Fat Free Writing - Part Two


Deflate Your Diction

The best technical writing is not the hundred page documents that contain a zillion three-syllable words. Readers want simple, jargon-free, specific instructions. They're already working hard enough trying to follow the computer program or business process. Don't make them have to work to understand your documentation also.

The chart below identifies words or phrases that have simple replacements.

Inflated Word/Phrase > Simple Replacement

Utilize > Use

Approximately > About

To be cognizant > To know

To endeavor > To try

Endeavor > Effort

Securing employment > Find a job

Demonstrate > Show

Phenomenon > Event

Determine > Find

Multiplicity of > Many

Necessary > Needed

Effectuate > Do

Component > Part

Terminate > End

If you trim the fatty words wherever you can, you won't let your writing get flabby.

There are always exceptions to every rule and this is true for technical writing as any other type. You must determine your audience and write accordingly.

In part three of this series, we'll learn how to determine our audience and other ways to review our documentation to make sure we are as specific as possible.

The copyright of the article Fat Free Writing - Part Two in Technical Writing is owned by John L. Hoh, Jr.. Permission to republish Fat Free Writing - Part Two in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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