Tips to Improve Your
Business Vocabulary
By Lynn Gaertner-Johnston
In the business writing classes I lead,
people often tell me they want to use the
right verbiage to come across professionally. The first tip I offer them is to get rid of
words such as “verbiage,” which does not
mean what people typically think it does. Its
first dictionary definition is “an excess of
words for the purpose; wordiness.”
The best words in business communication
are those that communicate clearly and
precisely to us and to all our readers.
Apply these tips to improve your language.
1. Avoid using big words to impress
readers.
Use the simple aware rather than cognizant, extra
rather than superfluous, and unique rather than
inimitable. When you use words that are more
complex than necessary, you lose readers.
Remember that people read your messages for
content, not for vocabulary enrichment.
2. Choose the most precise, simple word.
Words have shades of meaning, so choose the
word that best conveys your intent. Change hot to
warm, scorching, or fiery to communicate
precisely. In my writing, I use the expression “great
relationships.” But what does great mean?
Depending on the context, it may mean supportive,
lasting, or strong—all of which are more precise
than great. When I choose a more accurate word, I
help myself and my readers be clear about my
meaning.
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3. Vary your word choices.
When you think you may have used an adjective
such as excellent too often, do an electronic search
for the word. The search should highlight each use.
You can review the highlighted words and replace
some of the excellents with words such as
outstanding, first-rate, and superb. Your software
program’s thesaurus will help you find good
synonyms—but remember Tip 1.
On the other hand, when you use a noun to name
something, use that name consistently so your
readers know that you are referring to the same
thing. For instance, if you refer to a “job aid,” avoid
also calling it a “tool,” “program,” or “memory aid”
unless the context makes it clear that all the
expressions refer to the same thing.
4. Use acronyms and abbreviations with
their spelled out versions—not alone.
Some of your readers will not know that ROW
stands for “right of way”; ETA, for “estimated time
of arrival”; and NWT, for “Northwest Territories.” It
is better to spell out your terms and communicate
effectively with all readers than to ignore the
needs of some. You have several ways to handle
spelling out abbreviations:
right of way (ROW)
ROW (right of way)
right of way. The ROW is . . .
5. Avoid slang.
Some expressions are fun to say, like chillax for
“relax.” Others are common in casual conversation,
like “My bad” for “I’m sorry” or “I made a mistake.”
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But these expressions do not work in most
business writing because they confuse some
readers and seem overly informal to others. Unless
your industry is very hip, avoid words that
dictionaries describe as slang.
6. Avoid clichés, which seem to
communicate well but are often vague.
In a recent class, a participant said she would like
to write more creatively by thinking outside the
box. My suggestion to her: Stop using clichés such
as “outside the box”!
Your grammar and spelling checker should flag
well-known clichés. And you can read your
message or document once through just to search
for overused expressions—things like “bottom
line,” “proof is in the pudding,” and “when all is
said and done.” Can you think of different ways to
communicate the ideas of those three clichéd
expressions? In each case, it depends what you
mean. The “bottom line,” for example, can mean
“In summary,” “net cost,” “the current status,” or
something else.
7. Master tricky word pairs and trios.
Be sure to make the correct choice with word trios
and pairs such as insure-ensure-assure, site-sightcite, appraise-apprise, amount-number, fewer-less,
and discrete-discreet to avoid distracting your
readers with word-choice errors. Your grammar
and spelling checker may flag a word that you have
used correctly, so it is important to understand
word pairs well enough to be confident.
Style guides such as The Chicago Manual of Style
and The Gregg Reference Manual list and explain
words that are often confused. My booklet “60
Quick Word Fixes” includes 60 confusing pairs and
trios. It is available from Syntax Training as a
printed booklet or a PDF for US$7.00.
8. Pay attention to the great
communicators in your company.
Notice and copy the effective language that leaders
and strong communicators use. But do not adopt
any use of jargon such as “value chain” and
“mission critical,” which readers may see and hear
often but not understand. If you do not have
communicators in your company who can serve as
role models, pick up a best-selling business book.
Such books typically use short, powerful sentences
made up of crisp, precise language.
9. Write short to medium-length complete
sentences.
Short sentences come across as powerful and
confident, which may be your real goal when you
think about vocabulary development. The average
length of sentences in this article is 15 words, with
no complicated words that slow down your
understanding. I wrote the article at eighth-grade
level, which is the level of complexity I recommend
for clear, strong writing.
Perhaps these tips for improving your business
vocabulary were not what you expected. Were
you hoping for ways to learn big, impressive
words? You can find plenty of vocabulary-building
exercises online. But those complex words—things
like perspicacious and salutary—will not help you
communicate successfully. Just use simple,
accurate language.
The mission of Syntax Training is to help employees and
managers write better. Syntax Training courses provide
participants with tools, tips, strategies, skill practice,
feedback, and job aids to help them write better, guaranteed. The company is located in Seattle, Washington, USA.
For more information, visit www.syntaxtraining.com or email
[email protected].
For more business writing tips, visit Lynn’s blog at
www.businesswritingblog.com.
Do not copy, reprint, or distribute this material without written permission.
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