Why say “that’s an anomaly,” when you can just say “that’s odd”? Maybe it’s because you’re trying to look more intelligent. A study by the education platform Preply, found that nearly three in five people have used complex vocabulary to appear smarter. Often, it’s to make a good impression. The survey found that seven in 10 said they had used complex vocabulary to impress someone in a professional setting, most often their boss and colleagues.
It seems to be working. More than three quarters of respondents believed that using big words or a complex vocabulary makes someone seem smarter. But 58% of the people in the survey admitted they’d used a word to sound smarter, even though they didn’t know what it meant.
“Big words only work if you know how to use them,” says innovation and leadership consultant Val Wright, author of Words That Work, Communicate Your Purpose, Your Profit, and Your Performance. “If 58% of people are using words they don’t understand, how many of those on the receiving end are getting confusing messages?”
In the Preply study, 43% percent of people assumed someone using a complex vocabulary was trying to sound smarter than they really were. And more than half of the people in the survey said they’d tried to end a conversation because of it. Complex language tests the other person’s patience if they don’t know what you mean.
The point of any communication is to be understood. So while using bigger words might make you appear smarter, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you risk being misunderstood and making a bad impression.
Here’s how to start using more complex words correctly, along with deep dives into a few of the most commonly used “big” words to get you started.
The right way to use big words to sounds smarter
In the boardroom, during career promotion decisions, at investment rounds—that is when your vocabulary matters most at work, and you see the results of the language you use. Wright shares a few ways you can use more complex words to get the right reaction from those around you:
Know that bigger doesn’t equal better. Words don’t need a lot of letters to be considered big or complex. While restricting to five letter words, “Wordle has millions divided, not least because of the obscure words that many are complaining they have never heard of,” says Wright.
Understand what you’re saying. Don’t start throwing out words you’re not quite sure of just to impress others. Being understood is more important than sounding smart. Grow your vocabulary by learning new words over time, don’t just memorize terms that you think will impress.
Tailor your words to the situation. “Match your vocabulary style to that of your company and the customers that you serve,” Wright says. For example, a retail fashion company targeting teenagers may have a different communication style to an airline manufacturer.
Avoid jargon for the sake of jargon. “Corporate buzzword bingo has been a long running game in meeting rooms around the world, because the precise words you use can either cause your colleagues to agree with you or eye roll when you aren’t looking,” says Wright.
How to expand your vocabulary
Here are some tips to grow your vocabulary over time:
Be Curious.
When you come across a new word, be curious about it. Learn the definition and challenge yourself to use it three times within a week. Wright says Vocabulary.com has great resources for exploring words that will work and gives usage examples from different sources.
And don’t just do this for words you hear at work or networking events. You can come across new words all the time in your personal life through conversations, consuming entertainment, or any number of situations.
Read.
It’s probably not shocking that one of the best ways to come across new words is reading. But in an article about expanding your vocabulary for Fast Company, Michael Grothaus points out that you don’t need to limit yourself to classic literature or “high-brow” writing. “While the Bard is one of the greatest wordsmiths in the history of the English language, you needn’t read his complete works to improve your vocabulary…The important thing is just that you read–and doing so will automatically increase your vocabulary.” In addition to exposing you to new words, reading can also expose you to new usages of words you already know.
Play word games.
In addition to popular games like Wordle or Words With Friends, there are many other games and apps that will help you grow your vocabulary naturally over time. The New York Times also has Spelling Bee, and many papers have a daily crossword. The App Store has an entire section dedicated to word games. Or you could try a “Word of the Day” app which will help keep you to the goal of learning one new word a day.
Put it in writing.
You don’t necessarily get the chance to ruminate over your word choices when you’re speaking day-to-day, but writing gives you a chance to slow down. Edit your written work and challenge yourself to move away from common words and use words that captivate without losing your meaning.
You can do the same for notes made ahead of a meeting or presentation. “When preparing executives for their on-stage speaking events, I encourage them to prepare specific phrases they will use that will cause their audience to pause and think,” says Wright.
20 Words That Make You Sound Smarter
In the Preply study, participants were asked which words made a person sound smarter. Here are the top two, along with their definition (from Merriam-Webster) and how to use them.
Abysmal
Adjective
Definition: immeasurably low or wretched; extremely poor or bad
Example: The baseball field’s condition was abysmal due to the storms the day before.
Accolade
Noun
Definition: a mark of acknowledgement or an expression of praise
Example: She’s earned many accolades for her marketing work throughout her career.
Adept
Adjective
Definition: thoroughly proficient; an expert
Example: I’m adept at juggling multiple projects at once and ensuring each gets the time and attention it deserves.
Adequate
Adjective
Definition: sufficient
Example: The number of survey results we received was adequate, despite the short turnaround time for respondents.
Adulation
Definition: extreme or excessive admiration or flattery
Example: The band was used to the adulation from fans, but the warm reception from critics was unexpected.
Aesthetic
Adjective
Definition: relating to the appearance of; artistic
Example: Despite the aesthetic changes to the app, the updated version was still full of bugs.
Noun
Definition: a particular theory or conception of beauty, art, or appearance
Example: The farm-to-table restaurant completed its theming with a rustic aesthetic
Ambiguous
Adjective
Definition: capable of being understood in more than one way
Example: When invited to the work event, he gave an ambiguous answer.
Anomaly
Definition: something abnormal, peculiar, or not easily classified; a deviation from the common rule
Example: Heterochromia is an anomaly where a person or animal has two differently colored eyes.
Articulate
Definition: to put into words; to give definition to
Example: She often had trouble articulating her thoughts on-the-spot in meetings with her boss, so she started writing out notes ahead of time.
Note that “articulate” can also be used as an adjective to describe a person who is well-spoken. However, this usage often has racial connotations and is best avoided.
Brevity
Noun
Definition: shortness of length or duration
Example: The speech lasted only ten minutes and we were all grateful for her brevity.
Candor
Noun
Definition: unreserved honesty or sincere expression, forthrightness
Example: They appreciated his candor when it helped move meetings along more efficiently, but could do without it when it came to non-work topics.
Caveat
Noun
Definition: an additional or modifying detail to consider
Example: He approved her time off for travel with the caveat that she finish the report before she left.
Exacerbate
Verb
Definition: to make more severe
Example: The forced, unpaid overtime was only exacerbated by the fact that management had yet to replace the broken coffee machine.
Fastidious
Adjective
Definition: meticulous, excessively or extremely careful or detailed
Example: His fastidious attention to detail helps him find bugs in the code that most engineers miss.
Juxtapose
Verb
Definition: to place different or disparate things near each other to compare or contrast them or to create an interesting effect
Example: The juxtaposition of the site’s serious subject matter with its bold and fun design made reading a confusing experience.
Misnomer
Noun
Definition: an inappropriate, wrong, or misleading name or designation
Example: Starfish is a misnomer since they are neither stars nor fish.
Quintessential
Adjective
Definition: typical or representative of a particular type of person, situation, or thing
Example: Friday the 13th is a quintessential horror movie that showcase many of the genre’s tropes.
Repertoire
Noun
Definition: a list of skills, capabilities, methods, or knowledge a person, technology, or group possesses
Example: As a former computer science major, Javascript was within her repertoire.
Vacillate
Verb
Definition: to waver in opinion or thoughts, to hesitate in making choices
Example: The company’s management vacillated on their remote work policy.
Vernacular
Adjective
Definition: the normal (often spoken) form of a language particular to a region or group of people as opposed to the formalized (often written) version
Example: Their vernacular writing appealed to a larger audience than the formal style they’d been taught in school.
