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Keeping Readers Engaged by Varying Your Words
By Jeff Davidson MBA, CMC
With any form of written communications, too often, we become fixated towards using particular words and begin to unconsciously develop a mundane, routine style of writing. While this style may be perfectly adequate, over-employing the same words and phrases ultimately weakens your desired impact and does not contribute to personal development.
Listed below are 100 words commonly employed in business and marketing related documents, followed by alternative words for each of the original 100 presented. This list provides a handy, mini-thesaurus which can be referred to in the office, at home or on location.
adequate - satisfactory, sufficient, tolerable, enough
against - opposite to, toward, in disagreement with, in preparation for
also - additionally, and, too, as well, besides, furthermore, moreover
allocate - allot, dispose, place a portion
analysis - breakdown, classification, commentary differentiation, discussion, inquiry, mathematics, separation, theorization, investigation
analyze - breakdown, classify, differentiate, discriminate, discuss, dissect, reason, explain
any - anything, some, every, one
apparent - appearing, probable, visible, plain, evident, clear, obvious
apparently - externally, seemingly, visibly
approach - address, arrive, converge, resemble
approximate - near, relative, similar, approaching
approximately - nearly, virtually
area - location, region, size, space, classify, order, influence, direct, place, group
arrange - classify, order, influence, direct, place, group
assist - help, aid, subsidize, remedy, support, back
assure - affirm, convince, guarantee, make sure, promise, pledge, warrant
basic - underlying, simple, essential, vital, main, chief, essential, fundamental
basis - cause, foundation, justification, motive, premise
bias - deviation, bend, partiality, preference, tendency, influence, prejudice, induration
business - activity, affair, commerce, company, duty, occupation, undertaking, vocation, trade
calculate - compute, measure, plan, figure, tally, determine
capability - ability, preparedness, skill, talent
capital - funds, means, resources, cash, money, assets, property, wealth
chance - gamble, possibility, opportunity, probability, prospect
check v. - audit, compare, examine, monitor, review, investigate, test
choose - desire, select, pick, decide on
collect - assemble, procure, compile, store, join, gather, accumulate
company - association, firm, group, unit, business
contract - agreement, undertaking, promise, pact
control v. - direct, govern, influence, rule, command
copy v. - imitate, duplicate, remake, reproduce; n. - facsimile, carbon, print
decrease - diminish, reduce, subtract, lessen, decline, dwindle
demonstrate - display, explain, cite, check, prove, represent, show, exhibit
denote - indicate, signify, designate
determine - decide, discover, learn, resolve, settle
discuss - confer, debate, analyze, deliberate, consider
exhibit - display, flaunt, illustrate
fact - truth, evidence, information, certainty, reality
fail - neglect, weaken, fall short, decline, insufficient, miss
finally - consequently, eventually, last
get - acquire, become, discover, incur, obtain, receive, take, secure
go - become, depart, extend, move, operate, progress
guidelines - plan, precept, rule
have - experience, permit, possess, receive, own, hold
help - aid, facilitate, serve, subsidize, assist, support, back, encourage
include - combine, comprise, enclose, join, embrace, involve
increase - add to, advance, amplify, develop, multiply, enlarge, extend, prolong
inadequate - incomplete, ineffective, insufficient, unsatisfactory
information - data, figures, report, facts, knowledge
item - commodity, component, part, element
labor - occupation, task, work
list - record, inventory, enumeration, register, roll
literature - written matter, writing, lore
location - place, position, site, spot, area
maintain - defend, presence, retain, support, sustain, keep, continue
make - accomplish, acquire, cause, compel, convert, create, execute, perform, manufacture, produce, form, build, construct
manage - direct, govern, control, handle, lead, pilot, operate, supervise, administer
method - plan, way, system, technique, approach, means
modify - change, diversify, quality, alter, vary, adjust
nation - country, population, community, republic
national - public, universal
normal - average, common, customary, natural, ordinary, typical, healthy, source, whole
number - amount, numeral, sum, total, collection, quantity
objective - intention, will, goal, purpose, commitment, aim
observe - examine, see, watch, notice, witness, regard
obviously - visibly, plainly, clearly, positively, really, certainly, surely, evidently
operate - plot, sum, pilot, act, use, manage
original - basic, causal, fundamental, native, new, preceding
organization n. - association, unit, business, entity, company, firm, corporation
perform - accomplish, execute, produce, achieve
points n. - items, particulars, tips, topics
procure - acquire, induce, purchase, elicit, obtain
produce - accomplish, cause, create, indicate, perform, yield, supply
product - commodity, end product, result, sum, yield, stock
proposal - intention, offer, project, program, scheme
provide - allow, yield, give, supply, furnish, equip
purpose - function, intention, meaning, resolution, object, end, aim
question - issue, puzzle, query, remark, topic, inquiry, interview, ask
rank - classify, judge, align, order, arrange, grade, order, standing
readily - eagerly, easily, willingly, promptly, quickly
reduce - contract, decrease, denote, depress, diminish, shorten, simplify, subdue, lessen
report n. - account, record, document, testimony
represent - delineate, describe, mediate, substitute for, act
resolve - analyze, decide, determine, reconcile, solve, conclude, confirm
resource - capital, skill, reserve, source of supply
review n. - commentary, discussion, examination, narrative, study
scan v. - discuss, examine, judge, re-examine, study, analyze, browse, examine, skim
shift - convert, change, move, remove, deviate, vacillate
solve - explain, resolve, answer, unravel
source - motive, origin, beginning
study v. - consider, discuss, examine, seek
system - nature, order, plan, way
take - acquire, entail, receive, believe, pick, choose, select, remove, lift, win, capture
thus - hence, so, similarly, in this way
trend - course, direction, flow, fashion
ultimate - eventual, final, farthest, top, last
use v. - employ, exploit, deal with, consume, expand
venture n. - investment, undertaking, speculation
work n. - function, effort, labor, task, vocation, position
yield - provide, submit, give, relinquish, supply