Resources for Choosing the Right Word

Whatever kind of writing you produce, choosing the right word is an important task. If you're into public relations and advertising, the right word can make a difference between a stand-out or faceless ad, a sale or a snub. If you write poetry, the right word can create the sound, mood, image, or emotion you desire; the wrong word can cause your lines to fall flat and forgotten. The right words in a fiction scene or nonfiction anecdote cause the events to come to life for the reader. The wrong words can confuse your meaning or limit the impact of your writing.

Choosing the right word can impact your writing.

To summarize, choosing the right word may impact any of the following:

• Reader's comprehension
• Reader's emotion
• Your credibility
• The writing's effect on your goals
• Reader's response to your writing

Choosing the right word can change your meaning.

The Washington Post reported December 7 on a protest situation in Iran. According to the Post, Iran's police have squelched a student protest with tear gas, stun guns, and numerous arrests. What I found most interesting about this article was the claim that Iran's government pretty much runs the media, which often calls government supporters students and protesters rioters.¹

The Post article did not indicate that the protesters acted violently or intended violence for their demonstration. However, the word rioter often carries the idea of public violence, as opposed to an orderly and peaceful protest.

I am not commenting on the actual nature of the events. I am, however, pointing out that the choice of word (protester or rioter) to describe the demonstrating students greatly affects how a reader perceives them. It also may affect how a reader perceives the response of the Iranian government. While some readers may not question the use of force to quell a riot, those same readers may object to force leveled against a protest.

Choosing the right word is easier with tools and resources.

So if you're thinking about choosing the right word for your next work, what resources can you consult? The two most basic tools you'll need are a dictionary and thesaurus. You may prefer print versions, or you may access free online versions. My online dictionary of preference is the Merriam-Webster site. But I don't care for their thesaurus. I find Thesaurus.com to work pretty well for an online search.

Anne Creed's Persuasive Writing blog also offers some interesting tips for choosing the right word. I specifically found this post interesting: "Choosing the Right Word: Hint-Not the One from Latin."

Writer's Digest offers four tips for choosing the right word. These tips mostly point back to context.

Susan J. Letham's article "The Perfect Word" hits on the ideas of connotation and denotation. If you've never heard these terms, take a look at her article. She also includes an exercise to help you get a better grip on choosing the right word, based on connotation.

Of course, the resources above only represent a small portion of available resources. Grammar and style guides often contain sections that explain the differences between commonly confused words (continuous vs. continually, sensuous vs. sensual, affect vs. effect, and so forth). Some words I have to look up repeatedly because I can't remember which is which.

In your quest for choosing the right word, never be afraid to take some extra time to make sure you've chosen the best word for your purposes. Your attention will pay off.

¹Thomas Erdbrink, "Iran Police Crack Down on Student Protesters," The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/07/AR2009120700064.html (Accessed 7 December 2009).

Other Sources:
Merriam-Webster OnLine, http://m-w.com/ (accessed 7 December 2009).
Thesaurus.com, http://thesaurus.reference.com/ (accessed 7 December 2009).
Anne Creed, "Choosing the Right Word," Persuasive Writing, http://www.persuasivewriting.net/choosing_the_right_word/ (accessed 7 December 2009).
William Brohaugh, "4 Tips for Choosing the Right Word," Writer's Digest, http://writersdigest.com/article/4_Tips_for_Choosing_the_Right_Word (accessed 7 December 2009).
Susan J. Letham, "The Perfect Word," Write101.com, http://www.write101.com/lethamcritique.htm (accessed 7 December 2009).