Word Power—Boost Yours and Get Noticed!

Q. I was embarrassed today when two of us gave presentations on the same topic. I didn’t finish college, and just talked the way I usually do. The other person sometimes used bigger words, and made a better impression. I know I’m just as smart and my ideas are just as good. But she had their attention and won her point. What is your opinion of this? —Florence T.

A. Everyday words usually work best, and are best for clear communication. But sometimes a more sophisticated word is more precise—and appropriate. Using a wider range of vocabulary also can send a strong message that you have strong, commanding ideas and clear thinking. You may have a valuable opportunity to build an even stronger image for yourself. It’s not difficult, takes only a few moments a day, and you may find that it boosts your confidence as well as your word power!

In general, people today don’t have the vocabulary power that people had years ago. In 1950, the average 14-year-old had a vocabulary of 50,000 words. Today, the average teenager knows only 25,000 words. That’s one of the reasons many teenagers speak so poorly and don’t make a positive impression on adults. Whether you went to college has little to do with your vocabulary. What matters is how serious you are about building a powerful vocabulary, and learning how to express yourself professionally.

We form perceptions about the people we meet based on how they look and how they conduct themselves. Psychologists have conducted experiments with people dressed smartly in business clothes and those dressed more informally—in jeans, for example.

When both groups asked strangers if they could borrow a quarter for a phone call, the well-dressed people got more quarters—easily. People just trusted them more—simply because of the professional way they looked.

Our Speech Gives Us Away

Another example: How much credibility do you give to someone’s explanation of a movie or TV show, when you hear, “Me and Joe watched it last night and it was, like, you know, totally awesome. At the end, Joe goes, ‘Man, I was really into that.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, me, too.’ “

Increasingly, many of us have too easily joined a trend that’s been called the “dumbing down” of America. Today the average person watches television more than 30 hours a week. There’s not much opportunity to build a powerful, commanding vocabulary watching “American Idol” “Dancing With The Stars,” or “Desperate Housewives.” Successful business professionals respect accurate analyses, expressed clearly and forcefully. Having and using a powerful vocabulary can help us gain that respect. Smart executives on the way up learned this lesson early in their careers.

I’m not suggesting that you look for opportunities to use big words just for their own sake. You'll appear phony if you start saying “remuneration” instead of “pay” or “salary.” And you should always choose words appropriate for your audience. The words you

choose to talk informally with co-workers may be quite different from those you’d want

to use to a group of scientists, engineers, or software programmers.

A good guideline you can follow for using for clear, professional language gains respect is the way national television news anchors and reporters speak. Listen to how they pronounce their words, and their choice of words. You don’t have to have a dictionary next to you to understand them, but I think you’ll agree they have a good command of English—and show clear thinking. My best advice: imitate them, and start learning and using—at least one new word each day.

You’ll find many good books on how to increase your word power, and a good source is the Internet. Here are some valuable sites:

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day —

Subscribe free; receive a new word each day; selections are valuable, helpful, practical, ideal for business.

A.Word.A.Day —

Get a new word every day; interesting, but sometimes a little impractical.

Oxford English Dictionary: Word of the Day —

A complete history of the word through the centuries.

The Mavens’ Word of the Day –

Interesting facts about each word and its use. Practical and helpful.

Travlang's Word of the Day —

Travel-related words, translated into 50 languages.

Cool Word of the Day—

Interesting facts about words like “domino," " vitriolic." 10-day free trial, then $8 a year.

Word Central –

Interesting graphics for young readers; student dictionary; Word of the Day; interactive word games.

Enjoy your growth. And maybe the next time you speak at a meeting you’ll say something like this: “We now have an astounding marketing opportunity. The apparent dichotomy between the need for higher profits and stepped-up advertising is easily resolved—with just two simple strategies.” Or maybe, “We recently discovered an anomaly between our traditional marketing demographics, and who’s actually buying our product today.”