word choice in creative writing

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Enchanting Marketing

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Word Choice: How to Play With Words (and Find Your Voice)

by Henneke | 68 enchanting opinions, add yours? :)

G ood word choice is about precision and personality; the words you choose help define your voice.

This article discusses:

How word choice shapes your voice

You’ve buckled down to write your content. You’re proud of your ideas.

But when you read your draft … it kind of sucks. A spark is missing. The content sounds blah. It doesn’t sound like you at all.

Makes you want to cry?

Cultivating an engaging voice may feel like an arduous, perhaps even painful journey.

But when you nurture a sense of play, that excruciating journey turns into a fun adventure.

While experimenting with words, you’ll find your voice. And when you’ve found your voice, your content stands out in a drab sea of grey words. Fierce. And proud.

Want to know how to have fun with words and find your voice ?

Why word choice can feel tricky

Most of us tend to choose safe words—the words popping in our mind first. These are the words everyone is using.

Everyday language is a good idea, because readers can quickly grasp your ideas. But when you use only everyday language, your content doesn’t stand out. You sound like everyone else. Your content lacks sparkle.

Writing is different from talking. When we speak we use hand gestures and facial expressions to add emotion and meaning to our words. But when we write, we can’t wink, we can’t smile, we can’t slam the table, and we can’t put our hands up in the air.

So, our written words have to work harder. Our words have to whisper or shout. Our words have to attract attention and engage. Our words have to express emotion.

This is why you need to infuse your writing with more emotional words, with colorful language, with a sensory touch. You need to push yourself gently outside your comfort zone and play with different words.

Examples of word choice

Have you ever studied how others choose their words?

And have you noticed how their words give you an impression of their personality?

Below follow snippets from a sales page for a fitness book of DragonDoor . What type of personality comes across?

• How to construct a barn door back—and walk with loaded guns
• How to take a trip to hell—and steal a Satanic six-pack
• How to guarantee steel rod fingers
• Time to deliver the final bullet to those aching muscles: the Crucifix pull—brilliant and very painful!

The DragonDoor copy uses strong sensory and emotional words like “loaded guns,” “bullet,” “trip to hell,” “Satanic,” and “steel rod.”

Now, let’s compare this to a sales page for a yoga teaching class of Balance Yoga and Wellness . Try to imagine the type of teacher who’s written this:

• Heart-centered yoga: Learn the foundations of Anusara yoga, including the loops and spirals, universal principles and more.
• Balance your body and mind: Learn and apply ayurvedic principles to your diet and lifestyle so you get healthier and happier. Improve your sleep and digestion so your energy invigorates your students and others around you.
• Spark your creativity: Make your own mala bracelets, eye pillows, clay models, and yantras. Tapping into your creative center will help to infuse a sense of playfulness into your teaching.

This copy uses softer and more positive words like “invigorate,” “heart-centered,” “spark,” “balance,” “healthier,” “happier,” and “tap into.”

Choosing your words isn’t just about being precise and concise. The words you choose also give an impression of your personality; they define your voice.

How do you want to come across? How do you want to interact with your audience?

Below follow four questions to consider when considering how words shape your voice.

1. Do you use jargon or everyday language?

Whether you want to use jargon or not mainly depends on the experience of your readers. Do they understand your technical terms?

DragonDoor uses some technical language like “pecs,” “hanging straight leg raises,” “stand-to-stand bridges,” and “progressive calisthenics.” For instance:

Balance Yoga and Wellness also assumes you know basic yoga terms:

When considering your word choice, consider your audience. Which words would they use? Do they understand technical language and jargon? Also, consider whether your audience would appreciate slang or not.

2. Do you appeal to negative or positive emotions?

Positive or negative word choice has a big impact on how readers perceive your voice and your personality.

DragonDoor, for instance, addresses readers’ fears of doing things wrong or acting like a “baby-weight pumper” or “wannabee.” They might make you feel insecure:

• Do you make this stupid mistake with your push ups? This is wrong, wrong, wrong!
• This little fella will really separate the iron men from the baby-weight pumpers!
• These Gecko pushups truly separate the wannabees from the real thing
• Obey these important caveats before you start bridging—or risk injury
• The dumb, fickle, want-it-yesterday way to fail in your long term Convict Conditioning training

Balance Yoga and Wellness uses a positive tone of encouragement instead:

Do you want to agitate and stir up fear? Or comfort, encourage, and soothe? How positive do you want to sound?

3. Do you use strong or subtle sensory words?

DragonDoor uses strong language, borrowing terminology from prisons and war:

• One crucial reason why a lot of convicts deliberately avoid weight-training
• Bar pulls—an old convict favorite for good reason
• How to effectively bulletproof the vulnerable rotator cuff muscles
• Transform skinny legs into pillars of power, complete with steel cord quads, rock-hard glutes and thick, shapely calves

The copy of Balance Yoga and Wellness strikes a warmer tone:

Are you astonished how much your life has improved since you stepped into your first yoga class?

You gained strength, flexibility and fitness. You tapped into a deep calmness, and experienced a new sense of peace and inner beauty.

Now, what’s next?

(…) Our Teacher Training helps you nourish a deeper understanding of yoga, delve into human anatomy, and gain the confidence to share the magic of yoga with your friends and family and community.

How do you spice up your content? With fight analogies? Or cooking metaphors? With hints of seduction? Or warmongering?

4. How much curiosity do you arouse?

DragonDoor arouses curiosity with phrases like “little-known ways,” “a dormant superpower,” and a “jealously-guarded system:”

• The dormant superpower for muscle growth waiting to be released if you only do this
• Try this little-known way to make stand-to-stand bridges harder and increasingly more explosive without adding any external resistance
• A jealously-guarded system for going from puny to powerful—when your life may depend on the speed of your results

The copy of Balance Yoga and Wellness is more straightforward about what you’ll learn and why:

• Sequence a yoga class: Use creativity and knowledge of yoga postures to develop a balanced yoga class.
• Use language effectively: Learn effective verbal cues for leading a yoga class.
• Breakdown key yoga postures: Talk students into and out of yoga postures, what the fundamental alignment cues are for each postures.
• Teach safely: Appreciate how our anatomy impacts different types of yoga postures, and learn how to modify yoga postures to avoid injury.

Curiosity-arousing phrases change the tone of your writing. Moreover, curiosity can nudge readers to take action—to satisfy their curiosity.

But it’s a fine balance as too much curiosity arousal can make your content flimsy, pushy, and hypey. In contrast, pairing benefits with features makes your content more substantial, straightforward, and honest.

A word choice exercise: Get out of a writing funk

Ready to explore your voice?

And play with different words?

Try the exercise below and experiment with your word choice. Try to impersonate different personalities. Also, pay attention to how your voice changes when you borrow phrases from, for instance, cooking, fighting, dating, or sports.

Word choice exercise

Complete the following sentence:

The standard, drab version:

The power-puncher:

Another strong-armed copywriter:

The competitor:

The sparkling personality:

The seductress:

The sensory cook:

The quiet rebel:

Have fun with as many options as you like. Leave the options percolating overnight, and choose a favorite the next day. Consider adding your mission statement to your social media bios and About page.

Playing with words is like trying new clothes

Pick up a different style, try it on, and see how it looks in the mirror.

Does that jacket make you feel confident? Does that fuchsia scarf make you feel more creative? Wanna try a bolder style? Or a different color?

Playing with words puts the fun back into writing.

It enlivens our copy. And invigorates our soul.

FREE 22-page ebook How to Choose Words With Power and Pizzazz

• Discover 4 wordy rules for captivating your audience
• Learn how to fortify and energize your message
• Get examples that show you how to spice up your writing

PS Thank you to Darren DeMatas of Selfstartr for inspiring this post.

Further reading on word choice:

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Reader Interactions

Leave a comment and join the conversation cancel reply.

April 10, 2023 at 3:26 am

I’m finding it very difficult to put into practice. I’m not coming up with different phrases and words to try different personalities.

April 10, 2023 at 12:41 pm

Try using a thesaurus or dictionary.

Also, it helps to pay attention to how others write and which words they use. When you start to see how others choose their words and how that helps define their voice, it becomes easier to play with your own voice, too. Look for the authors you like and the ones you don’t like. What’s the difference in their word choice? Which writers do you think have a strong voice? Which words do they use? The more you read and the more attention you pay to what you read, the better your writing will become.

Lastly, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Try to nurture a sense of play.

July 1, 2022 at 3:57 pm

You’ve shown in the article with clear examples how a writer can choose and play with words to express his writing voice. It’s praise worthy, I do appreciate.

July 1, 2022 at 4:27 pm

I’m glad you like it, Tajammul. Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate it!

January 10, 2022 at 12:15 am

Do you ever teach of writing present tense mindful sentences with the correct wording using the sensory words? I’m writing a book and would love to know if you can enlighten me?

January 10, 2022 at 12:11 pm

Hi Drenda, you can find my advice on using sensory words here: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/sensory-words/

March 20, 2021 at 12:31 am

Henneke you and your content are awesome! <3 Thanks a lot!

March 21, 2021 at 5:01 pm

Thank you, Paulo. Happy writing!

February 23, 2020 at 12:14 pm

You a champ in your field! Please what posts of yours do you highly recommend I read to get a feel for writing? I’m just starting out. Thanks a million.

February 23, 2020 at 7:32 pm

Hi Solomon,

It depends what you want to write. For learning how to write blog posts, check out my best articles here: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/business-blogging/ For learning how to write sales copy, check out the articles listed here: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/sales-copy/

For general writing advice, start here: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/how-to-improve-writing-skills/

I hope this helps!

July 31, 2018 at 4:37 am

One word: AWESOME

July 31, 2018 at 5:45 pm

Thank you, Carltee 😀

May 11, 2018 at 5:27 am

Very cool- and helpful!! Henceforth, I have no doubts renaming in your expertise! Sincere Thanks

May 11, 2018 at 9:59 am

Thank you. Happy writing!

April 21, 2018 at 6:50 pm

Thank you so much. I’m writing a memoir and really needed the comments and the 99 active verbs. Now I need to do some editing.

April 21, 2018 at 6:58 pm

I am glad you found it useful, Roxsane. Happy editing!

And thank you for stopping by.

February 16, 2018 at 9:00 pm

I don’t drink coffee but this is like writer’s coffee, keep them awake while writing. What a yummy read.

February 18, 2018 at 7:47 pm

I don’t drink coffee either!

I’m glad you enjoyed this, Susan. Thank you for stopping by.

January 10, 2018 at 8:11 am

Thank you. This article is motivating. I am concerned about my own blog posts, the energy I put into them and word choices. These tips have really helped me out

January 10, 2018 at 3:01 pm

I’m glad you’ve found these tips helpful, Latricia. Happy blogging!

May 31, 2017 at 9:46 am

Thanks. It stimulated the playful inner child of me. Writing should be a fun experience, rather than an agonizing stressor.

May 31, 2017 at 9:18 pm

Indeed! Happy playing & writing, Doran 🙂

April 3, 2017 at 9:47 am

That’s such an amazing, helpful and enjoyable post.Your examples are Excellent. word choices, use of positive and negative emotions are very important to give words your voice.. I really enjoyed reading your post…

April 3, 2017 at 8:59 pm

I’m glad you’ve found it both helpful and enjoyable, Mariah. Happy writing!

March 30, 2017 at 3:34 pm

Henneke great post.

Loved how you took one phrase of that exercise and turned it into many powerful alternatives.

Goes to show that words you choose really can help you stand out. Because like you said, you can’t express yourself with hand gestures, etc. so your words need to work for you.

Wow, I’m really impressed by this post. You keep on constantly out doing yourself.

– Andrew

March 30, 2017 at 7:36 pm

Ha yes! I do try to outdo myself. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it does. I really enjoyed writing this one.

Thank you for stopping by again, Andrew. I appreciate it.

March 2, 2017 at 12:03 pm

I’m a copywriting ninja on a mission to dropkick crap content back to the 1980s!

March 2, 2017 at 6:56 pm

I like that! I can picture you dropkicking content. Great image 🙂

March 2, 2017 at 1:38 am

Hi Henneke, what a great post, a bit over my head in strength but loved the Yoga type of description, Not looking forward to writing posts, hope that I’ll get something interesting together. I am on the last leg now to get that website set up. Thanks for all the posts I may have read but not commented on, my book is in the last edit and will be available at the same time as the Website. It’s been a long journey, but have also been around the world three times which took a lot of my time.

March 2, 2017 at 6:53 pm

Great to hear that your book and website are both nearly finished, Annamarie. That’s fab news. Congrats!

Maybe you can consider a break from writing before you start writing blog posts so you can approach blog writing with replenished energy?

March 1, 2017 at 11:15 am

I’m not sure I’d like to be hanging out in the Dragon Door gym. I shudder to think what type of person would be exercising there 🙂

Thanks for the excellent examples, Henneke. Just goes to show how a few words can change the scene. – David

March 1, 2017 at 6:10 pm

You won’t find me in a DragonDoor gym either! Phew. Please no.

Thank you for stopping by, David. No heavy lifting required here 🙂

March 1, 2017 at 9:17 am

I write so fucking good my readers beg for more 😉 Yes, the positive, friendly support giver, that is you, with the sparkly tone.

March 1, 2017 at 6:08 pm

“I write so fucking good my readers beg for more”

That sounds like you 🙂

March 1, 2017 at 9:06 pm

?”And I’m also the most humble person you’ll ever meet” ?

March 1, 2017 at 9:54 pm

No, I’m not. Ha! No smiley needed.

March 1, 2017 at 10:00 pm

Ok. This is my totally serious face -> ? Nope. Sorry. Can’t help it ? When three of us “meet” in one place I’m always in good mood!

March 1, 2017 at 9:16 pm

It amazes me every time how you find the right words and examples to explain something as complicated as writing! I think it’s easier to explain how how to build a nuclear bomb than how to write so that it resonates. Because there are only so many ways to build a nuclear bomb, but there are as many ways to write well as there are people.

And of course the part with the exercise and the one-line examples is brilliant! Great to see how everyone started applying your advice immediately! I’d love to contribute my own, but I’ll need to think about it first. Fitting my thoughts inside one line is not exactly my strength, but I’m willing to learn 🙂

March 1, 2017 at 10:25 pm

Thank you for your lovely comment, Gill 🙂

My secret is not to try to explain how to write, but answer just one tiny question about writing like: How does word choice influence voice? That makes it more doable. 🙂

I can’t remember how I came across that website of DragonDoor (I’m not their target audience!) but because its word choice is so “extreme,” they seemed like a great example.

Don’t try to write the one-liner (or two-liner) in one go. Just play around with it. I can’t remember how long it took me to come up with “an irreverent copywriter on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook” – probably a few months! 😉

March 1, 2017 at 10:31 pm

“One tiny question for Henneke, one giant problem for humanity (of bloggers)” 🙂 I wouldn’t be able to explain that in a million years!

And yes, the fewer words one has to express something, the longer it takes. But I noticed one gets better at this with practice. This, and spending more time on Twitter with its 140 characters 🙂

March 1, 2017 at 2:09 am

Busy day; got here late today, but finally! Whew! I’m a grandmother I and rescue broken, wounded women desperately looking for someone with strength and knowledge, spiced with soft humor. I offer an enduring, hidden treasure, helping them see their way out of the pain of difficult situations, without physically walking away. You made me think about this all day. I was so sure I’d gotten it, but it sounds pretty salesy to me, still.

March 1, 2017 at 6:07 pm

It doesn’t sounds salesy at all. It sounds friendly and helpful. I like it. It’s a beautiful mission. Perhaps consider tightening it a little:

I’m a grandmother and I rescue broken, wounded women. I offer strength and knowledge, spiced with soft humor, to help them ease the pain of difficult situations.

March 2, 2017 at 7:35 am

Oh, yes, that’s better. Thank you! You know, if I read that and think you wrote it, instead of me, it is lots better in my mind. I guess it’s a trick we play on ourselves, making it nigh impossible to feel good about self-aggrandizement? As for tightness, you are right, but I used to say: “I fix broken women.” Embellishing got carried away. 😉 Thanks, again!

March 2, 2017 at 6:54 pm

Well, you wrote it; I simply crossed out a few words 🙂

February 28, 2017 at 10:13 pm

Henneke always produces such good material. If she made underpants for a living I’d rip my own off to read the label!

Thanks for another great post.

March 1, 2017 at 6:11 pm

Haha! I’m not planning to manufacture underpants. Not yet. 😉

February 28, 2017 at 6:51 pm

The minute I saw this pop in my inbox, I couldn’t help but click to read.

Tip: Just as hand gestures and facial expressions add meaning to our words when talking, icons and punctuation marks [can] also help drive home our point when writing

This is a post to study and it’s brilliant.

Thanks for sharing Henneke.

February 28, 2017 at 9:19 pm

Yep, that’s a good point about icons and punctuation, and it’s true for formatting, too. Putting a sentence on its own in one paragraph is also a way to add stress.

Thank you for adding your thoughts, Hannah. I appreciate it 🙂

February 28, 2017 at 4:53 pm

Salute to Henneke,

Words are the fiery swords which slice through mediocrity and open up revolutionary worlds. so sayeth Dragon Girl aka C A Holmes (writing my Scottish tales at the moment)

February 28, 2017 at 5:08 pm

Thank you … what an honor to find such a lovely poem here.

I hope you’re enjoying writing your Scottish tales, Dragon Girl 🙂

February 28, 2017 at 4:17 pm

At the very least you sold me on Convict Conditioning … and writing sales-boosting copy so powerful I can give the competition the middle finger!

February 28, 2017 at 5:05 pm

Be careful with those one-arm handstand pushups, Jeff! 😉

February 28, 2017 at 4:08 pm

Concrete and tangible.

Your examples are so real that my muscles hurt from the exertion of imagining DragonDoor only to be soothed by visualizing Balance Yoga. It’s the perfect yin yang combination. The distinction is quite palpable.

Not to mention loads of fun.

Something you’ve long trained me to expect from your weekly posts.

Useful and fun with a sprinkle of serendipity and a spark of singularity.

February 28, 2017 at 5:02 pm

Selecting these examples from DragonDoor sure made my body hurt!

Thank you for your lovely comment, Lori. I appreciate it 🙂

February 28, 2017 at 3:28 pm

Hi Henneke, I liked this last one best: “I’m an irreverent copywriter on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook.” I bet she’s awesome. {:-)

February 28, 2017 at 5:01 pm

I’d like to meet her, too 😉

Thank you, Rohi!

February 28, 2017 at 3:23 pm

For a quiet rebel , you sure kick butt with this post !

Thank you, Ray. Your comment made me laugh 🙂

February 28, 2017 at 2:29 pm

Hi Henneke,

I read lots of newsletters / blogs of ‘experts’ in the field… but none of them can beat you. I don’t know how you do it, but please keep doing it! Excellent examples again. I’ll start practicing right away. Thank you for the eye-openers and keep ’em coming please!

February 28, 2017 at 4:59 pm

What a lovely comment. Thank you, Olga!

I hope you have fun with your writing. And don’t worry, I’ll do my best to keep them coming 🙂

February 28, 2017 at 1:38 pm

Surprise, surprise … another helpful and genuinely enjoyable post!

I particularly liked “Do you use jargon or everyday language?” and the section on curiosity.

And wow, those examples at the end for writers to frame themselves: priceless!

February 28, 2017 at 4:57 pm

I’m glad you enjoyed it, Aaron. That means a lot to me 🙂

Thank you for stopping by and for tweeting!

February 28, 2017 at 1:27 pm

That’s the clearest idea of “voice” I’ve ever had. Your wonderful examples of contrasting voices makes that squishy concept so concrete. And now I need to figure out how to bullet-proof my rotator cuffs…

February 28, 2017 at 4:49 pm

I still need to figure out where my rotator cuffs are before I can bulletproof mine 😉

Thank you for stopping by and for your lovely compliment!

February 28, 2017 at 12:41 pm

I particularly love how you turned the copywriting example into eight different ‘personalities’. Such a great example! Interesting to think about what you want to portray. I might try doing a writing exercise and write down how I want to come across… and what descriptive words go with that to help get jump started.

February 28, 2017 at 4:48 pm

You might also find it useful to do the opposite of what you want to describe. That’s a fun way to warm-up your writing muscles, too 🙂

February 28, 2017 at 12:11 pm

That’s such an amazing read!! Impressive! couldn’t wait to do the exercise…

I am Tavleen. I craft an empathetic brand narrative that positions you as the go-to in your niche. And not just another ‘player‘ in the market.

February 28, 2017 at 4:47 pm

Thank you for your lovely comment, Tavleen.

Glad to see you started on the exercise straightaway! 🙂

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About Henneke

I never saw myself as a writer, but in my early forties, I learned how to write and discovered the joy of writing. Now, I’d like to empower you to find your voice, share your ideas and inspire your audience. Learn how I can help you

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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

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’s 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. Don’t be too attached to what you’ve already written; if you are willing to start a sentence fresh, you may be able to choose words with greater clarity.

For tips on making more substantial revisions, take a look at our handouts on reorganizing drafts and revising drafts .

“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 aren’t 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’s an example: “Having finished with studying, the pizza was quickly eaten.” This sentence isn’t 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 doesn’t 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 doesn’t 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 can’t tell whom/what it refers to. Example : My cousin Jake hugged my brother Trey, even though he didn’t like him very much. Revision: My cousin Jake hugged my brother Trey, even though Jake doesn’t 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 don’t 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 haven’t 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 isn’t choosing exactly the right word to express an idea—it’s 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’s 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 isn’t, 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 didn’t 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 can’t 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 doesn’t necessarily mean casual. Most instructors will not be pleased if your paper looks like an instant message or an email to a friend. It’s 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. (For more on thesis statements in general, please refer to our handout .)

Example : You’ve 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’re going to talk about river and shore scenes, but not what you’re 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, they still do 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’re 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 Revolutionary 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 soldier during the Revolutionary 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).
• Write your thesis in five different ways. Make five different versions of your thesis sentence. Compose five sentences that express your argument. Try to come up with four alternatives to the thesis sentence you’ve already written. Find five possible ways to communicate your argument in one sentence to your reader. (We’ve just used this technique—which of the last five sentences do you prefer?)Whenever we write a sentence we make choices. Some are less obvious than others, so that it can often feel like we’ve 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 they find confusing. Do not brush off this reader’s confusion by assuming they simply doesn’t know enough about the topic. Instead, rewrite the sentences so that your “outsider” reader can follow along at all times.
• Check out the Writing Center’s handouts on style , passive voice , and proofreading for more tips.

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’s 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’ve 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

We consulted these works while writing 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 additional publications. 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. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

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

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

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

O’Conner, Patricia. 2010. Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English , 3rd ed. New York: Penguin Publishing Group.

Tarshis, Barry. 1998. How to Be Your Own Best Editor: The Toolkit for Everyone Who Writes . New York: Three Rivers Press.

Williams, Joseph, and Joseph Bizup. 2017. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace , 12th ed. Boston: Pearson.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Word Choice

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 following 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

Note that every dictionary is a separate and unique publication. So there is no such thing as just The Dictionary , nor is there just a Webster’s Dictionary (these are general-use terms that any book may employ). Also note that many search engines, such as Google, show glimpses of definitions from specific dictionaries as part of their search results, so “Google defines…” is not accurate. When citing the dictionary you’re using, state its actual title.

Highlight on The Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary , sometimes referred to as the OED , is the largest and most comprehensive dictionary in existence. It includes all words in the English language, as well as the etymology of each word, as well as quoted examples of each word in use as found in texts throughout history. If your college provides you with access to it, you are wise to use it as your primary dictionary.

Like a dictionary, a thesaurus is another useful writing tool. A thesaurus gives you a list of synonyms, words that have nearly 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 surface-level definition of a word. For example, the words house and home have the same denotation: they are both dwellings. A connotation , on the other hand, is the emotional or cultural meaning attached to a word. For house and home , the connotations are different: house feels rather neutral, but home feels warm and positive. At Halloween, you wouldn’t attend a “haunted home,” and you don’t feel the longing of being “housesick”–these feel wrong because they ignore connotations. Instead, you go to a “haunted house,” and you feel “homesick.” The connotation of a word can be positive, negative, neutral, or otherwise. Stay continuously aware of the connotations of the words you choose. And when uncertain about a word’s connotations, find the word used in professional articles or books, and study its implications carefully.

• 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.

• 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.

I felt like such an airhead when I got up to give my speech. As I walked toward the podium, I banged my knee on a chair. Man, I felt like such a klutz. On top of that, I kept saying “like” and “um,” and I could not stop fidgeting. I was so stressed out about being up there. I feel like I’ve been practicing this speech 24/7, and I still bombed. It was ten minutes of me going off about how we sometimes have to do things we don’t enjoy doing. Wow, did I ever prove my point. My speech was so bad I’m surprised that people didn’t boo. My teacher said not to sweat it, though. Everyone gets nervous his or her first time speaking in public, and she said with time I would become a whiz at this speech giving stuff. I wonder if I have the guts to do it again.

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 clinch my fists so hard that I leave fingernail dents in my palms.

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 axe 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.
• I always try to give 110%
• Maria left the dishes in the sink all week to give Jeff a taste of his own medicine.
• 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 so pressed with responsibilities that he felt like he carried the world on his shoulders.

Avoiding Overly General Words

Specific words and images make your writing clearer, more precise, and often more interesting. 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 lying is bad.
• Specific: My teacher, Ms. Atwater, created a presentation detailing exactly how lying is immoral and dangerous.

For more information on this, see the section Specificity.

Revise the following sentences by replacing the overly general words with more precise and attractive language.

• 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.

The Writing Textbook Copyright © 2021 by Josh Woods, editor and contributor, as well as an unnamed author (by request from the original publisher), and other authors named separately is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Use Better Word Choice in Stories

Last Updated: October 22, 2021 References

This article was co-authored by Melessa Sargent . Melessa Sargent is the President of Scriptwriters Network, a non-profit organization that brings in entertainment professionals to teach the art and business of script writing for TV, features and new media. The Network serves its members by providing educational programming, developing access and opportunity through alliances with industry professionals, and furthering the cause and quality of writing in the entertainment industry. Under Melessa's leadership, SWN has won numbers awards including the Los Angeles Award from 2014 through 2021, and the Innovation & Excellence award in 2020. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 24,969 times.

Word choice, or diction, is an essential part of any type of writing, and learning to use better word choice can greatly improve your creative writing! The more you think about your diction and practice using better word choice in your stories, the more naturally it will come. We’ve compiled this list of tips and tricks to help you start choosing even better words for your next story.

Read for at least 20 minutes a day.

• Even if you typically read crime novels and you want to write crime fiction, it’s still a good idea to switch up what you read to expand your vocabulary outside your comfort zone. For example, you could read a sci-fi or fantasy novel once in a while. [2] X Research source
• You can even listen to audiobooks when you’re on the go to get your daily reading in!

Use a writing app.

• To find writing apps, search online or in an app store for “writing apps.” Look for ones that have good user ratings and reviews.
• For example, there’s an app called Hemingway that helps you write more like Ernest Hemingway by highlighting sentences that are too long or dense, words that are too complicated, and unnecessary adverbs.
• Some other apps to try are Grammarly, Word to Word, OneLook Reverse Dictionary, and Vocabulary.com.
• There are also vocabulary apps that teach you a word a day to help you further expand your vocab.

Eliminate unnecessary repetition.

• When you’re writing on a computer, use CTRL+F to search for and highlight different words.
• Reading a draft out loud can also help you identify passages that are repetitive.
• It’s an especially good idea to eliminate repetition of weak, non-descriptive words, such as “stuff,” “things,” “it,”and “got.” For example, replace “got” with “received,” “obtained,” or “acquired.”

Pick words that elicit emotions.

• For example, replace the word “looked” with “glared” to convey feelings of anger. Or, replace it with “gawked” to convey feelings of disbelief or awe.
• Keep in mind that stronger words aren’t always a better choice than simpler ones. Always consider the message you want to get across when you’re choosing words. In some cases, “looked” may be perfectly adequate!

Use more specific words.

• For example, instead of saying “he was a very average player,” say something like “he was a bench warmer,” which gives the reader an image of the player spending most games sitting on the bench instead of just being an average player on the field.
• Here’s another example: instead of writing “she has a tendency to overcook rice,” write “the rice almost always ends up charred when she cooks it.” The reader can now picture what the rice actually looks like and maybe even imagine the taste of charred rice.

Select visually evocative verbs.

• For example, instead of writing “the river comes down from the mountains,” write “the river winds down from the mountains.” Changing “comes” to “winds” helps the reader visualize a river bending from left to right as the water flows down from the mountains, instead of just giving them a vague idea of where the body of water is.

Choose the appropriate level of formality.

• For instance, a farmer from the deep south in the USA probably wouldn’t say “she was quite mad when I showed up late.” The man would probably speak more informally and with slang. He might say something like “she was right ticked when I got home!”

Use fewer words whenever you can.

• For example, instead of writing “I came to the conclusion that…” write “I concluded that…” By removing 3 words from that sentence, you get your point across to the reader faster and more clearly.

Limit your use of clichés.

• For example, instead of saying “he was as dead as a door nail,” you could just say “he was dead” to get your point across without using a played-out cliché. Or, if you want to be more descriptive, say something like “he was as dead and as cold as a rock.”
• Another example of a cliché that appears in lots of writing is: “A single tear trickled down her cheek.”

Revise phrases later with better words later on.

• In other words, don’t feel like you have to choose the best words all the time when you write the first draft of a story. That’s why it’s called a “rough” draft!

Community Q&A

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• ↑ Melessa Sargent. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 14 August 2019.
• ↑ https://www.fastcompany.com/40441377/this-is-how-to-sound-smarter-by-improving-your-vocabulary
• ↑ https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/250503
• ↑ https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/5-key-ways-to-choose-the-right-word/
• ↑ https://writers.com/word-choice-in-writing
• ↑ https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/services/writing-center/writing-resources/style-diction-tone-and-voice/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/word-choice/

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• UP Textbook Guide
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• A Shifting Structure
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• 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
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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 .

Using Creative Word Choices to Surprise Your Reader

If you want to snag the attention of an agent, your book’s concept needs to be irresistible. But what’s going to buoy your book up above the other great concepts in the submission pile is the quality of your writing. And I don’t just mean polished writing. I mean writing that is unique and captivating. If you want to give yourself a leg up, I suggest you add a revision step and edit your manuscript for creative word choices.

When I say creative word choices , I’m not necessarily talking about using unusual words. For one thing, unusual words can cause the language not to ring true. Certainly, if you use a word in your memoir you wouldn’t normally use in real life, it will feel off. And if you use a word in your fiction that doesn’t seem suited to your narrator or character, a reader might wonder if you’ve spent too much time poking around in the thesaurus .

A better stylistic move is to use a usual word in an unusual way. This allows you to create natural moments of delight and surprise for your reader, and no is thesaurus is needed because your brain already has the word bank it needs to pull this off.

To give you some ideas for your own writing, I’ve gathered five examples of how other writers have used creative word choices in various ways in their novels.

1- Take Something General and Make it Distinct

In writing, we often talk about avoiding the abstract and going for the specific. Readers bring their own associations to words, so the more general your language, the greater chance that different readers will imagine different things when they read it. In the following sentence from Lark and Termite , notice how Jayne Ann Phillips steers a general word toward something more distinct.

The spongy ground sinks underfoot, ripened and dark as any fermented secret.

“Ripened and dark” would have been good enough for most writers, but that added word “fermented”, to further modify the secret, immediately evokes the idea of decomposition, of something going sour. A precisely chosen and well-placed adjective can convey mood, tone, and content.

2-Turn a Noun Into a Verb

Many of the verbs we use every day are derived from nouns—spearhead, email, workshop, etc. You have an opportunity in your own writing to offer readers a brand-new noun-to-verb conversion we haven’t heard before. Here’s an example from Jane Austen’s Emma :

Let me not suppose that she dare goes about Emma Woodhouse-ing me!

As Austen demonstrates, almost any noun can be turned into a verb in the right situation. When you use a word as a non-customary part of speech, you can create a moment of pleasure, and potentially even humor, for your reader.

3- Pair Words That Don’t Normally Go Together

This is the kind of wordplay that poets live by and that prose writers would do well to employ. In Nutshell , by Ian McEwan, the following words are spoken by the unborn fetus who narrates the story and plays witness to his mother and uncle’s deceit.

I count myself as an innocent, but it seems I’m party to a plot. My mother, bless her unceasing, loudly squelching heart, seems to be involved.

A heart that squelches seems so wonderfully unpleasant. I hear a sucking sound. I imagine mucky blood. And without really thinking about it, a reader might bring another definition of “squelch” to their experience of this sentence—to suppress or silence. It fits so perfectly in the context of the story, and yet it’s unexpected.

4-Give Your Character a Verbal Mannerism

P.G. Wodehouse’s infamous English gentleman Bertie Wooster is a marvelous example of a character with highly-stylized speech. Here’s a bit of dialogue from Right Ho, Jeeves :

Egads, Jeeves! Fancy that. It’s a small world isn’t it, what?

Now, there’s not a more usual word in the world than “what.” And the usual place for a speaker to end this sentence would be after “it.” But Bertie is not a usual man and he often tacks an extraneous “what” onto the ends of his sentences—and the reader loves it. It’s fun. It’s distinctive. It’s Bertie.

5-Twist a Familiar Phrase

A fun way to please your reader is to take a phrase that is common, cliché even, and twist it into something new and unique. In the following passage from James McBride’s The Good Lord Bird , Pa is a preaching barber whose client has just quoted a Bible verse to him:

Hot goodness, that’s a winner!” Pa said, leaping into the air and clapping his boots together.

We’re used to hearing people shout “hot damn”, but “hot goodness” is so much more in keeping with the speech of this pious character and adds to the comicality of the scene.

It is important to remember that using creative word choices requires some restraint. Trying something linguistically surprising in every paragraph will wear out your reader. You want your prose to feel natural, not like you’re performing tricks.

But sometimes all you need is one word to punch up a character and distinguish their personality from someone else’s, to take a sentence from drab to delightful. Using the element of surprise in your story is not just a plotting tactic. It’s also useful when considering your prose.

Originally published at Scribbler . Reposted with permission.

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7 Excellent Word Choice Strategies for Teaching Descriptive Writing

How many of you are tired of reading compositions that have the same BORING words in them? Let’s turn those dull, drab words into invigorating, powerful ones. Part of writing descriptively starts right with the words we are choosing! In this post, we are diving into descriptive writing and how to get exciting word choices from our students. If you prefer to hear this information versus reading about it, you can listen to episode 96 of The Literacy Dive Podcast .

The Power of Word Choice

How many of your students use the same words over and over again? Words like good, bad, sad, and happy. These are words that just about push us over the edge. Our students use these same repetitive words because it feels comfortable for them. But that is when I began the practice of implementing ways to get them out of that comfort zone and started helping them think more creatively about the words they are choosing and using.

7 Strategies to Strengthen Word Choice

1. model using the language.

Don’t overlook the power of your modeling and sharing. This is such a clear way to set your expectations of what you want them to try. Many students have to see, watch, and listen to your thinking. Use a dull word, and intentionally correct it, out-loud, so that your students see how you make the stronger word choice. 

2. More Action, More Passion

Let’s focus on verbs and adverbs. When thinking about the action words, encourage your students to elevate their action words by introducing adverbs. This will help describe that verb and make it a more enjoyable read for the audience. For example: “I walked down the street.” This could turn into, “I walked cautiously down the street.” Adding in the adverb to describe how they walked shows that maybe something fishy is happening and the tone of the sentence tells me that maybe we need to be more aware. Adverbs are a GAME CHANGER with descriptive writing and connecting with the audience.

3. Use More Adjectives

Let’s place focus on the nouns for this one. One of the easiest ways to get students to use better word choice in their writing is to go after the noun. When students simply state something like, “I went to the movie theatre and ate some popcorn.” there are nouns we could advance. Have students generate the adjectives that could be used to describe the movie theatre AND the popcorn. Once they have shared out, you will model turning the sentences into an extremely descriptive one.

4. Draw From Your Five Senses

Here, students will practice improving word choice by using their five senses. First, they will choose a sentence from their writing that they want to improve. Next, they will make a small web or a column chart that is going to give them descriptive words connected to their sentence by way of the five senses. If using the chart form, you can have the five senses at the top, and then words can go underneath each column.  If using the web, their word can be in the middle of the web and any words that are connected to the word or sentence can be drawn off from the initial circle.

5. Look For Examples

For this strategy, you will have your students dig into texts and become more aware of the print that is around them. Be intentional in your read-alouds and have them pay close attention to the AMAZING word choices used by authors. Ask your students how it makes them feel as a reader and have them share. We want to point out that we ultimately want our audience to have that same experience and feel all the feels too. Exposure is key here . When more students can pay attention to when powerful words are used and then practice using them, the language will become second nature to them, and their compositions will be drastically enhanced.

6. Partner Practice

Here, you will give simple sentences with commonly overused words. Have your students work in pairs to create 2-3 new sentences that can spice up that plain sentence. Since we know share time is CRITICAL, have the partner groups share with the class. This exposes more opportunities for students to learn from each other and expand their learning. The more sharing, the better, as this will help activate students’ brains and they will start slowly but surely applying everything they are hearing to their writing. Having a partner provides support and joint creativity, and those sentences can be WAY better than what one student could do on their own.

7. Use a Thesaurus.

THEY ARE SCARY, I know! But if you have access to these, allow students to explore them first to see what they look like and what they notice about them. Then, you can start teaching students how to use them. These are invaluable resources that provide several synonyms and substitutes that your students can draw from and use to replace those boring words in their writing. The key with this though, is that students must know how to spell the word to find it. Online thesauruses are a great option too, as they help guide the students with finding the word they are searching for and help with the “spelling” obstacle. 

I made a mini thesaurus for my students so that they did not feel as overwhelmed when searching for words. This mini thesaurus is PERFECT for any elementary student or beginning writer and literally changed the game . It has a format for EVERY single child; a booklet format, digital option, mini-anchor charts that can be glued into notebooks or put on a reference ring, and large standard charts that could be hung on classroom walls. There is also a blank chart option for students to select words that they use over and over again and they can start filling in the synonyms that they find. Talk about promoting independence and ownership in their learning. 

Some of the ways to get the exemplary word choice that you desire are to use one or several of these strategies in your classroom. By incorporating these into your teaching, you can guide your students to step beyond their comfort zones and feel assured in their word choice and selection. I just know that both you AND your students will witness the transformation of compositions going from boring to captivating in no time.

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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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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.

If you’re looking to inspire your students’ writing and creativity, turn to these fun and exciting writing prompts. Perfect for overcoming writer’s block or even starting a brand-new short story in a different narrative, creative writing prompts can help students begin a new piece with confidence.

Plus, these story starters can also encourage students to explore different genres while honing their writing skills. There are a lot of ways you can use writing prompts in your classroom. Try: 

Reading a book in a genre, then having students use a story starter in that same genre. 

Starting off class with 10 minutes of writing, using one of the prompts below. If you'd like, you can ask a volunteer to share their story! Students may be surprised by the variety of stories that are written based on the same prompt. 

Using these prompts as an introduction to a creative writing unit. 

Providing fast finishers with a way to stay busy — and have fun. 

Using story starters to encourage students to write at home.

Adventure Story Starters 

Take inspiration from classics like Treasure Island and newer popular series like The Bad Guys to explore how to write thrilling adventure stories. And to encourage students to begin writing their own adventure-focused stories, share these creative story starters: 

You’re part of a pirate crew in search of a long-lost storied treasure trove. What is happening on the ship and where do you find the treasure? 

You get the chance to use a time machine to meet one historical figure of your choice. Who do you go meet, and what will you do to explore that time period?

You receive a fortune in a fortune cookie that changes the course of your life. What does the fortune say, and what happens when it comes true?

Get students excited about adventure stories with these great books: 

Fantasy Story Starters 

Have fans of dragons, unicorns, wizards, and other mythical creatures in class? Encourage them to give fantasy writing a shot. 

You’re on a quest through a hidden underground world that no one else has ever seen. What magical creatures do you come across? What do they look like, and how do they act? 

There is a witch who lives in a nearby legendary haunted house. She puts a hex on you that needed to be broken by the time the clock struck midnight the next night. What kind of hex is it, and how do you break it? 

You stumble into an enchanted forest. How did you find it, and what do you discover in it?

Check out these fun fantasy titles for more inspiration:

Sci-Fi Story Starters 

Kids interested in STEM concepts will love science fiction! Try these prompts to see how your students combine science with their wildest imaginations. 

• You’re the first person to ever set foot on Mars. What is it like? What do you explore first? 
• You and your friend have the same dream in the middle of the night about a prophecy that involves another dimension. What is the prophecy, and what is this other dimension? What do you and your friend have to do to reach and alter this dimension?
• After NASA discovers a whole new world of giants in a nearby nebula, they send a team of scientists through a wormhole to study them. You are one of the scientists on board. What does the journey feel like? What do the giants look like in this world? 

Plus, find great kid-friendly sci-fi here:

Genre Scrambler Story Starters 

Have some fun with genre studies by combining them! Try these prompts to get started:

• You are on an expedition in the Arctic and discover a new species of animals living in the harsh climate that no one has ever seen before. What kind of species is it, and what characteristics do they have? 
• You’re walking home from school and notice that the front door of a neighbor’s house is wide open, and no one is in sight. The old man who normally lives there is nowhere to be found. Curious, you go into the house and find that everything is fake: the furniture, the food, the technology, etc. In fact, the whole property is made of plastic, even the grass and trees! What happened to the old man who lives here? Why does this house exist, and why is everything fake? 
• You are a child living in the early 1800s in an unnamed country when an asteroid hits, releasing aliens that want to make contact with your leaders. What do these aliens want? How does everyone react?

Shop popular books of all genres that will inspire young writers below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store .