Technobabbley Jargony Gobbledygook? Tips to Simplify Your Language.
“Gobbledygook”— pompous language, or as Merriam-Webster defines it, “wordy and generally unintelligible jargon”—will not endear you to your readers. More often, it will put them off. Some gobbledygook language has become so common that you may not even realize you’re using it. The examples below will help you avoid and weed out those formal words and phrases.
George Orwell said, “Never use a long word when a short one will do.” His advice holds fast.
- “Prove,” don’t “substantiate.”
- “Try” don’t “endeavor.”
- “Predict,” don’t “prognosticate.”
Don’t use a long phrase when a simple word will do.
- “She needs,” not “she is currently deficient in.”
- “Assume,” not “take on the basis of probability.”
- “Improve,” not “seek to optimize.”
Avoid using jargon (words used almost exclusively by one profession or group).
- Graphical User Interface, not GUI
- “Our company offers faster service than our competitors do,” not “our company’s USP (unique selling proposition) is fast service.”
- “The front surface of” not “anterior.”
Ask yourself what kind of document you would rather read—one full of short, familiar words and clear phrases, or one full of long, unfamiliar words and phrases. The answer will be clear.
Unless you are writing ONLY to your technical colleagues, get rid of all the jargon, gobbledygook, and technical terms you can find. Your readers will thank you.
Check your own writing on the Gobbledygook Grader
How can you tell if your writing is full of gobbledygook? Go to the new gobbledygook grader at Hubspot and type in your writing. Here’s the link: http://gobbledygook.grader.com/
Marketing strategist David Meerman Scott has made it easy! Let us know how this works for you.
Better Communications empowers companies to make written communications a competitive asset – clear writing for a complex world!
