Single-syllable words can shock, jolt and pop
By Mim Harrison, author of Smart Words
“Samuel Clemens” meanders. “Mark Twain” stands up straight and takes charge.
John F. Kennedy said in two simple, single-syllable words what a lesser speaker might have spent a passage crafting:
“Ask not.”
The power of the single syllable is that its simplicity is deceptive. Short words help you write tightly and clearly. And because of their Anglo-Saxon origins, the words themselves are often charged with meaning.
So write in Ernest: Make like Hemingway and wake up the page with one-syllable wonders like: carp, daft, dearth, eke, fey, flout, limn.
And here’s one more reason to harness the power of one: Short words help you tweet and text more economically.
Need inspiration? Play with super-short words and more super-short words.
Cut Through the Clutter
When you make your writing easier to read, your audience members will read it faster, understand it better and enjoy it more.
Master a seven-step system for making every piece you write easier to read and understand at Catch Your Readers — an online persuasive-writing workshop on Oct. 5-9.You’ll learn how to avoid causing your reader to skip your paragraphs … how long is too long for sentences that are easy to understand … tricks you can steal from Shakespeare, Lincoln and Churchill for rallying readers with your words … and a free tool you can use to measure readability.
Save up to $100 with our group discounts.
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Source: Mim Harrison, Smart Words, Perigee Trade, 2008
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