Everyday words cheat sheet

To make content fast and easy to read and understand, use short, everyday words. Here's a list of words to avoid and alternatives to try in their place.

Word list

Avoid these words Try these words instead
Absence of None
Abundance of A lot, much, many, plenty
Accede to Agree
Accelerate Speed up, hurry
Accentuate Stress
Acknowledge Thank, accept
Accompany Go with
Accompanying With
Accomplish Do, finish
Accord Agreement, give
Accordingly So
Acquainted with Knows about
Acquire Get, buy
Additional More
Additionally Also
Adjacent to Next to, near
Adjustment Change
Admissible Allowed, acceptable
Administer Manage, run, give
Advantageous Useful, helpful
Advert Refer
Advice Tell, say, suggest
Affix Add, stick on
Afforded Given
Aforesaid, aforementioned Earlier, before, this
Aggregate Total
Aligned In line, agrees with
Alleviate Reduce, ease
Allocate Share, give
Alternative Other, choice
Alternatively Or
Ambit Scope
Ameliorate Improve, help
Amend Change
Anticipate Expect, think, believe
Apparent Clear, plain, obvious
Application Use, computer program
Appreciable Large, great
Apprise Tell, explain
Appropriate Right, proper, suitable
Approximately About
Ascertain Find out
Assemble Put together, bring together, build
Assess Test, check, work out
Assist Help
At present Now
Attempt Try
Attended Came to, went to, were at
Attributable to Because of, due to
Authenticate Log in, prove
Authorise Approve, allow, let
Belated Late
Benefit Help, use
Beneficial Helpful, useful
Bestow Give
Breach Break
Breadth Size, range
Calculate Add up, work out
Cease Stop, finish, end
Circumvent Get around, avoid
Clarify Explain, make clear
Cognisant of Aware of, knows
Combine Mix
Commence Start, begin
Communicate Talk, write, email, phone
Competent Able, skilled, can
Compile Collect
Complete Fill in, finish
Comply Meet
Component Part
Comprise Include, make up
Conceal Hide
Concur Agree
Consequence Result
Constitute Make up, form
Consult Talk to, ask, meet with
Contiguous to Next to
Curriculum Course, program
Curtail Cut short, shorten
Demonstrate Show
Denote Show
Desire Want
Donate Give
Echelon Level
Endeavour Try
Evince Show
Examination Exam, test
Excessive number Too many
Exclusively Only
Exit Leave
Extinguish Turn off, put out
Facilitate Help
Fundamental Basic
Furnish Give, provide
Garnet Get, gather
Generate Produce, make
Indicate Show, say, mean
Individual Person
Inquire (enquire) Ask
Instruct Tell, teach, show
Legislation Law
Leverage Use
Locality Area, place
Locate Find
Manner Way
Methodology Method, way
Modify Change
Necessity Need
Notify Tell
Notwithstanding Despite
Numerous Many
Objective Goal
Observe See, watch
Obtain Get
Occasioned by Caused by, because
Permissible Allowed, can
Permit Let, allow
Personnel People, staff
Portion Part
Possess Have, own
Principal Main
Proceed Go, start
Procure Buy, get
Provide Give
Provided that If, but
Purchase Buy
Purport Claim, suggest
Pursuant to By, because of
Referred to as Called
Regulation Rule, law
Remainder Rest
Render Make
Render assistance Help
Request Ask
Require Need
Reside Live
Residence Home
Retain Keep
Submit Send
Subsequent Later
Subsequent to After
Subsequently After, later
Substantiate Prove
Sufficient Enough
Termination End
Undergo Have
Undertake Do, take
Upon On
Utilise Use

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