Choice of Words Matters!

I’ve been struck by the fact how often our words fly by each other without any real meaning attached. Do you think these meaningless words ever reach with impact to the person(s) intended? Of course, not. Have you also noticed that in result of the above, how punctuated and meaningless our exchanges have become? We may appear to somehow normalized such nonsensical exchanges, bereft of any genuine meaning. Real intention, real inquiry, and real care have slipped out of the window as we verbally transact with each other in a robotic way.

A report from Forrester titled Words Matter: Inclusive Experiences Start With Inclusive Language states: “Practicing inclusive language and design helps to get and keep customers, boost employee engagement, can help avoid embarrassing PR when the wrong words are used, and more. In the Forrester report, five Best Practices were shared. Here is a summary of what you need to know”.

1. Words Reveal Our True Character

According to James W. Pennebaker, the written word can often give away clues about the person who wrote it, from their age to their gender. There’s a ton of valuable information hidden in the subtext of our use of pronouns and articles.

Women, in general, have been found to use more pronouns than men and make greater references to others. Men typically opt for longer words and use more articles.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the older generation is often better at writing and expressing themselves clearly. They’re more aware of negative-emotion words, like “alarming” or “discouraging,” and opt instead for positive speech, probably because they’ve learned from past mistakes. Use of words can also be a sign as to whether someone is telling the truth or not, depending on how they structure their speech.

2. Choose Your Words Wisely

A word is the simplest part of any language. While communicating or delivering any ideas or thoughts, we must use appropriate words. Remember that our choice of vocabulary heavily depends on whether we read or not and what we read. To simplify, choice of words is a person’s choice or selection of words. There are many factors which determine or compel a person for a word choice.

A word choice is an important part of any communication. It is a manner in which something is expressed. The choice of words is the style of expression. A person, in general, chooses words to which s/he feels comfortable, confident, and simple enough for a general audience to understand. Same goes for the harsh and swears some people do.

3. Simplify Communication

Remember, when we open an instruction book for a new home appliance or read a publication and find the complex language. The technical jargons and complicated language don’t really serve any purpose. The result is often difficulty in understanding and loss of interest and even intent why we even bought that very product.

In business, leaders say that clear communication helps to keep both internal and external customers happy. So they advise teams to use simple language when writing or speaking to the public. Policymakers may write laws with complex language, but they try to speak so their messages get transmitted clearly and without any ambiguity.

4. Eliminate Exclusionary Language

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The earliest use of this old proverb occurred in The Christian Recorder, an American publication for a Black audience, in 1862. While the proverb was meant to show indifference to unpleasant things or insults, unfortunately it isn’t accurate when it comes to harmful and exclusionary language. Increasingly, we’re all becoming more aware of the importance of being inclusive. And that’s a good thing.

Language does have a profound effect on the people around us, and our words and behaviours can be incredibly engaging and damaging depending upon how we communicate — especially those who have been historically underrepresented or misrepresented. It’s embedded with deeper meanings, peppered by shared history, values, experiences, class, gender, and much more, overt and covert. Use of words that draws attention to or offends any person with a disability. (“I was crippled by that response,” or use of words, such as “spastic,” “idiot,” or “moron.”)

5. Filler Words Add No Value

Filler words are also known as discourse markers. Native English speakers unintentionally use these words when they need help finding the right word or they’re still thinking about what to say next, especially when they talk extempore. In public speaking, filler terms can be a problem because they can make us appear uncertain or unprepared. They can also distract the audience and make our message less effective.

Using filler terms, however, is not limited to public speaking or conversations. We can also spot them in written text like essays or articles. In writing, we can use these words to emphasize a point or make a sentence sound more conversational. However, it can make our writing seem unclear and distract readers from the main issues we’re trying to convey.

Parting Note

To conclude, I strongly suggest my readers to talk or write in plain and simple language. Let’s use words that our audiences (employees, customers, family memebrs, even our helpers at work or at home) can understand the first time they hear or read them. Using easy-to-understand words can actually increase customer satisfaction.

So, now we know that when we choose words to express our ideas or speak our mind, we not only have to think about what makes sense and sound the best to us but also what will make sense and sound the best to our audience. Thinking about the reader and their expectations will also help us make better choices. As word choice is important, reviewing the evaluative modifiers is one way to revise for word choice.

About the Author

Muhammad Sajwani is a C-Level HR, Transformation Leader, Board Advisor, Business Coach & Organisational Consultant working in the capacity of Managing Director, Evolve HR. He is an author, columnist and a contributor who besides writing for other platforms also regularly writes at BizCatalyst 360. He brings along 30+ years of local & international experience. He is a change catalyst specializing in unleashing the human Dreamgenius through Leadership, Creativity and Change Management. Muhammad has been instrumental in helping organizations come to terms with organizational changes like right-sizing and business process re-engineering. His innovative approach & high personal competence encourages people to not only accept change, but also to excel in it. Muhammad has diverse experience in conducting strategic & management development programs, conferences & events for organizations across sectors.