The Weltchek Weekly

I saw an ad for a new at-home gym that promises me “personalized guidance with every workout.”

The word guidance gave me pause. It sounds weird. Guidance is what the CDC issues about navigating the pandemic. It’s what companies tell their shareholders about upcoming earnings. It’s the advice college counselors give high school seniors.

Guidance is not the term for telling someone how to do a squat. That’s instruction.

This is a great example of a company taking a word that’s in vogue—the pandemic has certainly done it for guidance—and using it to make something sound more relevant and important. So don’t be tempted to get all fancy when simple says it best.

Go with guidance for giving someone advice or information and instruction for toning your abs.