Six Types of Words That You Should Axe in Business Writing

by asian, Oct 3, 2007

Ways to improve your business writings.

In business, we often compose messages in a hurry-e-mails, notes, urgent reports, or last-minute projects. Editing is, therefore, especially necessary to rid your writing of confusing, boring, and obsolete elements.

This article helps you decide which words to cut and which words to put in their place.

Unfamiliar/Technical Words
You will communicate best if you use words that are familiar to your reader. (Clichés are an exception to this rule-words and phrases that people have heard too often tend to turn off their minds a little and propel their eyes on to the next thing.) To create effective business communications, assume your reader is a layperson with limited technical knowledge of the subject-do not write over your reader's head by using technical words or jargon.
Unfamiliar:
- ascertain
- consummate
- peruse
Familiar
- find out
- learn
- close
- bring about
- read
- study
Long Words
A paragraph full of long words can be yawn inducing. Make an effort to use short words; they tend to be more easily digestible.
Long:
During the preceding year, the company was able to accelerate productive operations. The action was predicted on the assumption that the company was operating at a financial deficit.
Short:
Last year the company was able to speed up operations. The action was based on the belief that the company was losing money.
Abstract Words
The line between abstract and concrete words is hard to define, since all words have something of the abstract in them. In general, abstract words have a greater number of meanings, most of them somewhat vague, so your reader has to try to interpret which meanings apply. Concrete words are those that give your reader a specific mental picture.
Abstract
- sizable loss
- near future
- work saving machine
Concrete
- 34 percent loss
- on Wednesday
- performs the work of five operators
Passive Words
Verbs are the strongest words, and they are at their strongest when they are active rather than passive. Active-voice verbs show their subjects in action; passive-voice verbs act on their subjects. While the passive is needed for variety and has definite uses (such as to avoid placing blame), the active voice strengthens and shortens sentences.
Passive:
A sales increase of 32 percent occurred last month. The new procedure is thought to be superior by the president. The office will be cleaned by the janitor.
Active:
Sales increased 32 percent last month. The president thinks the new procedure is superior. The janitor will clean the office.
Camouflaged Words
Watch for these endings in the words you use (check the polysyllable words):
- -ion
- -tion
- -ing
- -ment
- -ant
- -ence
- -ence
- -ancy
- -ency
Most of these endings are used to change verbs into nouns and adjectives. In effect, they are camouflaged verbs. Get rid of them and strengthen your writing.
Poor:
The manager affected implementation of the new rules. Adaptation to the new office environment was made easily by the personnel. We make verifications of the shipments weekly.
Improved:
The manager implemented the new rules. The personnel adapted easily to the new office environment. We verify shipments weekly.
Unnecessary Words
Most business writing could do with a pruning job. To reduce unnecessary words, start with a clear idea of what you want to say. After composing, go through your message and cut every word that is not essential to your meaning.
Poor:
- consensus of opinion
- first and foremost
- just recently
- ask the question
- basic fundamentals
- exactly identical
- very unique
Improved:
- consensus
- (either word, but not both)
- recently
- ask
- fundamentals
- identical
- unique

So be your own editor, cut the poor and unnecessary words, and polish your writing to make your communication in business more effective than ever.

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Comments (101)

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#1 by Andrew, Oct 4, 2007

All of these examples are written in passive voice. Bad.

#2 by , Oct 4, 2007

Should "predicted" be "predicated" in the "Long" paragraph from the section entitled "Long Words"?

#3 by Eric, Oct 4, 2007

The "improved" statements are reminiscent of the writings of a grade schooler, not of a business professional.

#4 by Smart, Oct 4, 2007

Load of BS. I'm with Eric on this one. No sense in dumbing everything down unless you really are writing for the layperson.

#5 by BobZ, Oct 4, 2007

You're assuming business professionals are more advanced than grade schoolers, amirite?

#6 by Brandon, Oct 4, 2007

I like these suggestions. Most people call me long-winded, but you can call me thorough.

#7 by Joe, Oct 4, 2007

Actually, Eric,

You'd be surprised at how easy it is to see right through people who try to use big words and complicated sentences for no other reason than to make themselves appear eloquent.

It's better to get your meaning across in the simplest and fastest way possible.

A serious "business professional" will want the facts as fast as possible, without being rude or sloppy. He will care less how well the writer thinks he phrased his sentences.

#8 by Kris, Oct 4, 2007

It is a sad world we live in if "ascertain", "consummate" and "peruse" are now considered unfamiliar words.

Let's all cater to the lowest common denominator from now on instead of devoting more resources to education.

Thanks for contributing to the dumbing down of the English language.

#9 by Eric, Oct 4, 2007

Being a young professional, I am not to remember my grade school days. I recall understanding and using all of the so called "poor" terms on a nearly daily basis, dumbing down of course, for special ed kids but never my friends or fellow classmates.

#10 by Jason, Oct 4, 2007

This is an horrible article. Anyone in my office of 300 people would be able to easily comprehend all of original statements listed above. I can not believe someone would suggest that business professional needs things dumbed down for them.

#11 by Chad, Oct 4, 2007

I partially disagree with Andrew (#1) and Eric (#3). First, only #2 (Long words) is passive voice. Second, passive voice is only bad in some contexts. In many technical and business reports it is necessary.

As far as writings of a grade schooler, I beg to differ. They are grammatically correct and do not use colloquialisms. There's no "sort of", "kind of", or "like". I think you probably learned the more traditional "make it sound more technical" approach, which just adds confusion. Simplicity and clarity are more important.

#12 by Manager Bob, Oct 4, 2007

Never underestimate the stupidity of your colleauges - many people, even native English speakers with college educations, simply don't understand big words, and are intimidated and/or resentful of people who use them.

#13 by Random Guy, Oct 4, 2007

My pet-peeve list would have to include:

- "at this point in time" - Use "right now" instead, but only if necessary. Leave it out if you can.
- any variation of "impact" unless you're talking about something physically hitting something else, or if preceded by "has an" or "have an". Or, in that special case, if you're talking about an impacted wisdom tooth, that's okay too. Use "affect" instead if the above criteria aren't met.
- "monies" - Just "money" will do fine. Thanks.

#14 by Sesquipedlian, Oct 4, 2007

Use the right word, even if it is long or unfamiliar. Words have specific meanings. If you use the correct one to express the idea you intend, then the reader should be able to understand. Do not dumb down, but rather sharpen your focus. Or you could go all Mickey Spillane on them and sound like some kind of noir novelist with a third grade vocabulary. That's fun, too.

#15 by Je, Oct 4, 2007

Oh ok, so being a business professional means using big words? I won't rant about how rediculous that is...

“Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon.”
– William Zinsser

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
– Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

“Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.”
– Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

#16 by Eric, Oct 4, 2007

In response to Manager Bob: It may sound cruel, but that is how you assert intellectual dominance in a work environment. if they are intimidated or resentful, they are not fit to lead.

#17 by erik, Oct 4, 2007

Did anybody else notice that in example 5, "affected" should have been "effected"? One of the entries should have been on the correct use of homophones.

#18 by Guy, Oct 4, 2007

Bad man rite tuff werds. I no understand plz.

#19 by win, Oct 4, 2007

Amen, Sesquipedlian!!!

I say keep the SENTENCES short, but use concise language.

#20 by Nick, Oct 4, 2007

I work for a very international company. Only 25% of our employees are native English speakers, yet English is of course the dominant language. Despite what could be considered "dumbing down" I find this article to be absolutely correct if you want to be better understood by people who may be important for your success. If you are relying on the decision of a non-native speaker to swing your way, simple clear communication like that above is critical for success. Nicely done...

#21 by Joe, Oct 4, 2007

I do not promote "dumbing down"; large words are perfectly acceptable in a business environment.

However, I DO think that there are quite a few long-winded people that could due to get to the point, instead of wasting their readers' time with long-winded ramblings.

Trust me. It doesn't make you look smarter. If anything, an overly-eloquent email just sends up a red flag that the author is less interested in the topic at hand, and more interested in BS'ing and word-smithing.

#22 by Jaime, Oct 4, 2007

The author mistakes academics for business. Business writing is the art of lying beautifully...which most often has nothing to do with simplified grammar-forms and use of short words. You will most probably profit from archaic forms while delivering bad news... as for good news, results are better when they are loud and clear.

#23 by Eric, Oct 4, 2007

I'm mixed on the article. The examples aren't terrible except the passive voice and vagueness. There is some absolutely terrible business-speak out there. I want concrete numbers and concrete statements. They can be well-written statements, but saying something to turn one sentence into six because you feel you MUST cover the entire letterhead is ridiculous.

#24 by Ryan, Oct 4, 2007

This has to be a joke.

Please refund me the time spent perusing your community college blog.

#25 by win, Oct 4, 2007

Using "big words" IS "rediculous" (or "ridiculous", if you prefer).

Using concise language, however, helps with clarity.

#26 by Copywriter Art, Oct 4, 2007

There is a copywriter's mantra that says, one can write any way one chooses, as long as that those words and their meaning present what is intended (i.e., write any way you like ... but beware). Writing for clarity is one way to ensure that intended meaning is gleamed by all readers. A writer can't always be so sure their "clear message" really is clear, unless they write to a specific audience. If the audience is undefined, then dumbing down can assure the message is clearest to the largest audience. PS I enjoyed reading all the elite commentaries. I'm for the common man, myself. Ignore the common man and you shall fail.

#27 by jalarmo, Oct 4, 2007

Umm are you kidding?

This is so American: if it's a long word, it will be hard to understand and make people yawn.

#28 by One Worker to Rule Them All, Oct 4, 2007

No one should have to apologize for their command of the English language, nor feel compelled to dilute their use of it for the benefit of the marginally literate. It is exactly this impetus that has brought our society the wonders of standardized tests and lowered expectations, allowing the mental midgets to stroke their ill-deserved self esteems.

I also receive deep satisfaction from using terminology that forces my manager to crack open his dictionary.

#29 by Dude, Oct 4, 2007

There are no such things as big words, only small minds. To help dumb down society and the workplace goes against all proper long-term business goals. The imbeciles who will protest against this are the same idiots who only care for short-term goals. This is the biggest problem in American business and was identified as such during the 1980's. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to write idiotic short guides on how to write for fools. When tasked to write a formal business or technical document, the product will be just that. Not a "For Dummies" book.

#30 by Onflame, Oct 4, 2007

I think its some great job!

Well done,
Onflame

#31 by David Tubbs, Oct 4, 2007

Michael, if your readers need more time to understand the word "ascertain" than the word "learn", these individuals should immediately begin seeking an education beyond that of grade school. It is no more or less "difficult" to read a longer word than a shorter one if you know the word in question. Your mind does not require more time to decipher a symbol containing nine letters instead of five any more than it should require one to differentiate blue from red.

Furthermore, all words have meaning. Whether or not a word has meaning for you is another matter. A thesaurus contains multiple synonyms, antonyms, and so forth precisely because each unique word imparts its own connotation or denotation. A specific word, perhaps containing more syllables or letters, is not vague. In fact, "ascertain" ascribes a precise meaning while "learn" is vague, childish, and generic.

To ascertain is to determine the truth through a scientific means or consideration. To learn is merely to have one's errors corrected, perhaps by one's teacher or other mentor. One of my biggest pet peeves is the use of unnecessary or "crutch" words such as "that". For example, is it not more confident and declarative to say, "I know the sky is blue" instead of the imbecilic "I know that the sky is blue"? In such instances, I prefer to utilize the correct term though it may seem unfamiliar or innovative regarding a mis-educated person's vestigial grammatical failings.

#32 by Kris, Oct 4, 2007

Joe wrote: "If anything, an overly-eloquent email just sends up a red flag that the author is less interested in the topic at hand, and more interested in BS'ing and word-smithing."

There's a difference between verbose and eloquent. (Or should I say "wordy" instead of "verbose" just to make sure everyone understands what I mean?) I agree with the need for clear, concise emails and documents, but I'll never frown upon an eloquent, clear, concise document.

#33 by Can't believe people dugg this., Oct 4, 2007

-If you want to be concise, use bulleted lists.
-Lists highlight your main points.
-Jamie is right, bs has a time and (work)place.
-Andrew's post is the best.

#34 by win, Oct 4, 2007

I hate to bring this up on this thread, but does anyone remember the idea behind the concept of "Newspeak" in Orwell's "1984"? To an extent, you can control what people think by controlling their vocabulary.

If we think about things using words, how then do we think about things for which we have no words?

#35 by win, Oct 4, 2007

Amen to bulleted lists, too.

#36 by David Tubbs, Oct 4, 2007

Actually Eric, one way to remember the correct application of the homophones in question is the sentence, "We must begin to affect the desired effect." "Affect" is a verb whereas "effect" is a noun or sometimes a direct object. Also, one would not say "The manager affected implementation of the new rules." anyway, hence the correction provide above. Perhaps it will help you to remember "George Lucas is a master at creating amazing special effects" which, in this case, would be the outcome (noun) of some prior action.

#37 by cam, Oct 4, 2007

I don't know about business, but this reminds me a lot of a technical writing for engineers course I TA'd. In technical writing you have to almost unlearn all the stuff you've been taught in high school. It is so important in technical writing to write clearly and concisely, so although this may seem like a dumbing down of the english language, it does have its merits in certain circumstances.

#38 by red, Oct 4, 2007

Active sentences aside, it is sad to see that the standards of business writing have been lowered to such a base level.

#39 by David Tubbs, Oct 4, 2007

Since when is "eloquence" considered bs? Do you realize we practice a far smaller vocabulary than our counterparts did just 150 years ago? Find an original draft of the Declaration of Independence and tell me those esteemed authors' were not writing above today's so-called "fifth grade level"!
ps--"bullets" have their time in place, but to assume they should take the place of professional communication indicates they are simply the trail of a simple mind slithering by.

#40 by Grey, Oct 4, 2007

Huh no power words?

#41 by peroosal, Oct 4, 2007

I object to the classification of the word peruse as unfamiliar! It is used on peroosal dot com's website.

#42 by Joolz, Oct 4, 2007

If we expected more from ourselves and our children when educating our upcoming business professionals there would be no need to 'dumb down' our language. Ask your kids what grammar is and they will respond, "...A FULL STOP". Anything else is unknown to them. Large words are foreign to the teenager who "dsnt wnt 2b l8 4 dnr" and we then encourage this by allowing sms speak to creep into out HSC gradings and don’t penalise them for it. Language is a tool that should be used wisely and encouraged. With it amazing things happen.
The issue is not to hurt and exclude with language. I know people who use language make others feel stupid, uneducated and have them wondering if they should be insulted by that last statement (usually the answer is yes). Feeling better that someone else because you can use language to make that weird look appear on their face when they have no idea what you are talking about is just mean.
However pandering to the lowest and allowing no room for the expansion of language and vocabulary will have us all resorting to umphs, grunts and ooooks.... and a country full of hormonal teenagers is not where I want to be.

#43 by Chaser, Oct 4, 2007

Gunning Fog stats on the Declaration of Independence:

The Gunning Fog index is 15.87

The number of major punctuation marks, eg. [.], was 57
The number of words was 1362
The number of 3+ syllable words, highlighted in blue, was 215

So basically the document was written by a senior in college.

#44 by , Oct 4, 2007

vocabulary=intelligence?

#45 by Andy, Oct 4, 2007

Wow. Perhaps readers of this entry should look to the "how to be kind and constructive" posts instead for maximum utility.

No one will ever seriously listen to what you have to say unless you can phrase it positively.

#46 by Still can't believe people are digging this., Oct 4, 2007

David Tubbs, eloquence is a state of mind not a state of being.

Information is power and not forcing people to read useless drivel (see I can used obscure words too!) will assist you in conveying your point.

I have never seen anyone write a phrase like "self-evident" in a document to me. I am a manger in a local government and people want facts from me, not flowers. If I take an extra hour to convey a point, I am wasting taxpayer's money.

Consider the following:
The more robust I make my correspondence correlates directly to the amount of queries I receive. (

#47 by con, Oct 4, 2007

your way)

I keep it short and topical. No need to waste time explaining what I wrote. (

#48 by Michael Alexander, Oct 4, 2007

The main point here is that illiterate business people are doing mash ups of English and businessspeak so we wind up with stuff such as "proactive," "reflect back," "implement new paradigms" and all those other meaningless phrases.

To paraphrase Billy Shakespeare, "Let's kill all those bastards."

#49 by Faulty Comment Board, Oct 4, 2007

Consider the following:
The more robust I make my correspondence correlates directly to the amount of queries I receive. (your way)

I keep it short and topical. No need to waste time explaining what I wrote. (my way)

Please ignore #52 and 53.

#50 by Joemama, Oct 4, 2007

Parsimony

Although it is a "big word", it is a word more writers should take to heart. Get to the point; stop wasting my time.

#51 by Karl, Oct 4, 2007

Faulty Comment Board:

Your "(your way)" sentence is a poorly constructed mess. If you want to erect a straw man, at least try to make it a robust one.

#52 by meaningless phrases, Oct 4, 2007

Micheal if you understand the author's intent with a phrase, is it meaningless?

Colloquialisms are "as old as the day is long." Billy Shakespeare is guilty of excessive uses of them. You are commenting on modern colloquialisms. I am sure in a hundred years a literary giant from the brief future use of "lol" will be revered as so much more eloquent.

Get some perspective.

#53 by Joolz, Oct 4, 2007

Intelligence does not equal Vocabulary... however the ability to utilise a vocabulary, expand a vocabulary and evolve, absorb and grow with a vocabulary IS a sign of intelligence.
The ability to express yourself with language and describe something so well that the object becomes a tangable element even to a blind man is a gift that should be encouraged even in the business world. If you don't understand a word that is used in a communication to you I have a suggestion.... Use a dictionary.

...and another thing.... Please stop inventing "buzz words". I hate them...

#54 by Point and you (you're over there), Oct 4, 2007

I did not see the author's endorsement of buzz words.

#55 by Serinus, Oct 4, 2007

These examples are not appropriate.

There's a difference between using vocabulary in your writing (which is fine) and purposely adding meaningless adjectives to your writing which do nothing but convolute the meaning of the sentence.

In these examples, it seems like they started from the short, consise, meaningful sentences and then inserted a bunch of useless crap.

This article would have been more useful had they not exaggerated both the simplicity of their special-ed sentences and the complexity of their "bad example" sentences.

#56 by Intelligence, Oct 4, 2007

Uneducated minds ramble aimlessly. Remember: Keep it simple, stupid.

#57 by , Oct 4, 2007

Just curious are you "eloquent writers" the same people who request meetings so that everyone is on the same page?

If so, please spend less time working on your vocabulary and more time learning about the field you work in. The business world could you less pointless meetings.

Or maybe you’re just a bunch of worthless project managers.

#58 by callmeishmael, Oct 4, 2007

Wait a minute, I saw what you did there -- you can't actually axe words. Right? That doesn't make any sense. You've confused me by your pretentious and unnecessary use of a metaphor. I thought this was going to be about logging, but instead I got a blog post right out of "Idiocracy". Not well-written, either.

What utter pablum..

#59 by Cuso, Oct 4, 2007

Let's not forget "irregardless", I want to stab my eyes out every time I see someone use that in an email or in a chat.

#60 by fredrik, Oct 4, 2007

@fade: wait, I don't get it. 'two twins'?

#61 by Cay, Oct 4, 2007

Dumbed-down, homogenised language. Yep, sounds like business prattle to me.

#62 by Mike, Oct 4, 2007

Dumbing down communications is really a new 'self-help' low. Clients respect you when you have a good command of the English language. In fact we wouldn't have scored our most lucrative contract had we not.

#63 by Joshua, Oct 4, 2007

To #20 Erik and #41 David Tubbs:

Erik is correct. The poor usage example should [correctly] read: "The manager *E*ffected implementation of the new rules." Both effect and affect may be used as verbs.

Affect (verb): "To influence" (as in "President Clinton hoped to affect the outcome of the Russian elections")

Effect (verb): "To bring about" (as in "President Clinton hoped to effect a change in Russian policies")

I hope you agree that "the manager brought about [the] implementation of the new rules" makes more sense than "the manager influenced [the] implementation of the new rules".

Definitions from http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~phensel/problems.html

#64 by triene, Oct 4, 2007

I agree with Joshua and also, David Tubbs, I think you meant "time and place".

#65 by triene, Oct 4, 2007

Joolz #59
Used a dictionary. The word is tangible. Try spellcheck.

#66 by Bharat, Oct 4, 2007

hmm... i am not too sure about this.

#67 by jimbo, Oct 4, 2007

Thanks for the "writing for drop-outs" lesson.

#68 by Kris, Oct 4, 2007

The person who wrote this article doesn't even recognize the improper use of the word "that" in his own title. Why should anyone take writing advice from him?

#69 by dirt, Oct 4, 2007

communicating clearly and concisely is key in business. impress with ideas, not big words.

and for the love of God...it's "flesh out" not "flush out" when referring to expanding on an idea or concept. I cringe every time I hear this phrase misused by colleagues.

#70 by Tom Potter, Oct 4, 2007

For god's sake everyone is human, "asian" was trying to get the message across and you people are correcting his errors. As if none of you have ever made a grammatical error or spelling mistake.

#71 by your mom, Oct 4, 2007

1) how about a section about mixing up words or proofreading? predicted vs predicated?

2)abstract is not the same as non-specific.

This is the most slapped-together, poorly written piece of 1/2 truth that i've read.

If the word "accelerate" is too advanced for a client or boss, you should quit.

#72 by your dadI, Oct 4, 2007

WHAT NOT TO WRITE
In business, we often compose messages in a hurry-e-mails, notes, urgent reports, or last-minute projects. Editing is, therefore, especially necessary to rid your writing of confusing, boring, and obsolete elements.

This article helps you decide which words to cut and which words to put in their place.

WHAT TO WRITE
Business people err 50% of the time when writing emails by using inappropriate language and unnecessary words. Editing is therefore a crucial step in the writing process which aids in eliminating these common errors.

This article will aid you in developing a proficient and effective writing style.

EAT IT BIZ-BLOGGER. your score = fail

#73 by James, Oct 4, 2007

Be concise. Nothing more.

#74 by Kurt, Oct 4, 2007

Hmmm. It has always been my policy to keep things brief while writing. I might use appropriate language while speaking, but writing is totally separate. As my high school writing book put it, "using large words can put you between the scella of dullness and the charybdis of mendacity".

#75 by rockstar, Oct 5, 2007

I actually couldn't agree less with nearly this entire article. I don't know where you work, but I can't believe in Manhattan most of this would apply. I also agree that for those words to be considered unfamiliar, is very very sad.

#76 by mark, Oct 5, 2007

Simpler is better. Short is sweet.

#77 by polyglot, Oct 5, 2007

It's as if you're trying to propagate poor language skills!

#78 by Rick, Oct 5, 2007

All of the bloggers offering their respectively generous time have made equally valid points. My overall stance on matter is:

"Get your point across and your job is done"!

I personally don't care if it's long winded or concise, as I've used both approaches.

It was however, very interesting to read everyone's comments. Thanks!

#79 by capecrusader, Oct 5, 2007

What audience did you survey to determine those words were unfamiliar? Is the business world really that uneducated? Good advice if you are communicating with an audience that needs dumbing down. Higher level abstract vocabulary is very acceptable in the business environment, and when written to associates on the same or higher level, should be clearly understood. Reading business email written on a fifth grade level is not only boring and lacks clarity, but is also an insult to the reader and the writer.

#80 by Ian, Oct 5, 2007

This is, without a doubt, one of the most ridiculous "helpful" posts I've ever come across. Try submitting a report to a client after taking out all of the "flowery" content (read: big words). When the report reads like a fifth grade writing assignment, see how long your client will retain your services.

Utter Drivel.

Also, I noticed that there was a ticker that counted the number of people who liked this post. I didn't see a corresponding "I didn't like it" link. I wonder what that number would have been.

#81 by Kris, Oct 5, 2007

"flowery" content is uncalled for in most circumstances. Yes, I agree that some times people use esoteric language to show off their skills. However, there are many situations especially in technical fields as well as business fields where precise use of language is necessary to communicate your ideas. You could use one word instead of another but it does not mean the same thing. Even though, in common usage they are used interchangeably. Language is very precise and effective when used properly. Your post, though well intentioned is completely inappropriate and is devalued in its assessments of the situation.

#82 by Judy Sheldon (-Walker), Oct 6, 2007

"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter--'tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning."
--Mark Twain
I liked the article, however I will not write down to a reader. I like to be challenged with content and do not mind having a dictionary handy. How do we challenge our thinking processes if we are continually spoon fed?
I do not believe that I am the brightest individual, but I understood all of the words listed.
Who would not?

#83 by O.M.G!!!!, Oct 8, 2007

Congrats...You all read it. You must all be smarter than 5th graders!!!! And to think that you were this smart & had nothing better to do than to argue about how you read about getting there!!!

#84 by Azam, Oct 9, 2007

LOL

This is really matter of context. There's no one rule fits all. It's obvious once you know who you are speaking to if you can use these words or not. I love big words and embrace them frequently because it is simply fun to do so. However it is true that many people just don't know what's going on. Why 'risk' the chance of them not understanding or better yet, why waste their time understanding and trying to focus on the meaning when it could be put simply. Are you trying to sound intelligent or trying to deliver a message? It's really up to you.

From a pseudo scientific perspective I'd argue that it takes more ATP (adenine triphosphate) to process difficult words due to the fact we just used simpler words longer in our lives (think about when you are young, you don't use 'pursue' or 'truncate' or some sh*t). The authors message is clear unless you have the cerebral competence of bacteria.

#85 by akanimo, Oct 12, 2007

you are not serious

#86 by clarkea, Oct 16, 2007

eschew obfuscation

#87 by adam, Oct 16, 2007

Azam,

You are hereby banned from any further posting in threads about the English language.

Have a nice day.

#88 by a.king, Oct 17, 2007

The trouble with writing a popular article is that you always get a lot of flack for it no matter how well it is written.

Great article! Keep writing!

#89 by Susan, Oct 18, 2007

My readers aren't stupid. My readers can understand big words and eloquent writing. They just don't have time. Busy people scan. They cram reading between a hundred other things in their day. In business, getting your message across quickly, making it easy to read - these things are absolutely critical.

The article is spot on. And anyone in a business setting who tells you otherwise isn't getting honest input from readers.

#90 by hander, Nov 1, 2007

Oh dear is all I can say.

Or should I reduce that to just a punctuation mark in order to increase its 'readability'. If so:

!

#91 by Kimota, Nov 1, 2007

Back again with another observation.

Considering the three words mentioned at the beginning of the article as inappropriate: "peruse, consummate, ascertain". Many people have complained that avoiding the words dumbs down the language, insisting that they understand their meaning completely.

I also understand all three words. Yet I can't remember the last time I used any of them in either written or spoken english. Can you? The only reason for using them, that I can think of, would be a conscious choice to use elitist language for effect. There can be no other motivation, as other more commonly used words are available for all three.

A choice to use particular words, because they are longer or rarer and therefore supposedly indicate a greater vocabulary or intelligence, is a terrible motivation when your key goal should be to clearly communicate a message.

Just because a word exists does not mean it is appropriate to use. And it does not necessarily mean we are assuming people can't understand. I understand 'peruse', I prefer to use 'read'. no one has ever claimed I am more ignorant for doing so.

As a final note on this debate, pick up your favourite modern authors, journalists or coywriters. Peruse... **cough** read them. Notice their own word choices and sentence constructions. Then compare them to your business writings and corporate emails. Bet not a single one of them uses "peruse".

Suddenly this article doesn't seem so stupid, does it.

#92 by Hayden, Nov 1, 2007

Business communication is about keeping it simple and clear.For the eloquent that's "simplicity and clarity". Save your creativity for those memoirs you're going to write one day.

#93 by Brooke, Nov 2, 2007

Great post! I hope to bring these elements into my new blog project! :)

#94 by Scott, Nov 19, 2007

I had to comment on the obvious.

The headline of this article is - 'Six Types of Words That You Should Axe in Business Writing'.

One problem. The word 'that' is probably the most overused and meaningless word in English. The headline should be 'Six Types of Words You Need to Slash Writing for Business'.

Both have the same # of words. Which one would you use? If the copywriter can't get the Headline right, all else is moot.

#95 by Bucky Dardems, Nov 20, 2007

It's all about telling a story.
Sure, avoid the big words. But, tell the story using everyday words to paint a picture.
However, words like "peruse" are certainly NOT overly sophisticated.

Rule #1 in copy is
to get the reader
to read the next
line
that's it!

#96 by Nokomis, Dec 12, 2007

Those who choose complexity over clarity and simplicity usually end up writing like this:

The following sentences are from actual sales proposals,

\"Last year, we published the earth resources satellite field station implementation, maintenance, repair manual.

It is a direct drive remote terminal software modification package designed by our internal software applications development management group.

Nova offers specialized technology solutions integration services.

Personnel development in our company is guided by an employee testing training skill development program.

And a proposal title: Fax Transmission Network Access Cost Optimization Proposal\"

Quoted from Tom Sant\'s terrific book, Winning Sales Proposals.

As he says, you should never write \"Fax Transmission Network Access Cost Optimization Proposal\"

Instead, write \"Reducing the Cost of Sending Faxes: A Proposal to Enhance your Network Service\"

Simple, clean, easy-to-understand...

#97 by soul, Dec 15, 2007

Nice article!

I think the interesting part here is that so many people seem to actually take this article personally. As if it\'s an attack on their intelligence or competence as a \"business professional\". How naive! and dare I say, unprofessional?

I think this becomes clear when these people defend their right (rather aggressively) to use advanced language with the argument that \"only uneducated unintelligent people use a simple language, and that\'s not me\". (It\'s right there, between the lines.)

This is of course an irrelevant argument. After all we\'re discussing methods for communicating efficiently and profitable--not wether we can tell if people are stupid or not by the language they use.

If an advanced language is indeed superior when communicating in the business world then there must be plenty of stories and examples of how this experience was learned. Surely. I think hearing some of those stories would really shed some light on this whole discussion. This battle of pride is getting rather boring and quite frankly - I think it\'s dumb.

hi-5!

#98 by Emily, Feb 10, 2008

Well, at least it's got you all thinking. Which is nice.

#99 by Smart One, Mar 28, 2008

I think the idea behind the article was a good one. It is very nice to be able to read, understand, and move on. Too many \"big words\" in one sentence is overkill.

However, people aren\'t dumb (most of us, at least). We know those words. Heck, I\'m an eighth-grader (yes, a so called simple-minded grade schooler!), and I knew every word in the article! Anyway, basically, I like big words. They are fun to use. Just don\'t get carried away.

#100 by Smart one, back again, Mar 28, 2008

One more thing. We should definitly not axe these words from the English language. I am concerned about the quality of language today. In my class, a couple weeks ago, some people decided that we shouldn't use "big words" anymore. For a few days, those fascinated by the concept used only words with no more than four letters! It was awful! Also, I'm wondering the effect of teenager's textian language. Fifty years from now, will we spk lk ths? What happened to vowels!!! The funny thing is, textian was "invented" for quick reading, but when my friends use textian, I am forced to e-mail them back, asking what the phrases mean! I spent a whole two minutes puzzling over Joolz #44's "dsnt wnt 2b l8 4 dnr"! Keep language concise, yes, but not so concise that the meaning is totally annulled!

#101 by John-Allen Payne, Jul 25, 2008

I quite enjoyed this article, but I would probably disagree slightly about the advice to avoid passive voice verbs. I would change the advice to \\\"avoid \\\'unnecessary\\\' use of passive voice verbs.\\\" The passive voice is a valuable tool when a writer wants to avoid mentioning an agent that is unknown, unimportant, obvious, confidential, or difficult to identify. It also allows spekers and writers to place emphasis on receivers of an action by placing them at the beginning of a sentence. For example:

1. My car has been stolen.
2. Much tobacco is grown in Eastern Europe.
3. Both French and English are spoken in Canada.
4. Thirteen people were injured by a tornado in Florida.
5. I have been robbed.
6. These works of art were all produced by women.

A really popular use of the passive voice is to keep discourse topics in the subject position over successive sentences in order to keep adding new information about a topic.

For example:
The first programmable electronic computer was built in England during World War 2. IT was called the the Colossus, and IT was used to decipher Adolf Hitler\\\'s confidential messages to his generals. After the war, IT was destroyed so that the world would not learn how the British broke codes. presently, IT is being reconstructed at Bletchley Park in England where IT can be viewed by visitors.

If these sentences were cast in the active voice, the flow of old to new information would be lost and the paragraph would probably be harder to process quickly by a reader.

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Six Types of Words That You Should Axe in Business Writing

Ways to improve your business writings.

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