Word Power
Choosing the Right Word

Words can have no single fixed meaning. Like wayward electrons, they can spin away from their initial orbit and enter a wider magnetic field. No one owns them or has a proprietary right to dictate how they will be used._David Lehman (b. 1948), U.S. poet, editor, critic wrote that in Signs of the Times,

Words are not as satisfactory as we should like them to be, but, like our neighbours, we have got to live with them and must make the best and not the worst of them.._Samuel Butler (1835–1902), English author. Samuel Butler's Notebooks (1951).

Words are made for a certain exactness of thought, as tears are for a certain degree of pain. What is least distinct cannot be named; what is clearest is unutterable._René Daumal (1908–44), French poet, critic. 

 
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First Exercise
Listed below are the important factors worth considering whenever we are trying to choose the right word for a particular context. Your most important tools are a good dictionary and a thesaurus.
Conciseness
As W. Somerset Maugham said "To write simply is as difficult as to be good."  We should try to use simple language and avoid verbosity. Our object is to express our thought in clear and concise language rather than impressing people with our word power. Most speakers express the same idea repeating in different words and such repetition leaves 
a lasting impression in the minds of listeners.

Our readers would not appreciate having to wade through wordy prose. They tend to give much more weight to short passages and economical writing, in which the presence of every word can be justified.

We should avoid using vague words. Writing, for example, that an article was "interesting" is to say little. Educative, informative, or controversial are all better choices because these adjectives are more descriptive and provide precise information. When we are choosing between synonyms, we must think carefully about the small ways in which 
their definitions differ, and select the word that most closely fits our meaning.

Connotation
We must be alert to not only a word's denotation (dictionary definition) but also its "connotation" the set of ideas that is associated with it. For instance, psychiatric hospital and madhouse are synonyms, but the former conjures up an image of an organized institution while the latter suggests a den of chaos and squalor.

Familiarity
It is important to know the type of people for whom the article or lecture is intended and their level of understanding or education. A word may communicate our meaning exactly, but if our listeners or readers have never heard it before, it is obviously not a good choice. Although we cannot know the exact range of our readers' vocabulary, we can usually make some assumptions about their familiarity with many 
words or the level of their education.

Formality
We would naturally use a different vocabulary in a note to our intimate friend than in a memo to our bosses or superior. Familiarity with the correct salutation for different posts such as diplomats, judges, Governor etc. is of vital importance for good correspondence. 
Determining proper level of formality is sometimes difficult. If in doubt, we must opt for formality. Standard words and proper grammar and punctuation are unlikely to offend any reader.

Freshness
Our readers' attention is likely to go astray if we litter our work with too many overused words or phrases. We must Keep our writing fresh by trying to find new ways of saying things instead of relying on trite expressions. 

Precision
We must avoid using vague words. Writing, for example, that a lecture was "interesting" is to say little. Entertaining, informative, or controversial are all better choices because these adjectives provide more precise information. When choosing between synonyms, think 
carefully about the small ways in which their definitions differ, and select the word that most closely fits your meaning.

Sound and Pronunciation
Quite a few listeners miss the unfamiliar words that speakers use in talks due to lack of articulation or bad accent but often due to their own unfamiliarity with the words. Repeating the uncommon words in speech and stressing on them with synonyms is generally appreciated but in case of writing such repetition is not always possible. 

The best way to improve our pronunciation is to hear speeches and talks of learned men on TV talk shows, seminars etc. The invention of talking dictionary has greatly facilitated the task of perfection the pronunciation.

Most people even when reading silently, are sensitive to the sound of words. They hear in their head the way combinations of vowels 
and consonants flow together. A group of short words will make them read rapidly, but they may instinctively slow down when they encounter a series of syllables. We have to be conscious of the rhythm of our prose: Sometimes it may help to find the most befitting word from a group of synonyms for proper impact.