Working with our clients, I frequently see copy that’s efficiently written and factual—yet lacking “sparkle.” That is, the necessary words are there and they get the point across, but they may not compel a reader to check out the material in the first place.
Any copy—whether it’s intended to be read or heard, posted on the Web or printed on a page—benefits from a varied vocabulary. In fact, the choice of objective, descriptive words over industry jargon and repetition can transform material on nearly any topic.
A standard online dictionary or thesaurus is the first stop on the path to more interesting verbiage. Here are a few other options that you may find useful.
The inexpensive Visual Thesaurus is available in desktop and online formats. It’s an interactive tool that displays synonyms and antonyms as a web around your search term, so you can see the relationship between the various options.
If it’s not a single word that has you stumped, but a whole phrase, then Sybrina’s Phrase Thesaurus may help you perk up your prose. The one-time download costs $19.95.
Especially when you’re putting together a headline or script, the sound of the words can make as much of an impact as their meaning. Rhymezone provides results based on the sound of the word rather than its ending letters. For instance, if you type in “cancer,” you’ll get “answer” in addition to words ending in “-cer.”
Finally, Bartleby gives you access to thousands of quotations, including the famous Bartlett’s collection. These can help you turn a phrase or play on familiar words, both techniques that engage readers or listeners quickly.
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