The word that wasn’t quite her

A client showed me a list last week. Everyday words on the left, “advanced” ones on the right, an arrow between them. “Get” became “obtain”. “Help” became “assist”. “Ask” became “enquire”.

She’d started using them in her emails. Correct, formal and somehow not her. One line read like a letter from a solicitor about a parking dispute.

The real skill is quieter than vocabulary. It’s register: knowing which word belongs in the room. A surgeon obtains consent, then gets a second opinion from a colleague. Same person, two registers, both right.

You’re allowed to use the simple word. Most of the time, it’s the clearer one too.

Quick win: Next time you reach for the impressive word, try the plain one first. Ask whether it actually fits the room.

💬 Which “advanced” English word were you taught to use that you later stopped using?