English is one of the richest languages in the world. With over 170,000 words available, the number of ways to communicate and express yourself are limitless.
Although a lot of the 170,000 words have the same meaning, they don’t at the same time. Let me explain.
Each word comes with its own emotional power. So even though two words can have the same literal meaning, it can make people feel different emotions.
Here are some examples:
1. Pay vs Invest
When you hear the word pay, it tends to come with a negative emotion. When you hear that word, you think of paying your bills, student loans, or taxes.
The word invest tends to have a more positive ring to it. When you hear that word, you think of putting money into something and expecting a positive return in the future.
2. Ally vs Associate
Both words have the same meaning, but two different images pop in your mind. When you hear ally, you think of people uniting in a battlefield to take down their common enemy. However when you hear associate, you think of a professional job title. Maybe you think of a worker at the bottom of the corporate hierarchy in a financial institution.
3. Cheap vs Inexpensive
When you hear the word cheap, several things can come to your mind….bootlegged products, low quality, or Mr. Krabs. When you think of inexpensive, you picture a decent quality product with a reasonably low price tag.
The lesson for today,
Choose the words that come with the emotions you want your readers to feel.
If you want your readers to sell your products using fear or guilt, use negative words.
If you want your readers to feel inspired and enthusiastic, use positive words.
Of course, the right words won’t always come easy. That’s why I always have a Thesaurus open when I write emails and I suggest you do the same as well. Or you can always ask yours truly for guidance.