Know What to Say

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I was having a conversation with a group of people the other day that went a little something like this:

Person 1: *says something silly and outlandish*

Person 2: *in laughter and casual humor * “Okay, you can be defenestrated now.”

*record scratch*

Everyone gets quiet. “Wait, what does that mean?”

Person 2: “Siri, what does defenestrate mean?”

Siri: “Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window”

*Everyone laughs*

Execution: 10/10.

In addition to making a joke, he taught everyone something and sparked up another conversation with just one uncommon word.

A quick web search will yield tons of articles that will either tell you that using “big words” won’t make you sound smarter or provide tips about speaking in only in layman’s terms. With the former, I agree. You don't need spelling bee favorites to win over an audience. With the latter, however, I can't fully agree. Like most things, your conversations should be filled with a good mix.

The trick with throwing seldom-used words into a conversation or a piece, is to do so effectively – in a way that is fun but isn’t pretentious.

There’s a method to using your vocabulary effectively. Here’s the short:

Know what to say: 4 Ways to Choose the Right Words

1. Choose sparingly. One well-placed "unusual" word won’t make you sound over-the-top. Instead, it might add some pizzazz to the conversation or show that you’re more knowledgeable about a specific topic.

Like the conversation I mentioned above, sometimes hearing some thing out of the ordinary can spark a new conversation or brighten up an otherwise dull presentation.

And remember, a word doesn’t have to be “big” to be brilliant. Words like “ennui” or “umbrage” pack a punch without being lengthy.

2. Add value. Before you haphazardly use a word, make sure you understand its charge, that is, its connotation.

For example, if you want to say that someone is proud, you might use "confident" instead of "prideful" or "arrogant", if the comment isn't meant to be insulting. Do these words have similar definitions? Yep! But be careful, because they have different feels.

This applies to most words. Before you choose one, think: will this add value or subtract it?

3. Fight the fluff. The best time to add a unique word is in place of bulky adverbs or boring qualifying words like “many” or “very”. In place, insert a word that would be more concise and better fitting.

 “Substitute damn every time you’re inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”

- Mark Twain

Stop trying to fluff up your statements with silly qualifiers. Why describe your mood as "extremely bored" when you could better classify that feeling with the aforementioned word "ennui"? ( It's "a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement", by the way.) See? This one word gave a more descriptive portrayal than just the standard expression.

4. Load up.  Stay up-to-date. Never miss the opportunity to learn new words - industry-specific or otherwise. Whether short or long, simple or complex, keep them coming. The more variety you have in your repertoire, the better your writing can be.

Tips: Download the Merriam Webster app for the "Word of the Day". Open the dictionary at random and find a word you don't already know. Play word games like Words With Friends or Scrabble. And, I can't stress this enough: read! Read books, articles, blogs, whatever! The more you take in, the more words you have the chance to experience.

Remember, it’s not about the length of the words, but the width of the lexicon.

#DictionaryDay