7 Words You Need To Remove From Your Vocabulary Immediately

Do you remember how your mother used to tell you all the time, when you were young, that reading is going to make you smarter? Well, she was right and now, that you are an adult, you know it too!

Having a rich vocabulary is not only a sign of intelligence, but also a tool that will come in handy in numerous occasions throughout life. Knowing what to say, when to say it and, especially, how to say it, will help you achieve your goals, get you out of awkward situations and get you right in the middle of the opportunities you are looking for.

Communicating ideas is an art, so in order to master it, it has to look good from an aesthetic point of view and it has to be meaningful in what the efficiency of the sent message is concerned. How to achieve this? Just by taking out a few words you use on a daily basis, your phrases will feel much lighter and easier to grasp through.

#1 Went

You went to work, to school, to ski, or whatever. Everyone is using this word, but there are so many other ways that will get you from point A to point B! You can walk, drive, run, fly. The sky’s the limit! You just need to put all that laziness aside and add more personality to your stories.

#2 That

The type of word you can find anywhere.It has become so common that it no longer says anything. If your sentence doesn’t really need it, don’t make extra efforts to make it fit in.

Oh, and one more thing! If you do get to use it, don’t associate it with persons. Phrases like “I know someone that does something” are not only incorrect, but also unprofessional and rude. You know someone who does something. Who!

#3 Absolutely

Redundancy at its best! Adding this word won’t make your phrase more convincing for your readers or listeners. If anything, it will only make you will look like you are trying a bit too hard. A killer combination is when you say that something is absolutely necessary. It either is necessary or it isn’t. It’s that easy! #TryHard

#4 Honestly

Did you ever get the feeling, while reading a piece of text, that all is good in the world, until the moment you stumble upon that one sentence which starts or ends with honestly? It’s like everything you have read until then is a lie, right? Well, this is a subconscious response every reader gets when the author implies the fact that the statement he is going reading is true. It automatically cancels the rest of the text, leaving the reader under the impression that everything he read was a lie. Kind of awkward, right?

#5 Very

If you use an accurate adjective, you don’t need to qualify it. However, if you do feel the need to do it, you may as well replace it. Are you trying to say that you are very happy? Why not go with ecstatic? Or if you are very sad, why not say that you are simply depressed or melancholic? Using very too often, will make people lose focus of your idea.

Also, in some cases, very has a subjective shade: saying that someone is very tall is the kind of statement which has the potential to be perceived in a different manner by two people. It’s recommended to give specific information in this situation. We’re talking about exact mathematical values!

#6 Always / Never

Apart from the fact that these 2 absolutes are true on rare occasions, they will block the speaker or the writer, for that matter, into a single position and expose him to critics’ observations for the lack of accuracy in his statements. The most appropriate environments they usually thrive in, are the written instructions or commands.

#7 Maybe

If there is one word in the world which could make you look like you didn’t do your homework, this is the one. Whether you are writing or speaking you should have your data with you all the time! Show your readers/ listeners that you know your territory and that the information you are delivering is real. Maybe is not going to get you far.

People do not have the patience to read long texts. Since their attention span gets shortened by day, it’s important to stick to the subject. Make communication easier and get rid of unnecessary words. Focus on people understanding the message you are sending them, but keep them entertained, as well.

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Photo credit: TerryJohnston via Visual hunt / CC BY