Unnecessary Use Of Big Words | Clear Writing That Lands

Big words can feel like a shortcut to sounding smart. Most of the time, they slow readers down, blur your meaning, and make your writing feel distant. If you write for school, work, or the web, clarity is what gets you credit, replies, and results.

This article shows how unnecessary long words creep in, how to spot them, and how to replace them without dumbing anything down. You’ll get rewrite patterns you can reuse in essays, emails, reports, and study notes.

Why big words often backfire

When a reader has to pause to decode a word, they stop following your idea. That pause adds friction. Enough friction, and people skim, misunderstand, or quit.

Big words also raise the risk of choosing the wrong term. Many “fancy” words have narrow meanings. If you use one as decoration, it can change your sentence in a way you didn’t intend.

There’s a tone problem too. Plain writing feels direct and human. Wordy writing can feel like you’re hiding the point, or trying to win status instead of sharing information.

Where unnecessary big words come from

School habits that stick

A lot of students learn that longer words equal higher grades. Some teachers reward “formal” style without explaining what formal means. A cleaner target is this: sound like a sharp person who respects the reader’s time.

Copying the wrong models

Academic papers, legal documents, and policy memos can be dense for reasons tied to their roles. Copying that voice into everyday writing makes ordinary points hard to read.

Fear of being judged

When you worry your writing sounds too simple, you may reach for inflated words. The twist is that clear writing signals skill. It shows you understand the topic well enough to explain it plainly.

How to decide when a big word is justified

Some fields need technical terms. “Photosynthesis” is not replaceable. A big word earns its place when it does at least one of these jobs:

• It names a precise concept your audience expects.
• It prevents confusion that a shorter word would cause.
• It matches a required term in a rubric, standard, or quote.

If none of these apply, a simpler word is usually better.

Unnecessary Use Of Big Words in real writing

Most “big-word” issues are not about vocabulary size. They’re about choices that add length without adding meaning. The patterns below show what that looks like in day-to-day writing and how to fix it.

Pattern 1: Abstract nouns instead of clear verbs

Writers turn actions into nouns, then bolt on weak verbs like “make” or “do.” The sentence gets longer while the action fades.

• Wordy: “We made an assessment of the results.”
• Clear: “We assessed the results.”

Pattern 2: Fancy verbs that hide the action

Some verbs sound official but say little. Swap them for a verb that shows the action.

• Wordy: “She facilitated the meeting.”
• Clear: “She ran the meeting.”

Pattern 3: Stacked qualifiers

Strings of modifiers can make a sentence feel serious while adding fog. Pick one strong word, then show proof.

• Wordy: “a complex and multi-part issue”
• Clear: “a complex issue with three causes”

Pattern 4: The “there is/are” filler start

Opening with “there is” often delays the subject. Put the real subject first.

• Wordy: “There are many reasons students struggle with this.”
• Clear: “Students struggle with this for three reasons.”

Pattern 5: Long words used to dodge a clear claim

Sometimes big words stand in for a missing point. If a sentence sounds grand yet still feels empty, ask one blunt question: what happened, who did it, and what changed? Answer those in plain words, then add detail.

This habit matters in research writing too. A reader can’t check your claim if they can’t tell what the claim is.

Replacement moves you can apply in minutes

Swap long words for short ones, then test for meaning

Start with the easiest wins: replace a long word with a short one, then reread the sentence. If meaning stays the same, keep the shorter word.

If meaning shifts, choose a clearer phrase instead of a single shorter word. Clarity beats brevity when you need both accuracy and ease.

Use concrete words that point to something you can picture

Concrete words anchor the reader. “Use” beats “make use of.” “Help” beats “facilitate.” “Buy” beats “purchase” in casual writing. In school writing, “buy” may not fit the tone, yet “purchase” still needs a reason to be there.

Cut “in order to” and other padding

Many long phrases add no meaning. Replace them with one tight word or remove them.

• “in order to” → “to”
• “due to the fact that” → “because”
• “a majority of” → “most”

Prefer one strong verb over a noun plus a weak verb

This one change can tighten whole paragraphs. Look for “make,” “do,” “perform,” and “carry out.” Ask: what is the real action?

Common big-word swaps that keep your meaning

Use this list as a starting point, not a rulebook. Audience and tone still matter. The goal is to remove words that slow the reader without adding precision.

Wordy choice	Clearer choice	When the wordy one earns its spot
make use of	use	When a form or standard requires it
commence	start	When quoting a legal or formal notice
terminate	end	When you mean “end a contract”
purchase	buy	When writing receipts, policies, or research
endeavor	try	When naming a formal program title
subsequent	later	When you mean “later in a sequence”
individuals	people	When a definition depends on legal terms
prior to	before	When writing a dated policy statement
demonstrate	show	When you need “show with evidence,” not “show up”

How to rewrite an essay paragraph without sounding childish

Keep the main terms, simplify the glue

In essays, your topic terms stay. What changes is the glue around them: verbs, transitions, and filler phrases. If you keep your core terms, simpler wording won’t make your work feel “babyish.” It makes it easier to grade and harder to misread.

Show one claim, then show evidence right away

Many students use big words to hide a thin point. A better move is to state the claim in plain language, then attach proof: a quote, data, or a clear scene from the text you studied.

Use sentence variety without padding

You can still sound polished with short and medium sentences. Mix a short punch with a longer sentence that carries detail. Read it out loud. If you stumble, your reader will too.

Plain language rules that steady your writing

The U.S. government’s plain language page gives clear principles for writing people can grasp on the first read. A quick skim of the Federal Plain Language Guidelines can sharpen your editing eye.

For academic writing, Purdue University’s writing lab has a practical page on concision that explains how to cut weak words while keeping meaning.

A simple editing checklist that catches big words

Step 1: Mark the slow sentences

Read one paragraph and circle any spot where you had to reread. Those are your first targets. Slow spots often come from abstract nouns, long verbs, or vague phrases.

Step 2: Ask “What do I mean, exactly?”

Write a five-word version of the sentence in the margin. Then rebuild the sentence from that core. You’ll often find two or three words you can cut without losing meaning.

Step 3: Replace, then verify

After each swap, check for accuracy. Some shorter words change the strength of a claim. “Prove” is not the same as “show.” “Cause” is not the same as “link.” Keep the word that matches your claim.

Step 4: Check tone for the reader you want

If you’re writing to a teacher, a manager, or a scholarship panel, keep a respectful tone. Respect does not require inflated vocabulary. It requires clear thinking, fair claims, and clean structure.

Step 5: Do a “read-aloud” pass for spoken clarity

Big words can hide in writing that looks fine on screen. Reading aloud forces you to hear awkward phrasing. If you can’t say a sentence in one steady breath, trim it, split it, or pick a simpler verb.

This step also helps with presentations. Your slides and speech land better when the language is direct.

Table of edits that give the biggest payoff

If you only have ten minutes, use the edits below. They remove a lot of wordiness fast and make your writing easier to scan.

Editing move	What to look for	Fast fix
Turn nouns into verbs	“make an evaluation”	“evaluate”
Cut padded openers	“There are…”	Start with the subject
Swap weak verbs	“do,” “make,” “perform”	Use the real action verb
Trim long linkers	“in order to”	Use “to”
Reduce vague nouns	“aspect,” “factor,” “thing”	Name what it is
Delete empty boosters	“so,” “too,” “kind of”	Drop them or add proof
Split overloaded sentences	3+ commas, 35+ words	Make two sentences

Practice: quick rewrites you can copy

Try these swap templates on your own drafts. They keep your voice, keep your meaning, and cut the fluff.

• “In order to [verb], we will [verb].” → “To [verb], we will [verb].”
• “This is due to the fact that…” → “This happens because…”
• “We conducted an analysis of…” → “We analyzed…”
• “It is apparent that…” → “It’s clear that…”

After a few, you start spotting the patterns early. Editing gets faster, and your draft starts clean.

When to keep the big word

Plain writing is not baby talk. It’s precision. Keep a bigger term when it is the term your reader expects, or when changing it would blur a definition. Keep it when you’re quoting a source, naming a formal policy, or matching a rubric term.

If you keep a technical term, help the reader once. Define it in a short clause the first time it appears. After that, use it normally.

Clear writing is a skill you build with small, repeatable edits. Cut the words that only sound smart. Keep the words that carry meaning. Your reader will feel the difference in the first paragraph.