Stuck in a Word Rut? Expand Your Vocabulary Today!
Do you find you use the same words over and over again? To reach a high level of English fluency—for your IELTS, job interviews, meetings, or simply your daily life—you need a broad range of vocabulary. One of the easiest ways to quickly improve your English level is to learn synonyms. Synonyms are simply different words that have the same or similar meanings. Today, you'll learn 40 synonyms you can start using today.
Upgrade Your Language: From "Show" to
"Demonstrate"
In this
lesson, you'll see a common word you may be familiar with, like show, and then you'll
learn a synonym that is more formal and more professional, like demonstrate. You can
specifically use these synonyms in more formal and professional situations.
Why Synonyms Matter in Real-Life Contexts
Now, often
words have different meanings. So this synonym is used when displaying or providing
something, often in presentations or studies, which is commonly talked about in
the workplace and on your IELTS.
Sound Like a Pro: "Showed" vs.
"Demonstrated"
So, of
course, you can say, The
data clearly showed the trend, but to use the synonym, The data clearly demonstrated the
trend—it instantly sounds more professional. And learning these
synonyms will also help you understand natives.
Don’t Stress—Your Free Lesson PDF is Here!
Don't worry
about taking these notes because I summarize everything in a free lesson PDF.
You can find the link in the description.
"Mostly" vs. "Predominantly": Which Sounds
Smarter?
Now, let's
review mostly and predominantly. Predominantly is
used to describe something that happens or exists in most cases and is common in
academic and professional contexts.
Make Your English Shine: "Improve" vs.
"Enhance"
Now, let's
review improve and enhance. Enhance is used to
make something better, especially design, quality, or experience.
Think Deeply? Use "Consider" Instead!
Instead of
saying think about,
you can use consider.
And, of course, this is used when reflecting on options thoughtfully—so you're
giving a lot of thought.
"Say" vs. "State": Formalize Your Speech
Just like
before, let's review say and state. State is used when
expressing something verbally or in writing.
"Talk About" or "Discuss"? Know the
Difference!
Now, let's
review talk about and
the synonym discuss.
So, of course, this is used to have a conversation or explanation about
something.
Why Synonyms = Professional Success
To be
honest, the common word is the one that I use more frequently. However, there
are many times where I don't want to use a common word—I want to sound more
advanced or professional.
"Live" vs. "Reside": When to Sound Official
Let's
review live and reside. Do you know this
one? Notice that pronunciation: reside /rɪˈzaɪd/
(the voiced sound).
Small Tweaks, Big Impact: "Change" vs.
"Modify"
Let's
review change and modify. Modify is used when
making a small or precise change.
"Reduce" or "Minimize"? Choose Wisely!
Reduce already sounds
advanced, but you can also say minimize. Minimize is used
when lowering something as much as possible.
"Stop" vs. "Cease": Command Authority
Let's
review stop and cease. Cease is used when
ending an action but is often in writing or commands.
"Try" vs. "Attempt": Show Serious Effort
Let's
review try and attempt. Attempt is used when
making an effort, especially a serious effort.
"Get Better" vs. "Recover": Formal Health
Talk
Get
better is
the everyday word I use. If I want to sound a little more formal or
professional, or if I'm discussing something with a medical provider, I might
use recover instead.
"Think Carefully" or "Contemplate"? Go
Deeper!
Now, you can
use think carefully,
or you can use contemplate. Contemplate is used
when deeply thinking about something.
"Get Rid Of" vs. "Eliminate": Stronger Word
Choices
Get rid
of is
part of my daily vocabulary, but I also use eliminate as a synonym.
"Check" vs. "Verify": Precision Matters
Let's
review check and verify. Verify is used when
confirming something, often in technical or official contexts.
"Use Up" or "Deplete"? Master Advanced
Vocabulary
Now, instead
of use up,
you can use deplete.
And this is an excellent word to have in your vocabulary, especially in the
context of resources.
"Tell the Truth" vs. "Confess": Own Your
Words
You may know
this one from all your police dramas on TV. Instead of tell the truth, you can
use confess.
"Big" vs. "Significant": When Size Isn’t
Everything
Now, instead
of big,
you can use significant,
but this is used to describe something important, large in size, or with a
strong effect—not the size of something.
"Small" vs. "Minor": Subtle but Powerful Shifts
And let's
review small and minor. Minor is used for
something not very important or very small in significance.
"Great" vs. "Excellent": Level Up Your
Praise
You already
know this one. Instead of great,
you can say excellent,
but it's a reminder to use it because even myself—although I know many synonyms
for great—I
still use great most
of the time.
"Bad" vs. "Detrimental": When Harm Needs
Emphasis
And the
opposite—we could say bad and detrimental, but
not bad in
the sense of He gave a
bad presentation.
"Easy" vs. "Effortless": Smooth Talk for
Success
Now, instead
of saying something is easy,
you can say it's effortless.
So, of course, this is used when something requires little effort or it just
feels natural.
"Hard" vs. "Challenging": Turn Struggle into
Strength
Instead
of hard,
describe something as challenging.
So, of course, this is used when something is difficult but positive or
encouraging.
"Look At" vs. "Observe": Watch Like a
Scientist
Instead
of look at,
you can use observe. Observe is used when
watching carefully and is often used in science or analysis.
"Show Up" vs. "Appear": Visibility with
Flair
Now, let's
review show up and appear. Appear is used when
something becomes visible or present.
"Go" vs. "Proceed": Move Forward with
Confidence
Let's
review go and proceed. Proceed is used when
continuing or moving forward, often in instructions.
"Raise" vs. "Elevate": Lift Your Language
Let's
review raise and elevate. Elevate is used when
lifting or increasing something and sometimes is used metaphorically.
"Fall" vs. "Decline": When Numbers Drop
Let's
review fall and decline. Decline is used when
something decreases, often in reports.
"Famous" vs. "Prominent": Stand Out in Any
Field
Instead
of famous,
you can say prominent. Prominent is used to
describe someone or something well-known or important in a particular area.
"Increase" vs. "Boost": Power Up Your Speech
Instead
of increased,
you can use boost. Boost is used when
something gets bigger, and it implies a sharp or helpful increase.
"Need" vs. "Require": Formalize Your
Requests
Instead
of need,
you can use require when
something is necessary.
"Ask" vs. "Inquire": Polite &
Professional
Instead
of ask,
you can use inquire. Inquire is when
requesting information and is often used in business or writing.
"Work" vs. "Operate": Technical Precision
Instead
of work,
you can use operate in
a specific context—when something functions, and it's often technical or
professional.
"End" vs. "Conclude": Finish with Flair
Instead
of end,
you can say conclude. Conclude is when
finishing something, common in reports or speeches.
"Give" vs. "Provide": Offer with Authority
Instead
of give,
you can use provide when
offering something.
"Keep" vs. "Retain": Hold Onto Key Terms
Instead
of keep,
how about retain? Retain is to hold or
not lose something, common in work or legal contexts.
"A Lot" vs. "Frequently": Sound More Natural
Instead
of a lot,
you can use frequently—to
describe something happening many times or often.
"A Long Time" vs. "Extended Time": Refine
Your Descriptions
Instead
of a long time,
you can say an
extended time. Extended
time is used to describe a duration that lasts for a
significant amount of time.
Your 40 Synonyms Checklist—Start Using Them Now!
Now, you
have 40 synonyms you can use to sound professional, to sound more advanced, and
also sound natural.
Want More Synonyms? Let Us Know!
Do you want
me to keep helping you with synonyms? If you do, put let's go in the
comments!
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