Are you using words by habit in your writing? If the answer is yes, you’re in good company, and you’re being honest. Almost every writer does it.
I’m guilty of the crime and often catch myself using the word often way too often. I sometimes remember, but frequently forget to change or remove my pesky habit adverb.
We all have habits in our writing, and that’s why editing is so vital. But imagine how much easier the process would be if you identified your most overused words to limit their frequency in your drafts.
The only way to stop repeating words too often, um, habitually, is to recognize your “tic words” and try to nudge them out of your muscle memory.
How to identify your “tic words”
The first step is to admit you have them. They can be innocent little words that want to sneak into your sentences.
Ask yourself this question: What are the words I overuse without even noticing?
You can start making a list, and you’ll probably add a few quite quickly.
Then, grab one of your recent drafts and read it slowly, line by line. Chances are you’ll immediately find more candidates for your list.
But you don’t have to rely only on your eyes. You can use the “Find” function (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) in your word processor to hunt for more repeated words.
Watch out for adverbs, especially, as they are often candidates for weak or dead words.
Very, actually, really, or just are an excellent starting point because they are so easily overused.
If you’re an author, your dialogue tags deserve a closer look. While said is generally fine, if it repeats without variation, it can quickly become tiresome.
Keep adding to this list of your personal tic words, and work with it next to you while you write. Simply writing them down makes them much harder for you to ignore.
Tip! Use a plain text editor like TextEdit or Notepad to make your list and keep it open in a small window to the right of your word processor window. I always use this when I write, so I have all my important notes right in front of me.
Categorize your common offenders
Once you’ve made a list of your repeat offenders, the next step is determining what kind of problems they’re causing. Most of them will fall into four typical groups. When you know which is which, it makes your writing and editing a lot easier.
1. Weasel words and intensifiers
This first group will be full of the little boosters we all lean on far more than we should.
You know the main ones, like very, really, quite, and actually. They might seem useful, but they usually dilute your sentences rather than strengthening them.
If you write “The night was very cold,” the adjective cold is, in fact, weakened by “very.”
In most instances, the quick fix is to remove the offender. If the meaning is intact without very, delete it. But if the sentence feels too bare to you, replace the word pair with one stronger word.
Replace “very cold” with “freezing,” and the line now has much more punch.
2. Transitional crutches
The next category is for the words and phrases we use to connect sentences.
We use them when we’re trying to move to the next thought. However, therefore, in addition, furthermore, moreover, but, and obviously are common examples.
There’s nothing wrong with using transitions, but when you use them too frequently, your writing can seem rigid.
They are also highly visible at the beginning of sentences and paragraphs. Try moving your idea flow from one to the next more naturally. For example:
Before: However, the players faded in the second half of the match.
After: The players faded in the second half of the match despite a brilliant first half.
3. The “that” trap and other filler words
The last group are structural padding words like even, this, and just, but the biggest culprit is the word that.
It’s a sneaky little word because it seems so harmless, but it usually adds nothing.
Compare, “He knew that the answer was wrong,” with, “He knew the answer was wrong.”
You can see that the second sentence is shorter, cleaner, and easier to read.
Use “Find” for that in your draft and check each one. If the sentence still makes sense without that, chop it out.
4. Structural and grammatical overuse
When you think about how to avoid overused words, you naturally hunt for single words.
But you can also have little structural habits, such as overusing “there is/are/were.” It even has a name. It’s the grammatical expletive.
If you use it a lot, it’s an easy fix: remove it. Here’s a quick example:
Before: There is no way you can know all the grammar rules.
After: You can’t possibly know all the grammar rules.
After: No one can possibly know all the grammar rules.
Other expletives include “it is/was,” “it will be,” and “it has been.”
Before: It was clear that the team needed rest.
After: The team clearly needed rest.
After: The team obviously needed rest.
Again, you can use “Find” here to chase “there” and “it” to help you cut down on your use and write cleaner sentences.
These four categories give you a clearer idea of the words you might use too frequently, and make it much easier to stop using words by habit.
Summary: How to make it a new practice
You’ve checked your writing, made a nice list, and now you know your “tic words.”
Before you race off, though, you have one last step to take, and it’s a big one. You have to change your habits.
It’s fine when you are making your list, because it’s all top of mind.
But in two weeks or two months, will you still be consulting your list every five minutes for your writing tics? Probably not.
Breaking any habit takes time, so don’t expect miracles. And this one is no different.
I find the best way is to be stubborn and keep reminding myself of a new goal or routine. It might take me a week or a month, but it’s worth it.
When you keep reminding yourself to avoid overused words and replace weak choices with strong ones, you’ll get there.
One last note. Knowing the words you use without thinking doesn’t mean you have to eradicate every single one of them.
Every word you write has its place, and if you really want to use actually, that’s okay.
The trick is to know why you use them, which is a completely different story from repeating the same words out of routine.
Related Reading: 15 Ways To Avoid Using “I” To Start A Sentence
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