Do you sound smarter by using big words?
Based on a study published in “Applied Cognitive Psychology,” the answer is no.
Using big words in your writing makes you sound shallow-minded. This can be useful for students who are in need of ace writing. Take, for example, the title of this study: “The implications of learned colloquial language utilized regardless of the necessity.”
I bet it would sound better to give a simple title to this study. Something like “The consequences of using big words when it is not needed”
Hence avoid using big words that are irrelevant. Brilliant writing involves conveying your ideas in clear, concise, and simple terms.
Below are 10 ways to sound brilliant without using big words that are irrelevant.
#1. Choose simple words
Write simple words to drive your points home. Use “help” instead of “facilitate,” use “speed” instead of” velocity,” use “distance” instead of “displacement.” Only use longer or bigger words if their meaning is so specific that no other words can be used.
#2. Have something to say
Having something to say can make your writing easier and faster. If there is nothing to say, you would be forced to write sentences that lack depth or substance and also don’t deliver anything relevant.
To avoid this kind of situation, you must develop yourself by reading widely, taking notes and choosing your topics carefully. Then you can share your information with the readers.
#3. Be specific
Take a minute to consider these two sentences below:
“I grow lots of orange trees on my farmland”
Or
“I grow 24 varieties of orange trees on my farmland, including Valencia orange, bitter orange, Cara Cara orange, and blood orange.”
Which do you find more interesting? I bet the second sentence.
#4. Write short sentences
This is one rule that should always be observed. It is good to keep sentences short. This makes it easier to read and understand. A sentence should convey one simple thought. More than that makes it confusing and difficult to understand.
#5. Use the active voice
It is preferable to use active voice instead of a passive one in an English sentence. People find an active voice more interesting and easy to read. An active voice is better expressed in the SVO sentence pattern. That is the subject, verb, and object sequence. When this sequence is reversed, it becomes a passive voice.
#6. Keep paragraphs short
Just as it is good to keep sentences short, it is good also to write short paragraphs. Short paragraphs make reading easier since our brain absorbs information better when it’s broken into small segments.
In academic writing, each paragraph should convey an idea and can include many sentences. However, in casual writing, the paragraphs could be short as a single sentence or even a word.
#7. Eliminate fluff words
It’s good to avoid using qualifying words, such as “instead,” “very,” and “little,” because they don’t add substance to your writing. Fluff words can be empty and sometimes distracting.
#8. Don’t repeat yourself
Don’t write the same thing repeatedly. Say something once rather than several times to avoid boring your readers. Because if you repeat yourself or write the same thing, your readers will fall asleep.
#9. Don’t overwrite
Writing too much translates to writing less. It simply means you have little value to add or add a lot of unnecessary words. Before writing, you must put yourself in the background and consider your readers first. Then focus on the message.
#10. Edit thoroughly
Editing may be the difference between an excellent writing and poor writing. After writing your original text, set it aside for a few hours or days, then delete and rewrite any sentence that doesn’t add depth. Although it’s not wrong to write in a casual style, avoid adding extra words that would not add meaning.
Conclusively, no one can ever be a perfect writer, and nobody expects us to be. However, we can all improve our writing style and sound smart by following these tips above and writing in a natural way.
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