The advice to avoid jargon in writing is age-old and common. But it’s also smart.
We send out press releases, blog posts or content aimed at audiences because we want people to actually read and grasp the information and act on it in some way. That can’t happen if they have to struggle, even a little bit, to understand the message.
Knowing we’re supposed to banish jargon is the easy part. Doing it, though, can be excruciatingly hard – especially when a deadline looms.
So, here are 15 of the worst culprits from corporate communication, in my view. These words and phrases should never appear in a press release, email or other tool used to convey information.
Here, too, are suggestions for replacements for each one. The substitutes are not exact synonyms, in many cases. But, they are simple and clear words that could work in place of the jargon. Next time you get stuck and can’t find a way around “mission-critical” just take out this list and try to swap that phrase with something clearer.
Kill Use
- leverage ➙ get, gain, use, pull, win, do, take
- utilize ➙ use, show, fill, take, apply, push, work
- end-user ➙ client, customer, audience, shopper, buyer
- synergy ➙ team, powerful, effective, stronger, more, together
- strategic ➙ smart, sharp, strong, vital, savvy, wise, clever
- best-practice ➙ successful, prime, proven, winning, tested, solid
- mission-critical ➙ main, big, major, central, chief, crucial
- win-win ➙ good, smart, strong, clear, sound, skillful
- value-added ➙ worthwhile, effective, better, helpful, ahead
- ideate ➙ create, think, craft, whir, plan, test, solve
- operationalize ➙ make, do, put, carry, finish, use, see, work
- scalable ➙ grow, expand, wide, more, big, spread, include
- champion ➙ support, push, press, sell, do, spread, lead, guide
- deliverables ➙ results, value, outcome, change, effect
- outside the box ➙ different, bold, striking, unique, brave, exciting
Let me know if these work for you. Also, if jargon isn’t tripping you up as much as writer’s block is, here’s another post to help you break free and get unstuck.
To find and avoid using jargon, I developed the patent pending, “Jargon-be-gone” application.
The backlog at the US patent office means my patent approval will take months. But I am driven to change the written world so I’ll share the secret from months of development and testing. Take notes, because it gets complicated
The content of the MS-Word Custom Dictionary takes precedence over the regular dictionary when spell-checking. I added all of the jargon I despise into the Custom Dictionary (make sure the word is entered in lower case) and lo and behold, they show up as spelling errors.
Seeing “enable” appear as a spelling error was in a small way, cathartic.
Enjoy!
Good list. Whenever I hear *leverage*, I toggle the mime switch — I stand on my tip toes, reach above my head to grab & pull down an imaginary lever. I wonder how long it will take before your alternates are just as shop-warn.
[...] convey more meaning Posted in June 11, 2012 by Becky Gaylord in Framing What Works | No comments A recent post of mine offered clear, simple and powerful words to substitute for jargon. Some of the comments [...]
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I really appreciated the list. It gave me a chuckle, and a cringe, as I think of how often I see those words. I thought you suggested some excellent alternatives, too Becky!
Thanks, Brian. Just leveraging some out-of-the-box operationalizing ; )
Hi Becky ~ wow, what a useful list. I love your idea to use simple words. In fact, as you say, clear words make strong messages. It reminds me of a quote from Leonardo da Vinci: “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. That’s something I’m working on all the time with my writing. It’s even more difficult for me, as I’m Dutch, but write in English. At least I try! It takes time and hard work to get to the ultimate! But someday …
Thanks for the comments. And I think your writing is quite clear, especially since English isn’t your native language!
I’ll sign the petition, Becky, to ban these words from regular OVER-USE. Many words have been co-opted by our new world, liked brand and branding. Hmmm, is that on your list? Nope! You missed one. LOL…
Yep, there’s a bunch more (including ‘brand’!) Maybe the next group of the jargon is worth a sequel post…
Thanks for weighing in, Bruce!
Great suggestions for replacing commonly used corporate jargon! It seems, though, that sometimes PR people use these (jargony) words instead of simpler alternatives because the jargony words/phrases sound stronger.
What do you think about the strength of corporate jargon versus the strength of more simple, clearer words? Is it OK to use a little bit of corporate jargon to strengthen your message when the alternative is clearer but not as powerful?
Hi Brooke, and thanks for your comments. This is going to sound contrarian, but I don’t believe using jargon — corporate or otherwise — ever strengthens a message. Clear is powerful. Clear, however, is also hard to write. I think jargon gets used because writers give up on translating complicated ideas into something simpler and clearer. Plonking in jargon is easy. But it doesn’t communicate very well.