When someone’s talking to you, do you ever notice how much they say ‘um’, ‘err’ and other things like it?
Have you just realised how much you do it too?
Don’t worry – we all do! They’re called ‘filler words’, and they do exactly what they say on the tin – they fill space in a sentence while we work out what to say next. It’s so natural to use them that we don’t even think about it! But they do take away the gravitas of what you’re saying, and make you seem less ‘put together’ than you actually are. And believe it or not, you probably use filler words in your writing too – and they’re taking a lot of the impact out of your words. So for 2023, here are 4 filler words you can cut from your writing to make it pack more of a punch.
Really and Very
I’m going to start with two commonly used words that serve the same purpose in a sentence, which means I can group them together. Really and very are both qualifiers – meaning they attribute a quality to another word, usually a noun. Using them can feel like you’re reinforcing your message and making sure it hits home. But the reality is usually the opposite. They dilute your message and make it seem like you can’t think of any better words to use. If you find yourself wanting to write ‘really big’, for example, try replacing it with ‘huge’. ‘Very annoying’ becomes ‘irritating’. See what I mean?
If you still don’t believe me, here’s a quote from the amazing film Dead Poet’s Society:
’Avoid using the word ‘very’, because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason boys – to woo – and in that endeavour, laziness will not do.’
And if you can’t think of any alternative to really or very? Simply cut it out completely.
Just
This is one of those words that you don’t realise how much you use it until you tune in, and then it’s glaringly obvious. You’ll probably notice it most in emails. Have you ever sent something like…
- I’m just checking in…
- I’ll just leave it with you…
- Just let me know what you think…
You probably use it to soften a direct statement, but instead it makes you sound unsure or indecisive. Cut it from your writing and your vocabulary in general. Your writing will instantly sound more confident and assertive (ideal for calls to action) and so will you!
That
‘That’ is another filler word that’s often necessary. We use it a lot because that’s how we speak, and yes I am aware I just used it twice in one sentence. This is a tricky one, because ‘that’ can be an incredibly useful word, which means you can’t cut it from your writing outright. Instead, you need to cut it where it isn’t needed. Put a filter on your writing. If a sentence makes sense without the ‘that’, it can do. For example:
- I checked
thatthe document was approved - I’ve read the blog
thatyou wrote for me - I told him
thatthe presentation was great
See what I mean?
This is one advantage of working with a copywriter – we do all of this automatically. Writing great content that attracts and converts is more science than art, and by knowing the psychology behind how we read and write, a copywriter can create just that. So, if you aren’t sure you can banish words from your vocabulary this year, get in touch with me and I’ll get my pruning shears ready!