I’ve been posting intermittently about how wordiness dilutes the effectiveness of technical writing. But wordiness includes much more than an excess number of words. Wordiness can also include long variants.
Long variants are simple words inflated with prefixes or suffixes to provide a perception of added value in their inclusion. But because the prefixes or suffixes typically do not add any nuance of meaning, including long variants in your writing dilutes its power and with it its effectiveness. In essence, long variants are another version of wordiness.
The list below contains some common examples of long variants compared with the simple words that convey the same meaning. Simple words convey meaning more clearly and therefore more effectively. This is why the words in the right-hand column are more effective than their listed counterparts in the left-hand column.
Long variants are simple words inflated with prefixes or suffixes to provide a perception of added value in their inclusion. But because the prefixes or suffixes typically do not add any nuance of meaning, including long variants in your writing dilutes its power and with it its effectiveness. In essence, long variants are another version of wordiness.
The list below contains some common examples of long variants compared with the simple words that convey the same meaning. Simple words convey meaning more clearly and therefore more effectively. This is why the words in the right-hand column are more effective than their listed counterparts in the left-hand column.
The above list is not comprehensive but sufficient to convey the idea of long variants. More effective technical writers stay away a long way away from long variants. They know that simpler words which convey the same meaning communicate more powerfully and provide a better representation of themselves and their brands. Follow their lead, and you will reap their results.
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