At Corporate Speech Solutions, we give our clients the tools to speak in a clear, dynamic manner that gives them the confidence to succeed as a professional. You may have a terrific presentation prepared but if you frequently misuse words, the delivery of your presentation will not reflect your professional skill set. Today, we continue our series on words you may be using incorrectly and not even realize it:
plethora
INCORRECT definition: a lot of something; a plentiful amount
CORRECT definition: too much of something; an amount that is superfluous
“There was a plethora of comments after the presentation; they caused it to run almost an hour overtime.”
fortuitous
INCORRECT definition: lucky; surprisingly pleasant
CORRECT definition: happening by accident or chance
“Running into my boss at the event was completely fortuitous—I had no idea he was going to be there.”
irregardless
INCORRECT definition: regardless
“Irregardless” is not a word. It is often used when people mistakenly combine regardless and irrespective.
i.e. vs. e.g.
i.e. is used to further specify something, similar to “in other words”.
e.g. is used to provide an example.
“The doctor suggested I eat more dark, leafy greens, e.g. kale and spinach.”
“I was impressed by her people skills, i.e. her ability to connect so with others.”
If you have any doubt about how to use a word, err on the side of caution and choose another phrasing. While a large vocabulary can be impressive, misused words can give the impression that you are pretentious and uninformed.
What are your misused-words pet peeves? Join the conversation in the comments section!
For information on the New York Based Speech and Accent Reduction services offered by Corporate Speech Solutions please give us a call at 212-308-7725 or visit us on the web at www.corporatespeechsolutions.com
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