writing.

• General: My new puppy is cute.
• Specific: My new puppy is a ball of white fuzz with the biggest black eyes I have ever seen.
• General: My teacher told us that plagiarism is bad.
• Specific: My teacher, Ms. Atwater, created a presentation detailing exactly how plagiarism is illegal and unethical.

Revise the following sentences by replacing the overly general words with more precise and attractive language. Write the new sentences on your own sheet of paper.

• Reilly got into her car and drove off.
• I would like to travel to outer space because it would be amazing.
• Jane came home after a bad day at the office.
• I thought Milo’s essay was fascinating.
• The dog walked up the street.
• The coal miners were tired after a long day.
• The tropical fish are pretty.
• I sweat a lot after running.
• The goalie blocked the shot.
• I enjoyed my Mexican meal.

Key Takeaways

• Using a dictionary and thesaurus as you write will improve your writing by improving your word choice.
• Connotations of words may be positive, neutral, or negative.
• Slang, clichés, and overly general words should be avoided in academic writing.

Writing Application

Review a piece of writing that you have completed for school. Circle any sentences with slang, clichés, or overly general words and rewrite them using stronger language.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

ENGL001: English Composition I

Word choice.

Read this article about word choice.

What this Handout is About

This handout can help you revise your papers for word-level clarity, eliminate wordiness and avoid clichés, find the words that best express your ideas, and choose words that suit an academic audience.

Introduction

Writing is a series of choices. As you work on a paper, you choose your topic, your approach, your sources, and your thesis; when it is time to write, you have to choose the words you will use to express your ideas and decide how you will arrange those words into sentences and paragraphs. As you revise your draft, you make more choices.

You might ask yourself, "Is this really what I mean?" or "Will readers understand this?" or "Does this sound good?" Finding words that capture your meaning and convey that meaning to your readers is challenging. When your instructors write things like "awkward", vague", or "wordy" on your draft, they are letting you know that they want you to work on word choice. This handout will explain some common issues related to word choice and give you strategies for choosing the best words as you revise your drafts.

As you read further into the handout, keep in mind that it can sometimes take more time to "save" words from your original sentence than to write a brand new sentence to convey the same meaning or idea. Do not be too attached to what you have already written; if you are willing to start a sentence fresh, you may be able to choose words with greater clarity.

Awkward, Vague and Unclear Word Choice

So: you write a paper that makes perfect sense to you, but it comes back with "awkward" scribbled throughout the margins. Why, you wonder, are instructors so fond of terms like "awkward"? Most instructors use terms like this to draw your attention to sentences they had trouble understanding and to encourage you to rewrite those sentences more clearly.

Difficulties with word choice are not the only cause of awkwardness, vagueness, or other problems with clarity. Sometimes a sentence is hard to follow because there is a grammatical problem with it or because of the syntax (the way the words and phrases are put together). Here is an example: "Having finished with studying, the pizza was quickly eaten."

This sentence is not hard to understand because of the words I chose – everybody knows what studying, pizza, and eating are. The problem here is that readers will naturally assume that first bit of the sentence "(Having finished with studying") goes with the next noun that follows it – which, in this case, is "the pizza"! It does not make a lot of sense to imply that the pizza was studying. What I was actually trying to express was something more like this: "Having finished with studying, the students quickly ate the pizza." If you have a sentence that has been marked "awkward", "vague", or "unclear", try to think about it from a reader's point of view – see if you can tell where it changes direction or leaves out important information.

Sometimes, though, problems with clarity are a matter of word choice. See if you recognize any of these issues:

• Misused words – the word does not actually mean what the writer thinks it does. Example : Cree Indians were a monotonous culture until French and British settlers arrived. Revision : Cree Indians were a homogenous culture.
• Words with unwanted connotations or meanings . Example : I sprayed the ants in their private places. Revision : I sprayed the ants in their hiding places.
• Using a pronoun when readers cannot tell whom/what it refers to . Example : My cousin Jake hugged my brother Trey, even though he did not like him very much. Revision : My cousin Jake hugged my brother Trey, even though Jake does not like Trey very much.
• Jargon or technical terms that make readers work unnecessarily hard. Maybe you need to use some of these words because they are important terms in your field, but do not throw them in just to "sound smart". Example : The dialectical interface between neo-Platonists and anti-disestablishment Catholics offers an algorithm for deontological thought. Revision : The dialogue between neo-Platonists and certain Catholic thinkers is a model for deontological thought.
• Loaded language . Sometimes we as writers know what we mean by a certain word, but we have not ever spelled that out for readers. We rely too heavily on that word, perhaps repeating it often, without clarifying what we are talking about. Example : Society teaches young girls that beauty is their most important quality. In order to prevent eating disorders and other health problems, we must change society. Revision : Contemporary American popular media, like magazines and movies, teach young girls that beauty is their most important quality. In order to prevent eating disorders and other health problems, we must change the images and role models girls are offered.

Sometimes the problem is not choosing exactly the right word to express an idea – it is being "wordy", or using words that your reader may regard as "extra" or inefficient. Take a look at the following list for some examples. On the left are some phrases that use three, four, or more words where fewer will do; on the right are some shorter substitutes:

Keep an eye out for wordy constructions in your writing and see if you can replace them with more concise words or phrases.

In academic writing, it is a good idea to limit your use of clichés. Clichés are catchy little phrases so frequently used that they have become trite, corny, or annoying. They are problematic because their overuse has diminished their impact and because they require several words where just one would do.

The main way to avoid clichés is first to recognize them and then to create shorter, fresher equivalents. Ask yourself if there is one word that means the same thing as the cliché. If there is not, can you use two or three words to state the idea your own way? Below you will see five common clichés, with some alternatives to their right. As a challenge, see how many alternatives you can create for the final two examples.

Try these yourself:

Writing for an Academic Audience

When you choose words to express your ideas, you have to think not only about what makes sense and sounds best to you, but what will make sense and sound best to your readers. Thinking about your audience and their expectations will help you make decisions about word choice.

Some writers think that academic audiences expect them to "sound smart" by using big or technical words. But the most important goal of academic writing is not to sound smart – it is to communicate an argument or information clearly and convincingly. It is true that academic writing has a certain style of its own and that you, as a student, are beginning to learn to read and write in that style.

You may find yourself using words and grammatical constructions that you did not use in your high school writing. The danger is that if you consciously set out to "sound smart" and use words or structures that are very unfamiliar to you, you may produce sentences that your readers cannot understand.

When writing for your professors, think simplicity. Using simple words does not indicate simple thoughts. In an academic argument paper, what makes the thesis and argument sophisticated are the connections presented in simple, clear language.

Keep in mind, though, that simple and clear does not necessarily mean casual. Most instructors will not be pleased if your paper looks like an instant message or an email to a friend. It is usually best to avoid slang and colloquialisms. Take a look at this example and ask yourself how a professor would probably respond to it if it were the thesis statement of a paper: " Moulin Rouge really bit because the singing sucked and the costume colors were nasty, KWIM?"

Selecting and Using Key Terms

When writing academic papers, it is often helpful to find key terms and use them within your paper as well as in your thesis. This section comments on the crucial difference between repetition and redundancy of terms and works through an example of using key terms in a thesis statement.

Repetition vs. Redundancy

These two phenomena are not necessarily the same. Repetition can be a good thing. Sometimes we have to use our key terms several times within a paper, especially in topic sentences. Sometimes there is simply no substitute for the key terms, and selecting a weaker term as a synonym can do more harm than good. Repeating key terms emphasizes important points and signals to the reader that the argument is still being supported. This kind of repetition can give your paper cohesion and is done by conscious choice.

In contrast, if you find yourself frustrated, tiredly repeating the same nouns, verbs, or adjectives, or making the same point over and over, you are probably being redundant. In this case, you are swimming aimlessly around the same points because you have not decided what your argument really is or because you are truly fatigued and clarity escapes you. Refer to the "Strategies" section below for ideas on revising for redundancy.

Building Clear Thesis Statements

Writing clear sentences is important throughout your writing. For the purposes of this handout, let's focus on the thesis statement – one of the most important sentences in academic argument papers. You can apply these ideas to other sentences in your papers.

A common problem with writing good thesis statements is finding the words that best capture both the important elements and the significance of the essay's argument. It is not always easy to condense several paragraphs or several pages into concise key terms that, when combined in one sentence, can effectively describe the argument.

However, taking the time to find the right words offers writers a significant edge. Concise and appropriate terms will help both the writer and the reader keep track of what the essay will show and how it will show it. Graders, in particular, like to see clearly stated thesis statements.

Example : You have been assigned to write an essay that contrasts the river and shore scenes in Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn . You work on it for several days, producing three versions of your thesis:

Version 1: There are many important river and shore scenes in Huckleberry Finn.  Version 2: The contrasting river and shore scenes in Huckleberry Finn suggest a return to nature.  Version 3: Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain's Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave "civilized" society and go back to nature.

Let's consider the word choice issues in these statements. In Version 1, the word "important" – like "interesting" – is both overused and vague; it suggests that the author has an opinion but gives very little indication about the framework of that opinion. As a result, your reader knows only that you are going to talk about river and shore scenes, but not what you are going to say. Version 2 is an improvement: the words "return to nature" give your reader a better idea where the paper is headed. On the other hand, she still does not know how this return to nature is crucial to your understanding of the novel.

Finally, you come up with Version 3, which is a stronger thesis because it offers a sophisticated argument and the key terms used to make this argument are clear. At least three key terms or concepts are evident: the contrast between river and shore scenes, a return to nature, and American democratic ideals.

By itself, a key term is merely a topic – an element of the argument but not the argument itself. The argument, then, becomes clear to the reader through the way in which you combine key terms.

Strategies for Successful Word Choice

• Be careful when using words you are unfamiliar with. Look at how they are used in context and check their dictionary definitions.
• Be careful when using the thesaurus. Each word listed as a synonym for the word you are looking up may have its own unique connotations or shades of meaning. Use a dictionary to be sure the synonym you are considering really fits what you are trying to say.
• Under the present conditions of our society, marriage practices generally demonstrate a high degree of homogeneity.
• In our culture, people tend to marry others who are like themselves. (Longman, p. 452)
• Before you revise for accurate and strong adjectives, make sure you are first using accurate and strong nouns and verbs. For example, if you were revising the sentence "This is a good book that tells about the Civil War", think about whether "book" and "tells" are as strong as they could be before you worry about "good". (A stronger sentence might read "The novel describes the experiences of a Confederate soldier during the Civil War." "Novel" tells us what kind of book it is, and "describes" tells us more about how the book communicates information.)
• Try the slash/option technique, which is like brainstorming as you write. When you get stuck, write out two or more choices for a questionable word or a confusing sentence, e.g., "questionable/inaccurate/vague/inappropriate". Pick the word that best indicates your meaning or combine different terms to say what you mean.
• Look for repetition. When you find it, decide if it is "good" repetition (using key terms that are crucial and helpful to meaning) or "bad" repetition (redundancy or laziness in reusing words).

Whenever we write a sentence we make choices. Some are less obvious than others, so that it can often feel like we have written the sentence the only way we know how. By writing out five different versions of your thesis, you can begin to see your range of choices. The final version may be a combination of phrasings and words from all five versions, or the one version that says it best. By literally spelling out some possibilities for yourself, you will be able to make better decisions.

• Read your paper out loud and at… a… slow… pace. You can do this alone or with a friend, roommate, TA, etc. When read out loud, your written words should make sense to both you and other listeners. If a sentence seems confusing, rewrite it to make the meaning clear.
• Instead of reading the paper itself, put it down and just talk through your argument as concisely as you can. If your listener quickly and easily comprehends your essay's main point and significance, you should then make sure that your written words are as clear as your oral presentation was. If, on the other hand, your listener keeps asking for clarification, you will need to work on finding the right terms for your essay. If you do this in exchange with a friend or classmate, rest assured that whether you are the talker or the listener, your articulation skills will develop.
• Have someone not familiar with the issue read the paper and point out words or sentences he/she finds confusing. Do not brush off this reader's confusion by assuming he or she simply does not know enough about the topic. Instead, rewrite the sentences so that your "outsider" reader can follow along at all times.

Questions to Ask Yourself

• Am I sure what each word I use really means? Am I positive, or should I look it up?
• Have I found the best word or just settled for the most obvious, or the easiest, one?
• Am I trying too hard to impress my reader?
• What is the easiest way to write this sentence? (Sometimes it helps to answer this question by trying it out loud. How would you say it to someone?)
• What are the key terms of my argument?
• Can I outline out my argument using only these key terms? What others do I need? Which do I not need?
• Have I created my own terms, or have I simply borrowed what looked like key ones from the assignment? If I have borrowed the terms, can I find better ones in my own vocabulary, the texts, my notes, the dictionary, or the thesaurus to make myself clearer?
• Are my key terms too specific? (Do they cover the entire range of my argument?) Can I think of specific examples from my sources that fall under the key term?
• Are my key terms too vague? (Do they cover more than the range of my argument?)

Works Consulted and Additional Resources

We consulted these works while writing the original version of this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout's topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find the latest publications on this topic. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using.

The American Heritage Book of English Usage: A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English (Boston: Houghton, 1996).

Anson, Chris M. and Robert A. Schwegler. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers, 2nd ed. (New York: Addison, 2001).

Grossman, Ellie. The Grammatically Correct Handbook: A Lively and Unorthodox Review of Common English for the Linguistically Challenged (New York: Hyperion, 1997).

Cook, Claire Kehrwald. Line by Line: How to Improve Your Own Writing (Boston: Houghton, 1985).

O'Conner, Patricia C. Woe is I: The Grammar Phobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English (New York: Putnam, 1996).

Tarshis, Barry. How to be Your Own Best Editor The Toolkit for Everyone Who Writes (New York: Three Rivers P, 1998).

Williams, Joseph. Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace, 6th ed. (New York, Addison, 2001).

• UP Textbook Guide
• The Writing Process
• Addressing the Prompt
• Originality
• Timed Writing (Expectations)
• Integrated Writing (Writing Process)
• Shape and Organization
• A Shifting Structure
• Introductions
• Body Paragraphs
• Conclusions
• Reference Page
• Example Essay
• Timed Writing (Revising)
• Integrated Writing (TOEFL Task 1)
• Descriptive Writing
• Alternative Project: Creative Writing
• Example Descriptive Writing

Skill: Word Choice

• Sources: Quoting
• Revise Descriptive Writing
• Timed Writing (Word Choice)
• Integrated Writing (TOEFL 2)
• Personal Statements
• Alternative Project: Formal Emails
• Example Personal Statement
• Types of Personal Statements
• Organization For Comprehensive Personal Statement
• Organization for Prompted Personal Statement
• Skill: Development
• Revise a Personal Statement
• Timed Writing (Audience & Register)
• Integrated Writing (Audience & Register)
• Problem-Solution Writing
• Alternative Project: Reviews
• Example Problem-Solution Writing
• Skill: Unity
• Sources: Summarizing
• Revise Problem-Solution Writing
• Timed Writing (The Prompt)
• Integrated Writing (Paraphrasing)
• Persuasive Essays
• Alternative Project: Reflections
• Example Persuasive Writing
• Skill: Cohesion
• Sources: Paraphrasing
• Revise an Persuasive Essay
• Timed Writing (Scope & Scale)
• Integrated Writing (Content)
• Appendix A: Sentence Variety
• Simple Sentences
• Compound Sentences
• Complex Sentences Part 1
• Complex Sentences Part 2
• Compound-Complex Sentences
• Appendix B: Using Sources
• Finding Sources
• In-text Citations
• More about Reference Pages
• Translations

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Because descriptive writing is characterized by detailed and interesting illustrations, word choice is a very important writing skill for this type of writing. For this writing practice, we will focus on incorporating new and more specific words to emphasize your meaning.

A challenge with introducing new vocabulary into your writing is appropriately including a new word into a sentence. There are three important parts of word knowledge to consider before including the word: part of speech, connotations vs definitions, and collocations.

Think of how in the fictional books you read in English the word said might be replaced with  yelled, cried, declared, insisted, whimpered, or stated . Although at the core these words are all used as verbs for speaking, they carry extra meaning that gives more information to the reader than a simple  said .

Be aware that some vocabulary may also have an expression (phrase) that could be used instead of a single word. For example, someone may say  tired or  exhausted, but the expression  I'm beat or I'm worn out or I'm spent also mean the same thing. 

One step that may be helpful is making a list of adjectives and adverbs that more accurately describe the person and their impact on others. A thesaurus is a great place to look for synonyms:

• https://edtechbooks.org/-xJIdG  
• https://www.thesaurus.com/  

Part of Speech

Most of the words you encounter when looking for synonyms or translating words from your first language will be in the same part of speech : noun, verb, adjective, adverb etc. However, it is possible that you will find a word that changes to a different word form. 

Now that you've practiced looking at descriptive words and synonyms in isolation, you need to start thinking about how the words are actually used in sentences. 

As mentioned in the previous exercise, it is important to check that the part of speech of your synonym is the same. This is the first step to knowing how to include it in a new sentence.

Sometimes, a synonym that uses a different part of speech is the best word for the job. Other times, you may find that the sentence you want to write would be most clear if you change the form of the word on your list.

Same Part of Speech: 

(Less descriptive) We bought an inexpensive car. 

(More descriptive) We bought a cheap car.  

Different Part of Speech:

(Less descriptive) We bought an inexpensive car.

(More descriptive) We bought a car at a discount . 

(More descriptive) *The car is competitively priced . 

*You may also use a phrase instead of a single word if it is more descriptive. 

Connotation

The word synonym can be deceptive. As mentioned with the word  said , a synonym can add meaning. Sometimes this additional meaning, or connotation , is clear in the definition.

• For example, the additional meaning of insist  compared to  said is directly explained in the definition: to demand something forcefully.
• Take a look at the dictionary definitions of the words said and  state . In this case, the difference is not as obvious.

Connotations and Culture

An important note is that connotation is largely determined by culture. A direct translation of a word can often lose an intended connotation or gain one accidentally. An example of this can be seen within the general culture of the United States with words like  fat , chubby , skinny , or slim . While the dictionary definition of these words may simply describe the physical shape of a person, there is often a cultural connotation to such descriptions that could be seen as offensive. 

When the dictionary does not provide enough information to know the connotation of a new word, the additional meaning can often be found by viewing example sentences. Look at the example sentences below for  said and  state . Can you recognize a difference in meaning now?

• He said he will be home at 8.
• He stated his full address.

After looking at a few additional example sentences, you may come to the conclusion that  state has an additional level of formality, usually used to talk about speaking in an official way.

The Grammar of Vocabulary

In addition to knowing the part of speech and full meaning of a word, you will need to be aware of any grammar patterns that are connected to that word. The part of speech is one step in this direction, but it does not give you the full information about how the word is commonly included in actual written English. 

A  collocation is a word that frequently occurs together with a target vocabulary word. Likely as you have memorized verbs, you will have noticed that there is a particular preposition that goes with it.

• For example: decide to/on, depend on, come from, or laugh about

There are also times that a collocation (particularly a preposition or adverb) can create a phrasal verb. A phrasal verb creates a completely new meaning when the words are found together.

• For example:  turn on, get out, take off, move in, go through , or drop out of

Because a collocation can either be required to complete the grammatical unit or can signal a change in meaning, it is important to look for clues about a new vocabulary word before trying to include it in a sentence. 

Word Choice Review

Throughout this chapter of the textbook, you have looked at how to select vocabulary that provides more specific detail than the low-hanging fruit* of the most common words of English. As you write your short descriptive essay, pay special attention to the words you choose. Is the meaning clear and direct? Is the word form used appropriately for the grammar of your sentence? Have you checked to ensure any new vocabulary words match the intended meaning?

*Low-hanging fruit: obvious or easy choice or action

Descriptive Writing Tip

As a final note, it is important to remember that at the college level, your writing will have a main purpose other than to describe. The description adds to the overall impact of your writing, but there is such thing as too much description. Be careful not to overwhelm your reader with so much description that your actual purpose is lost.

Since the purpose of this essay is to isolate the language skills needed for descriptive writing, you do not need to worry too much about this here. However, look carefully at the feedback you receive from the teacher. Are there supporting ideas that are overdescribed? Are there additional places where descriptions would enhance the writing?

Exercise 1: Synonyms

Make a list of words that could replace each word below. Try to choose more descriptive words that could replace each word.  

Exercise 2: Vocabulary List

Make a list of vocabulary that would be useful in describing the event you are writing about. Along with the list of words you already know, try making a new vocabulary list of synonyms that you can try to include in your writing. 

pretty: cute, beautiful, georgeous, mesmerizing, enchanting, pleasing, appealing, attractive.

Exercise 3: Synonyms and Part of Speech

Part A:  Practice making synonyms with the following words. Use a thesaurus to find a more descriptive synonym. Then use a dictionary to check its part of speech. Write a descriptive synonym for each word with the same part of speech. The first word has been done for you as an example.

Notice how some words have different meanings in different parts of speech like “share” the verb meaning to give to many people and “share” the noun meaning a part of a company or business. When you look for a synonym, make sure the part of speech and that the meanings are the same.

Exercise 4: Synonyms in Sentences

Practice using the synonyms you found iin the previous exercise in sentences. Rewrite the sentences below to use the synonyms you found. You may need to change the word order of the sentence or give more context to specify which meaning of the synonym you are using. Two examples have been done for you.

Example: The decor at the restaurant was very pretty . The decor at the restaurant was very charming . 

Example: Albert Einstein was very smart . *Albert Einstein was very quick ; his genius was well-known. 

*More context was needed to clarify that the meaning of "quick" here was intelligent, not physically fast-moving. 

1. The girl walking down the street was pretty .

2. The new robotics team created a very  smart  machine that cleans your room for you.

3. I share  my food with my significant other when they are hungry. 

4. The chef made a cake in the oven. 

5. He easily completed the assignment for his boss. 

6. She happily played the violin during her performance. 

Exercise 5: Changing part of speech

Practice changing the synonym you chose in the previous exercise to a different part of speech. This will let it be used in a different way in a sentence. If the synonym you chose in the previous exercise does not keep the same meaning when it changes the part of speech, then choose a new synonym word with a different part of speech. The first word has been done for you as an example.

Exercise 6: Original Sentence

Write your own original sentence for each synonym you chose in the previous exercise. Try to use it in the sentence with the new part of speech. The first word has been done for you as an example. 

Example: The charm  from the girls' smile enchanted the boys.

Exercise 7: Recognizing connotation

1. Consider the connotations of the underlined words below. How does the meaning shift? Does the dictionary definition clearly show you the difference in use?

• The pants were made of a cheap material and were unusable after one use.
• The pants were affordable and so buying them was within my budget.
• The pants were so  inexpensive ! They were a steal* at that price! 

2. Now check the connotations and definition differences between the provided synonyms and a synonym of your choice. How does the meaning shift? Does the dictionary definition clearly show you the difference in use?

• pretty,   charming, and ____
• share,   bestow, and ____
• easy,   effortless, and ____

*This expression is used for when something is so inexpensive that it feels like you didn't have to pay for them

Exercise 8: Connotation Sentences

Read the words below. They have similar dictionary definitions but different connotations. Write a sentence for each word in the pair that demonstrates your understanding of the differences in meaning.

My daughter is very curious and always looks out the window.

My coworker is so nosy and is always sharing gossip with anyone who will listen.

1. curious , nosy

2. guest , visitor

3. picky , selective

4. persistent , stubborn

5. childish , childlike

Exercise 9: Collocations

• catch + noun
• give + preposition
• ask + preposition
• keep + noun
• get + adjective 
• hold :  hold on and hold up
• fight : fight over and fight for
• pay : pay off and pay up
• hang : hang out and hang up
• get : get back at and get back to

Exercise 10: Collocation sentences

• Write a sentence for each of the 5 collocates from question 1 in Exercise 5.
• Write a sentence for 5 of the phrasal verbs from question 2 in Exercise 5.

Exercise 11: Different Words. Same Meaning.

You may use synonyms to rephrase (paraphrase) information from a source in your own words. A paraphrase uses different words and grammar to keep the same meaning as the original. Consider the paraphrases below. Choose the best paraphrase for each original quote:

1. "It ripped through every economic level, race, religion, and culture" (Graf, 2018, "World War II," para. 1). 

• It tore through all economic levels, races, religious groups, and cultures (Graf, 2018).
• It affected everybody. (Graf, 2018).
• There was no economic, racial, religious or cultural group that was unaffected by it (Graf, 2018).
• No groups (racial, cultural, or otherwise) wanted to touch it (Graf, 2018).

2. "The Renaissance gave us new light, pushing aside the Dark Ages when man was directed by superstition and fear" (Graf, 2018, "The Renaissance," para. 1).

• Superstitious beliefs and fear drove man in the Dark Ages, but were replaced by new light during the Renaissance (Graf, 2018).
• The Renaissance pushed aside the Dark Ages because of superstition and fear (Graf, 2018).
• The Renaissance was pushy because the Dark Ages were a difficult time of fear and superstitious directions (Graf, 2018).
• The Renaissance brought light to the Dark Ages when man was directed by superstition and fear (Graf, 2018).

Exercise 12: Write a body paragraph

The partial outline below includes a topic sentence, some developing questions, and some research (quotes and paraphrases). Use the information to create a body paragraph. This body paragraph would be part of an essay about the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Your paragraph should include rich description through word choice. 

Topic sentence: The 1906 earthquake was devastating.

• Q: How did the earthquake cause devastation?
• "In the public's mind, this earthquake is perhaps remembered most for the fire it spawned in San Francisco, giving it the somewhat misleading appellation of the "San Francisco earthquake". Shaking damage, however, was equally severe in many other places along the fault rupture" (USGS, n.d., para. 3).
• Q: What did the devastation include?
• "The frequently quoted value of 700 deaths caused by the earthquake and fire is now believed to underestimate the total loss of life by a factor of 3 or 4. Most of the fatalities occurred in San Francisco, and 189 were reported elsewhere" (USGS, n.d., para. 3).
• Deaths were estimated much lower originally than after further research; now the estimate is around 3,000 people. (USGS, n.d.)
• Over half of the city's residents were homeless (USGS, n.d.).

This content is provided to you freely by BYU Open Learning Network.

Access it online or download it at https://open.byu.edu/up_writing_fall/descriptive_writing .

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Word Choice Problems: How to Use The Right Words in Academic Writing 

Researchers and scholars must pay considerable attention to the choice of words in academic writing. Academic writing is characterized by its focus on accurately reporting new ideas and discoveries, which are then used to build new research and knowledge. Any unintended errors in phrasing can mislead or confuse readers, limiting the effectiveness and impact of the research. Therefore, students and researchers must choose and use the right words and phrases to convey their ideas correctly in academic writing.  

Problems resulting from the use of wrong words

Non-native English speakers or those just starting their academic writing journey often face challenges in phrasing their ideas appropriately. Using incorrect words can lead to several problems when it comes to academic writing because of it:  

• Fails to communicate effectively.  The purpose of a research report is to convey the research accurately and precisely, allowing others to replicate or reproduce experiments effectively. Incorrect word choice can be misleading or confusing for readers, weakening the message you want to convey. For example, the use of “affect” instead of “effect”, “assure” instead of “ensure”, and so on. This raises questions about your abilities as an author, often implying a lack of effort in refining the manuscript. 
• Confuses readers:  In using the wrong words, readers fail to understand what you intend to convey. For example, the misuse of some words can completely change the meaning of the sentence. These include confusing words such as “principal” and “principle” or “complement” and “compliment”. 
• Sets a wrong academic tone:  Word choice affects the tone of your academic writing, which must be formal and direct. It should also be factual and objective, free from personal opinions.  
• Use of clichés:  If word choices are not given due attention, there is the possibility of the use of informal language and clichés, which do not conform to academic writing conventions. The use of clichés in your writing conveys that you lack originality, which affects the quality and credibility of your research. 
• Repetition:  Repetition of words and ideas can be distracting for the reader. Check for repetitions and eliminate superfluous words. 

Tips to help authors identify if they have used the wrong words

As an author, it can be challenging to identify if you have used the wrong words in your writing. It’s essential to ensure that the words you use convey the intended meaning and avoid confusion. Here are some tips to help you improve the clarity and effectiveness of your writing.

• Many word processors underline incorrect words and suggest the right ones. However, these are unlikely to be able to point out the best choice of words for academic writing.  
• When proofreading your paper, ask yourself if the words used to convey your meaning clearly or if you have chosen words to impress readers, which can be interpreted differently based on audience understanding. While you need to integrate research terminology in your writing, refrain from using jargon, slang, and region-specific terms.  
• Check for repetition of words or phrases in your writing and replace these with carefully considered synonyms. Make sure the synonyms you select fit the context of your writing; check and replace vague words with strong ones that best convey your message.  
• Reading your writing out loud can help you identify words or phrases that seem out of place or have multiple meanings. Remember that the writing has to make sense to you because that’s how your audience is likely to read and perceive your work. If the sentences sound vague, you need to rewrite them to make it clear. 
• The comments from reviewers and others editing your work will help you identify vague, repetitive, and cliché words.  

Mistakes to avoid in word choice in academic writing

Academic writing requires precision in word choice to convey ideas accurately and effectively. However, it’s easy to make mistakes that can undermine the writer’s credibility and clarity of thought. Let’s explore some common mistakes to avoid in word choice when writing academically.

• Avoid using double negatives and instead write affirmative sentences. An example of a double negative is, “This technique is not uncommon”. You can instead write, “This technique is common”. 
• Jargon and slang should be avoided in academic writing. Develop your skills in using accurate and precise words and expressions. Some examples of words to avoid are “if and when,” “in the foreseeable future,” “in the long run,” “as a last resort,” “it stands to reason,” and “easier said than done.” 
• Use short, concise sentences, as wordiness can confuse the readers. Try to avoid wordy phrases such as “It may be said that” or “It is worth mentioning at this point that” and so on. You could use single words instead of phrases. For example, replacing:  

“despite the fact that” with “although.” 

“It appears that” with “apparently.” 

“fewer in number” with “fewer” 

“in the near future” with “soon.” 

• Avoid using contractions such as “isn’t” or “wouldn’t” instead of “is not?” or “would not?” as these are frowned upon in academic writing. 
• Many writing style guides recommend using gender-neutral language that does not conform to stereotypical and obsolete gender roles. For example, use “human” instead of “man,” “personnel,” “workforce,” or “staff” instead of “manpower.” 

Choosing the right words is crucial to writing effectively in an academic setting. Keep these common mistakes in mind and use resources like dictionaries and style guides to improve your writing and ensure that your ideas are communicated with clarity and precision.

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• Walden University
• Faculty Portal

Scholarly Voice: Word Choice (Diction)

Introduction.

When writing for faculty and your peers at Walden, you will be addressing a formal audience and you will want to use scholarly language. This means you should use simple and concise language, and eliminate unnecessary information. According to APA (2020), "Say only what needs to be said in your writing" (p. 113).

Tips on Word Choice

• Avoid casual language . Eliminate contractions ("can't," "won't"), metaphors or figures of speech ("her writing was as clear as mud"), slang expressions or cliche phrases ("she'll get over it"), and excessive use of adjectives and qualifiers ("very," "major").
• Use personal pronouns carefully ("you," "we," "us," "our"). Generally, you also want to avoid using the personal "I" in an academic paper unless you are writing a reflection paper or are referring to research that you have conducted.
• Use shorter sentences . Do not use big words for the sake of sounding scholarly (i.e., "The individuals utilized their writing utensils in order to complete the learning tools in the learning institution"). It would be easier to instead write, "The students used pencils to fill out the answers on the test at school."
• Be consistent with your labels. Call people what they want to be called. Use gender inclusive language ("police officer " rather than "policeman"). Avoid placing gender identifiers in front of nouns ("male nurse ," "female doctor").

Word Choice (Diction) Video

Note that this video was created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

• Engaging Writing: Avoiding Casual Language (video transcript)

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Choice and Arrangement of Words for Achieving Emphasis

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The simplest way to emphasize something is to tell readers directly that what follows is important by using such words and phrases as especially , particularly , crucially , most importantly , and above all .

Emphasis by repetition of key words can be especially effective in a series, as in the following example.

See your good times come to color in minutes: pictures protected by an elegant finish, pictures you can take with an instant flash, pictures that can be made into beautiful enlargements.

When a pattern is established through repetition and then broken, the varied part will be emphasized, as in the following example.

Murtz Rent-a-car is first in reliability, first in service, and last in customer complaints.

Besides disrupting an expectation set up by the context, you can also emphasize part of a sentence by departing from the basic structural patterns of the language. The inversion of the standard subject-verb-object pattern in the first sentence below into an object-subject-verb pattern in the second places emphasis on the out-of-sequence term, fifty dollars .

I'd make fifty dollars in just two hours on a busy night at the restaurant.

Fifty dollars I'd make in just two hours on a busy night at the restaurant.

The initial and terminal positions of sentences are inherently more emphatic than the middle segment. Likewise, the main clause of a complex sentence receives more emphasis than subordinate clauses. Therefore, you should put words that you wish to emphasize near the beginnings and endings of sentences and should never bury important elements in subordinate clauses. Consider the following example.

No one can deny that the computer has had a great effect upon the business world.

Undeniably, the effect of the computer upon the business world has been great.

In the first version of this sentence, "No one can deny" and "on the business world" are in the most emphasized positions. In addition, the writer has embedded the most important ideas in a subordinate clause: "that the computer has had a great effect." The edited version places the most important ideas in the main clause and in the initial and terminal slots of the sentence, creating a more engaging prose style.