When you spend your time writing for a living, it’s easy to fall into the habit of using a lot of the same words across multiple items – and sometimes that’s ok. However, when you’re writing similar types of copy for the same audience (think multiple product pages or category pages for the same client), it’s important to keep each piece fresh to avoid repetition and the risk of boring the reader.
That’s why it’s important to learn how to identify, avoid and replace overused words.
So, What are Overused Words?
Overused words and phrases are those that people use way too often in writing or speech. Because of their overuse, they can quickly lose their meaning and weaken your writing. In many types of eCommerce writing, overused words (especially adjectives) can be considered fluff. So, that’s another reason to avoid them.
It is said that the most overused word in the English dictionary is Awesome, but there are plenty more.
The Three Main Types of Overused Words
There are many types of overused words. But the three main ones are:
- Wishy-Washy Words
Hedging words like could, may, might and maybe. If overused, these words can make the writing unconvincing.
NOTE: In some types of content (especially supplement and medical copy) these types of words may be acceptable to avoid making unsubstantiated claims or over promise. However, they should be avoided wherever possible.
- Telling Words
Words like felt, knew and saw are used as telling words and should be avoided. Instead, we should strive to use showing words.
- Intensifiers
Words like very, really and so are considered intensifiers. They are often used to give strength to a boring or dull word and add very little to the meaning of a sentence.
Instead, replace those weaker words with strong ones. A small tweak can add a big impact to the piece.
For example: You can reword she was very tired to she was exhausted.
How to Avoid Overused Words
The best way to avoid overused words is to learn how to identify them and use a thesaurus to find alternative words. As you get to know the words you overuse, you’ll find it’s easy to avoid them and use stronger words.
Some useful tips include:
Create an Outline – Even if you’re writing a short product description, an outline that breaks down exactly what you want to write about can help you decide on the right words to use. You may also find that taking a couple of minutes to write an outline will ultimately help you complete an item more quickly.
Identify and Remove Fluff – Fluff brings nothing to a piece except adding word count. For most content types, we have a minimum word count and need to provide as much useful information as possible.So, fluff should be avoided at all times. Some words or phrases that can be considered fluff that should be avoided include:
- Big Words – If you need to look up the meaning of a word in a dictionary, there’s a good chance your readers will too. So, you shouldn’t use it. It’s important to engage the reader, not show how big your vocabulary is.
- Jargon – You should always strive to write content that anyone can understand. If you use words or phrases that are specific to a certain industry, group or profession, there’s a good chance you’re using jargon.
- Fillers – Words like even, such, really, just, that, and quite. A general rule is if you can remove the words and it won’t change the meaning of the sentence, the word is a filler and not needed.
- Adjectives – Adjectives are great for describing things, so there is a place for them in eCommerce writing. But you should never use them to make something appear too good to be true. For example: avoid words like perfect, incredible and amazing. Overusing adjectives can make the content appear less credible.
Edit and Revise Your Work Before Submitting – Take a few minutes to read back through your work before you submit. Read it out loud if you can. Then fix any errors you find and replace any overused words.
User a Grammar Checker – There are many great grammar checkers available and some are free. Our favorite is ProWritingAid, and it will actually flag overused words in its report.
Remember, there are always exceptions to the rules. How we write, the words and tone we use depend on the type of content we are writing, the industry we are writing for and the client’s specific requirements. This is why every project has a unique creative brief and it’s important that you read it thoroughly for every project you work on. – And be sure to read it often to stay up to date on changes and updates.