Language fascinates me. The ability to share our deepest thoughts and develop an emotional bond through words is simply magic. Words define us, drive and motivate us, and are among the most powerful legacies we leave behind long after we are gone. “Ask not what your country can______,” “I have a _____,” One small step for_______,” all words which are encoded into our collective psyche like the DNA in our chromosomes.
There is an art to language and we each have our own palette and unique style to how we paint our individual canvas of the world. Yet, there are words which dull our canvas. We reach for them in those moments when it’s easier to fill the gap with what’s easy rather than what’s accurate. Few, if any of us, are immune to that.
I’m not referring to the occasional expletive, even those have their place in sometimes punctuating a powerful thought. Instead, I’m referring to words that we use as crutches rather than taking the time to think of what we really want to say. And, like a crutch, using them all too often will weaken your mental muscles and put you at a severe disadvantage when it comes expressing yourself and your ideas in a compelling way.
“Not unlike using too many filters in an attempt to make a photograph more beautiful, using too many adverbs makes whatever you’re saying seem contrived and sometimes just plain old fake. What you are saying becomes a caricature of language.”
Most crutch words tend to be adjectives or adverbs. The adjectives are easy to spot because when used as a crutch they are most often hyperbolic; fantastic, extraordinary, wonderful, huge. We all know people who can’t help but string these together in describing even the most mundane. Are you thinking of who I’m thinking of?
Adverbs, however, are much more subtle in how they are used. they seem to flow with the sentence. Because of this we quite literally use them liberally in cases where they are basically not needed, honestly. (Point made?)
These are also words that many times are used as a complete sentence to express a moment of surprise, indignation, or simply humor. Nothing wrong with that if you’re in a setting where playful banter isn’t going to be misconstrued. But using these words in that way in a professional setting, especially with people who you’re unfamiliar with, can leave lots of room for the wrong interpretation.
While each of these six words has its place, the downside of using them too often is that your reader or listener will start to tune you out. Rather than emphasize your point they start to diminish the importance of it. Not unlike using too many filters in an attempt to make a photograph more beautiful, using too many adverbs makes whatever you’re saying seem contrived and sometimes just plain old fake. What you are saying becomes a caricature of language.
According to the folks at dictionary.com these are the five crutch words to avoid. I’ve made it six by adding one of my all time favorites:
1) Actually
As with most crutch words “actually” is often used to add some emphasis to what follows. “Actually, that’s not what I was saying.” Instead try just dropping Actually or use something more accurate, such as, “The point I was trying to make is…” Better yet, use a pause. Few things are more powerful in drawing attention to your point that a little bit of staged silence just before you make it.
2) Literally
Literally seems to be pervasive in spoken conversation. According to Dictionary.com it “is one of the most frequently used crutch words in English.” This is also one of those words that appeals to tweens and teens who somehow feel it makes whatever they are saying sound much more intelligent. So, unless you’re an twelve-year-old, that’s exactly why you should stay away from it.
3) Basically
Whenever someone uses this word I instantly feel as though I’m being spoken down to. Partly because the actual meaning is that something is basic. Therefore the author or speaker is assuming that if they don’t tell me it’s basic I won’t get it. As with almost all crutch words, their use feels contrived and unnecessary, causing the listener or reader to pause and wonder why the words was included. That acts like a speed bump to the flow of what is being said.
4) Honestly
Adding Honestly to anything you say or write does anything but make it seem honest. If I don’t think your honest your telling me isn’t going to convince me. Just drop it unless the point you are trying to make is simply not obvious without the word. For example, “He answered honestly, even thought nobody believed him.”
5) Obviously
If you want to turn someone off or put them on the defensive go ahead and add Obviously to whatever you are saying. “Obviously, you don’t understand me.” If it’s that obvious then you must be implying that the listener or reader isn’t capable of discerning the obvious; great way to win friends and influence people.
6) Seriously
This was not on the original list but it is one of my personal favorites. So, should it be assumed that everything else I say is not to be taken seriously, or am I implying that the listener or reader isn’t capable of taking anything seriously?
What all of this words have in common is that they are almost always unnecessary and interchangeable. In fact, just like expletives, you could pretty much substitute any one of them for another and not change the meaning of what you were saying.
What I find especially interesting about these particular words is that their use has increased significantly over the past 50 to 60 years. Perhaps indicative of a broader laziness in the use of language or our tendency to be hyperbolic in order to rise above the increasing background noise of our world.
But if you use them regularly you’re likely to achieve just the opposite; they will not only make you come off as a bit of a buffoon, but they will act as obstacles in getting your message across, __________ (insert your favorite crutch word here).
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.