Synonyms for most used words

Did you ever notice your speech or writing has too many words like ‘think’, ‘good’ or ‘very’?  You probably did, but some might find admitting this way too difficult. It’s hard to blame a person for using the words above – they are an integral part of any talk or text. Learn this short list of synonyms for most used words to make your speech better. With almost no effort on your side you will get much better score for your Speaking and Writing.

Synonyms for overused words

Overused wordSynonyms (f – formal, i – informal, blank if neutral)
LikeEnjoy, be fond of (f), love, adore (f), be crazy about (i)
HavePossess (f), own
ThinkBelieve, hold that (f), feel that
GoodGreat, excellent, spectacular (f), awesome (i),superb (f)
VeryQuite (f)1, extremely (f), totally, really, absolutely (f)
TryGive a shot/give a go (i), attempt (f), endeavour (f)
SeeWatch, notice, look at (all are context-sensitive)
GoHead, set for, move, travel
ManyNumber of, plenty, large amount of

1.Quite in AmE means “very”, in BrE – “somewhat, sort of”

Just memorise this short list to saturate your speech with words that are less common but are fresh and more importantly, easily understood by everyone.

That said, there is nothing wrong about using the words in left column. It is that learners tend to forget a more appropriate synonym or variant of a word so they have to resort to yet another “good” or “like”. It often happens under stress one usually has during exams. To avoid such embarrassing situations try making some example sentences beforehand. This will help you to memorise words and set expressions more easily.

There is a separate article that explains the difference between many synonyms to very. This information will prove extremely beneficial, especially in your Writing when you have enough time to choose the most appropriate word.

Alternatively, to prepare your mind to the hardships of an exam have a look at these techniques that help to kick-start your brain.

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