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Word choice, or diction, is an element of scholarly voice. Carefully choosing your words results in clear, specific language, an important hallmark of scholarly writing.

Word Choice: Writing with Clarity

Choosing your words carefully means using language that is clear and easily understood by a wide audience. Below are some tips for writing more clearly and simply.


Use Simple, Widely Understood Language

Difficult words force your reader to have a dictionary nearby. Remember: Your reader should have to do as little work as possible to understand your writing.

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Example

 Lynn (2003) defenestrated the survey results.

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Defenestrated is an uncommon word that most people would have to look up in a dictionary. Using a difficult word in place of a simpler, more easily understood word risks confusing your reader or—at the very least—slowing them down, while they pause to look up a word’s meaning.

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Better

Lynn (2003) dismissed the survey results.

lightbulbDismissed is more likely to be understood by a general audience, and so it captures your meaning more clearly. Often, the simpler, more commonly understood word is the right choice.
Be Wary of Commonly Misused Words

Choosing clear and careful language also means understanding the meaning of each word you use, as misusing or confusing words can interfere with clarity.

For example, affect and effect are often used interchangeably: in fact, affect is a verb that means to influence, while effect is usually a noun that means results or consequences. However, effect can also be used as a verb that means to cause something to happen.

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Example

 The policy will effect reform.

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This sentence means something like, The policy will bring about or create reform.

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Example

The policy will affect reform.

lightbulbThis sentence means that the policy will change or influence reform efforts in some way. While both examples are grammatically correct, they mean something quite different, and so using these words inaccurately hinders communication.

Word Choice: Writing with Specificity

Writing with specificity means choosing precise, concrete language. Click on the arrows to learn tips for writing more precisely.

Use Pronouns Carefully

Take care when using words like it and they, as using them ineffectively can create confusion.  

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Example

 According to Jones et al. (2020), students learn best in informal settings, while teachers favor more structured classrooms that are easier to manage. They prefer instructional approaches that account for diverse learning styles.

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Here, it’s unclear whether they refers to the students, the teachers, or both. When using a pronoun like they, be sure there is only one person or group of people they could refer to.

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Better

According to Jones et al. (2020), students learn best in informal settings, and they prefer instructional approaches that account for diverse learning styles. In contrast, teachers favor more structured classrooms that are easier to manage.

lightbulbNow, they could only refer to the students.
Choose Meaningful Descriptors

To write more precisely, be careful of adjectives or describing words that hold little meaning when you consider the potentially diverse backgrounds of your audience.

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Example

 It took the Soviet Union a long time to recover from World War 2.

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Here, it’s not clear what constitutes a long time. A long time could mean something different to your reader than it does to you. Instead, use a more specific description of the length of time it took the Soviet Union to recover.

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Better

It took the Soviet Union over 20 years to recover from World War 2.

lightbulb Now, it’s clear what the author meant by a long time.
Avoid Unnecessary Qualifiers

Like vague adjectives, qualifiers such as very and really lack specificity and should generally be avoided in scholarly writing.

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Example

 Very small dogs lived an average of nine years.

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This example sentence contains an unnecessary qualifier (very) and a vague adjective (small). The word very adds emphasis but little meaning, and so it can likely be deleted. Small could be replaced with a more specific definition of what the writer considers small.

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Better

Dogs less than 15 pounds lived an average of nine years.

lightbulbUsing a specific definition, here, ensures that you and your reader have the same understanding of what a small dog is.

Word Choice: Choosing Strong, Specific Verbs

Another way to improve word choice is to use precise verbs that accurately convey your meaning.


In academic writing, use single-word English or Latin-based verbs rather than multiword phrasal verbs (also known as compound verbs). Phrasal verbs can have various meanings depending on the context, while single-word English or Latin-based verbs are more precise and specific.


Phrasal Verbs

For example, the phrasal verb to make up can convey a variety of meanings:

  • The student made up a story about her summer vacation. (Here, made up means fabricated or invented.)
  • The couple had an argument, but after further discussing their concerns with each other, they made up. (Here, made up means resolved their differences and decided to be friendly again.)
  • His high score on the final exam made up for his poor average on the unit quizzes. (Here, made up means compensated.)

Single-Word Verbs

Using a single-word English or Latin-based verb would be more specific and precise:

  • The student fabricated a story about her summer vacation.
  • The couple had an argument, but after further discussing their concerns with each other, they resolved the issue.
  • His high score on the final exam compensated for his poor average on the unit quizzes.

For additional examples of phrasal verbs and their single-word counterparts, review the flip cards below.


When choosing a verb to introduce research, be mindful that some verbs carry connotations. For example, while stated and reported are neutral terms, a verb like assumed may make the source seem weak or unprofessional.


Example: Clark (2012) assumed that the decrease in bees could be linked to changes in pesticide use.

Using the verb assumed to introduce this source material suggests that Clark posited an incorrect theory about the decline in bee populations. If this is true, then the word assumed makes perfect sense here, and the reader would expect some follow-up to explain Clark’s assumptions. However, if Clark’s research remains credible, then it would be better to use a more neutral verb to describe their work.

Better: Clark (2012) proposed that the decrease in bees could be linked to changes in pesticide use.

Proposed is a neutral verb that does not reveal the writer’s feelings about Clark’s findings. As such, it might be a more accurate, precise way to introduce this paraphrase.

Example: Johnson (2020) believed that solitary confinement negatively impacts prisoners’ mental health.

Moreover, be wary of using verbs that express feelings when reporting another author’s findings. Using the verb believed here suggests that Johnson relied on beliefs rather than on evidence or critical reasoning. Additionally, when used in the past tense (as required by the APA when discussing completed research), believed could be interpreted to mean that the source no longer believes this. 

Better: Johnson (2020) concluded that solitary confinement negatively impacts prisoners’ mental health.

Using the verb believed here suggests that Johnson relied on beliefs rather than on evidence or critical reasoning. Additionally, when used in the past tense (as required by the APA when discussing completed research), believed could be interpreted to mean that the source no longer believes this. 

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Quick Tip: If you find yourself using the same introductory verbs over and over, consider varying your verb choice. To avoid repeating verbs like reported and stated, consult .


To be verbs include be, am, is, are, was, were, been, and being. Instead, substitute them with verbs that better convey action.


Example:

When I was a college student, I studied nursing and earned my BSN. After graduation, I was a nurse in an emergency department for 6 years. I am now a lead nurse in the emergency department of my hospital. I am interested in earning my MSN so that I am able to continue to advance my career and contribute to social change.

While there is nothing grammatically wrong with the example above, replacing to be verbs with stronger, action-oriented verbs results in more dynamic, precise writing.

Better

I earned a BSN from Walden University. After graduation, I served as an emergency department nurse for 6 years. Now, I work as a lead nurse in the emergency department of my hospital. Earning my MSN will allow me to continue to advance my career and contribute to social change.

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Quick Tip: Word choice is closely related to tone, or a writer’s attitude towards their subject matter. For more tips on academic word choice, see tone.



Key Takeaways

In scholarly writing, word choice or diction means choosing your words carefully, ensuring precision and clarity. Some tips for achieving academic diction include:

  • Paying attention to verb choice
  • Replacing vague adjectives and qualifiers with specific, concrete descriptors
  • Choosing simpler language in favor more complex wording
  • Using pronouns with care

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