What's in a Word

By Colleen Walsh Fong

I should have listened to my dad when he gave me the best advice a professional writer can get. “Write it so a 10-year old can understand it.”

My dad was a skilled and avid business writer. So was my first boss who gave me the same advice. But I didn’t want to take it. After all, I’d earned a college degree. So I ignored their counsel even though I knew my boss would give my elevated vocabulary the blue pencil treatment. But I’ve come to embrace what I couldn’t accept in younger days. Partly because I want a wide audience to read what I write. And partly because I’m personally tired of having to go to the dictionary to make sure I know what a word means.

Write Clear Copy

We live in a society where 5-word sound bites catch the most eyes, and 400-word articles are the maximum most people will take the time to read. Keeping it easy keeps readers engaged. The best-read writers use simple language, no matter how many advanced degrees they’ve acquired.

I have a decent vocabulary, but I have to check on a word once in a while, too, just to be sure I know what is being said. Take the recent Facebook chat I had with a friend.

Friend: “It might work better as an epistolary.”

Me: “Does that mean I have to go to church to hear it? Please dumb your language down for me.”

Friend: “How dumb? K-5? 6-8? 9-12?”

Me: “Today? Pre-K.”

I figured epistolary had something to do with letters because I’ve sat through many a church service containing one or two epistles. They were always letters, usually from Paul to a group. I seem to recall that the Corinthians were frequent recipients of his missives. But I wasn’t completely sure. So I quickly ran the word through Dictionary.com and found I was on safe ground. But I couldn’t resist letting my friend know that she was writing a little bit above my pay grade. Just for the fun of it.

Write the Right Words

I guessed pretty close to correctly on “epistolary,” but I feel like I lucked into that one and I’m still glad I checked. I’m sure I’ve made plenty of verbal faux pas in my time. I’ve hid a few smiles over incorrect usage sent my way, too.

Like when an acquaintance attempted to praise a letter I’d written and read aloud to a group gathered for that purpose. She was moved to tears by my words. Taking me aside afterward, she said, “Colleen, that was absolutely prosaic.” Given her tone and genuinely kind disposition I’m pretty sure she meant “poetic,” or something along those lines. Because prosaic means “commonplace, dull, unimaginative, and matter of fact.” So her use of it would have been kind of a putdown in that context.

Keep your language simple to avoid those kinds of mistakes. And take a moment to check before using a word you’re unsure about or don’t use often. It can prevent misuse that could offend.

Colleen is an author and a freelance writer specializing in custom content to help businesses grow.