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Word Choice: Small Is Still Better Than Big
The true size of the English language is often debated and probably
impossible to determine. Those who do try to quote the count tend to agree
that English includes about 250,000 to 300,000 distinctly usable words.
The second edition of the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary
(2009) comprises 171,476 words in current use; 47,156 obsolete words; and
another 9,500 derivative words as subentries (a total of 228,132).
The estimate of an English speaker’s vocabulary varies more widely.
Some say the average person has 5,000 to 6,000 words for retrieval. Others say 10,000 to 20,000. In a May 2013 web article, The Economist used its own test results to measure that an adult native’s vocabulary ranged from 20,000 to 35,000 words. William Shakespeare was said to have had a word bank that soared as high as 60,000.
Of perhaps even greater note, whatever the size of your vocabulary, many
agree that most of us draw from a main base of up to 1,000 words to express
ourselves—which leads to why we’re discussing big versus small.
Words’ primary function is to convey our thoughts, ideas, wishes, and opinions. If people have a vocabulary of 5,000 words on the low end and 35,000 on the high (we won't include Shakespeare), but they often rely on a core 1,000, we can deduce that a part of our language will be understood by all.
A look at just one list of the 1,000 most common words shows almost all have three or fewer syllables. We use a
smaller, simpler index because it ensures greater clarity and easier
processing, which leads to greater trust, which leads to greater
credibility.
A Princeton University study determined that using big words can even make people look, well, not so smart. When it comes to words, small beats big, and clear outfoxes complex.
GrammarBook.com has touched on this in Resolutions for Word Nerds (see #4). We have also cited where a four- or five-star word can be
acceptable and even desirable (Big Words We Can Use).
Overall, we believe expressive and persuasive writing blends the diverse,
pointed, and evocative words available to us. Some will be big, and some
will be small. In everyday communication, however, we uphold the adage that
less is more in making sure we’re quickly understood, especially in
an age of content overload.
Here’s but a start on keeping your writing ready to convert from big
to small:
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Instead of:
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Use:
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abstemious
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restrained or moderate
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anachronistic
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out of date
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audacious
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bold
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auspicious
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promising
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circuitous
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indirect
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circumlocution
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wordiness
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conviviality
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cheer
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enervating
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tiring
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hypothesis
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theory
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jubilation
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joy
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magnanimous
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selfless
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ostentatious
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flashy or showy
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parsimonious
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frugal
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perfidious
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shady or corrupt
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perspicacious
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alert or aware
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Because of the e-newsletter’s large readership, please submit your comments or questions regarding today's (or any past) article through GrammarBook.com’s Grammar Blog
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The Blue Book of Grammar
and Punctuation
by Jane Straus, Lester Kaufman, and Tom Stern
The Authority on English Grammar!
Eleventh Edition Now Available
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Wordplay
With thanks to cartoonist Randy Glasbergen.
Learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these easy-to-follow lessons. Tell your colleagues (and boss), children, teachers, and friends. Click here to watch. |
