Words hold power. Your usage of words will say a lot
about you. People subconsciously judge your level of education, values and
competence based on your word usage, both in speech and in writing. So, here is
a list of 10 common words you need to eliminate from your vocabulary to sound
smarter.
1. Very
Very is a modifier. It is intended to magnify the effect of an adjective or adverb. Using very makes your statement less specific. It is also subjective and doesn’t convey the exact picture. So instead of being very happy, be ecstatic.
Basically is a common word used while recollecting thoughts before elaborating. But using basically in front of a sentence is condescending and you are implying that the listener/reader is not smart enough to understand the topic and you are going to dumb it down.
Like is a very popular filler used by millennials in
recent years. It shows immaturity and is usually frowned upon. So stop using it
as it does not serve any purpose.
Literally
means its actually happening. So using this word in front of popular phrases
doesn’t make sense. “It is literally raining cats and dogs
outside”.No, it is not raining animals outside. So stop using the word
excessively.
5. Sort of
Using the word sort of conveys a message that
you are not sure about what you are talking about. Use similar words like,
to a certain degree, quite instead of sort of.
6. Always/Never
Unless giving commands or instruction, always/never
imply there are absolutely no exceptions. This may seem close-minded or even be
inaccurate at times.
7. Shall
Shall is used in legal
parlance. Though it denotes obligation it also can be confused with a
prediction of action in the future. So use must instead of shall.
8. Obviously
By using obviously, you are chiding or
undermining the other person's ability to understand. So avoid this word.
9. Stuff
This word is very generic and informal. If a specific
thing is not worthy to be mentioned, don’t mention it at all instead of using stuff
to denote it.
10. Yeah
Yeah is a causal American
word used for acknowledgement. It is not suitable to use it professionally. Instead,
use yes to sound more intelligent and respectable.
Written By - Adarsh Krishnaa V
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