10 Words to Avoid in Your Writing
December 6th, 2007, by Michael StelznerSome words spark interest and draw in readers.
Other words send people running for the hills (look out, incoming solution!).
As a writer, especially for white papers, it is important to avoid the overused jargon (or gobbledygook as my friend David Meerman Scott calls it).
The folks over at Technology Evaluation put a great list together.
What follows are the most overused words in white papers:
#10 - sustainable
#9 – tightly integrated
#8 – cutting edge
#7 – turnkey
#6 – mission critical
#5 – features and benefits
#4 – paradigm
#3 – synergy
#2 – scalable/scalability
#1 – solution
Are you guilty of using these words? Are there others you would add to the list?
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December 6th, 2007 at 6:19 am
I’d add innovative. It’s a good word, it’s got plenty of potential to stir the imagination, and it’s overused.
Looking over your list, I realize that many of the words are ones that hold no meaning to most people. Synergy? Sounds great. Does the working-class market and average Joe know what it means? Probably not.
Scalability. Unless you’re a webmaster or a programmer, you probably have no clue what this one means… it sounds ugly, too. Scales? Yuck.
Paradigm… Uh, let me get back to you. I need to look this one up to refresh my memory. I’ll probably be joining plenty of others at the dictionary.
When you write, keep your targeted reader in mind. Make sure the words are common enough that they’re easily understood or add plenty of imaginative impact as well as written effect. That’s my two cents
December 6th, 2007 at 7:37 am
Whoa, easy there Michael.
I like paradigms, especially after they’ve been sauted in butter and garlic !
‘Solution’ seems to be a tweener for me. Have you got a few replacements for theses that we could use ?
Maybe that would make for a nice post idea (hint,hint).
December 6th, 2007 at 7:46 am
Mike, I am not sure what the solution is to the word solution. I think there is a paradigm shift going on that questions the sustainability of the word. Perhaps if we work together, the synergy will result in a tightly integrated alternative.
December 6th, 2007 at 8:07 am
Good one Mike !
Whattaya think ?
Is it worth it to create a post that offers alternatives to the gobbledymessiness out there ?
December 6th, 2007 at 8:33 am
I disagree with their assessment of the word solution. Everyone seems ‘johnny on the spot’ to poo-poo the word, but no one is able to come up with a one word replacement for it.
As I wrote in my blog today, I think that many writers today are far too hung up on being fashionably ‘in-style’ rather than simply using words that connect with a business audience.
http://www.whitepapercompany.com/blog/?p=690
Jonathan
December 6th, 2007 at 8:51 am
Hi Mike,
I’m new to your sphere; however, a friend sent me here to freshen up on what words to quit using in my sales pitches (lol)! You have an excellent list, and a lot of very funny commenters!
Personally, I think the work “automation” is very over used! Every offer I find in my field (mlm) seems to want people to believe that generating an income is done by a form of “automation”!
However, I did find one guy - James Brausch at http://www.freedombusinesssystem.com/ , seems to have a fresh look for people wanting to know just how much work an Internet business takes.
And James doesn’t ever imply that it is a form of “automation”. In fact, he does not mince business words at all… lol!
Just what word should replace “automation” in the business world… “work”?
Hey Mike, I’m sorry for taking so much of your space! I have really enjoyed reading your post, and the comments of your followers. I should be back quite often!
Thanks for the insight…
Don
December 6th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Mike,
To ‘cutting edge’ I’d like to add ‘bleeding edge.’ Maybe that’s not really an overused word. But it sure it one that raises my hackles.
And let’s do find a new to say ‘mission critical’ and ‘features and benefits.” I use ‘em. And wish I could offer some better terms, but I’m stumped.
Thanks for sharing,
Manya
December 6th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I was just thinking about this yesterday. The one word I’m tired of seeing is “ensure”. Not sure if it fits here, but I’m worn out with it just the same.
@James: Scalability? If that’s a programming/graphics term, I’ve never used it. Sounds like boardroom presentation filler to me.
@ Johnathan: Here’s one - elucidation.
December 6th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
I’m tired of hearing “unpacking” as in “unpacking these concepts.” When I consider a concept (which is probably overused, too) I hardly think of unpacking.
December 8th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
The big one for me is “utilize”. Totally overused and a technical term. How about that good old-fashioned word instead - “use”?
December 10th, 2007 at 5:12 am
@ Christie - Oh, I am so with you. I can’t STAND “utilize”! Talk about lofty!
@ Harry - Scalability means it can grow with your business. I think.
Another overused word: Maximize.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:01 am
“utilize” and “maximize” are great, but they can’t beat “leverage”.
December 10th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
A bit of a left turn, but terms like “open the kimono” and “kick the tires” drive me bonkers.
I’d also add:
- Optimize (maybe anything with “—ize”)
- Net-net (and other two word combos, like “win-win”)
- Value added
- White paper (*grin* - just seeing if you’re still reading).
Best,
Mark
December 14th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Mark, you may have been joking, but I think you are on to something. How about the term “white paper”? As a telesales rep, it is part of my script to “send you some white papers”. An interested contact almost always asks for some “white papers”. Internally, we needed to “update our white papers”. Does anyone else get sick of it? Just mix it up a bit, no matter what the term. New terminology (in my experience) for the same thing tends to temporarily wake people up from their repetition-induced automation that they slip into every morning at 9:00, to actually listen to you if for only a second.
January 4th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Here’s my nomination: Leading
Everybody is “a leading” fill-in-the-blank, where what comes next is so narrowly defined that *of course* you’re the leading one of those. Unless you are “*the* leading” fill-in-the-blank (because you are, say, Walmart or GE), it’s a completely empty word.