Let’s talk about something that gets a bad rap for not being sexy…

Vocabulary.

Here are a couple of staggering (and terrifying) statistics about the USA:

• 50% of adults cannot read a book written at an eighth-grade level
• 45 million are functionally illiterate and read below a 5th grade level

Now, granted, as writers, we’re all completely literate and probably can read and write at higher than an 8th grade level.

But do we?

How often are we being lazy in our language choices? How often are we dumbing-down our vocabulary – completely unintentionally?

Don’t misunderstand me – I’m not advocating for swapping in $5 words to sound more educated, important, or fancy. That’s just as damaging as using boring, mundane, common words in your writing.Are you dumbing down your language? Let's make words sexy again! Click To Tweet

What I’m challenging you to do it to really focus in on where you’re contributing to the dumbing down of language – and to the subsequent thoughts behind what you’re expressing.

Ask yourself:

Where am I being sloppy in my communication?

So we’re clear:

I’m not making a comment on the proliferation of bad spelling and grammar that litters social media. We’ve all made bonehead spelling or grammar errors (or worse: been assisted by autocorrect!). And I know we’ve all got our “problem children” in grammar or spelling!

I’m asking you to challenge yourself to be exciting and surprising with your language – while still expressing yourself clearly!

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