The Weltchek Weekly

The velocity at which data is created means that traditional methods of analyzing it are not sufficient.

Eighty one percent of youth who use tobacco products initiate with a flavored product.

These two sentences crossed my desk recently and gave me pause. Both include multi-syllable words that could be replaced with simpler, more effective one-syllable versions: speed instead of velocity and start instead of initiate.

In business writing, you always want your readers to be able to move quickly through your copy and grasp what you’re saying at first read. A good way to help them do that is to use the simplest, most natural-sounding words available.

You might think you’re being clever using big words, but your readers won’t necessarily see it that way. You’re asking them to absorb information, and most just want it quick and easy.