For Clear and Concise Communications – Avoid Circumlocution

By Laura Hale Brockway, April 9, 2012

Circumlocution is the use of many words when one or two will do. It’s a scourge of corporate writing. Circumlocution is so prevalent in today’s corporate writing that we may not even notice it.

In case you’re unfamiliar, circumlocution is the use of many words when one will do. For example, writing “at this point in time” when “now” will work.

As PR Daily publisher Mark Ragan often points out at his seminars, readers have “an incredibly shrinking attention span.” As writers and editors, we need to communicate as clearly and concisely as possible. One way we can do this—avoid circumlocution.

Here are some examples:

Instead of

Try

afford an opportunity	allow, let
as a means of	to
at this point in time	now
due to the fact that	because
during the period	during
has a requirement for	needs
in a timely manner	quickly, promptly
in accordance with	by, following, per, under
in advance of	before
in regard to	about, concerning, on
in the amount of	for
in the event that	if
in the near future	shortly, soon
no later than June 1	by June 1
pertaining to	about
provides guidance for	guides
under the provisions of	under
until such time as	until
with reference to	about
with the exception of	except

Readers, give this a try and any examples of circumlocutory writing that you would like to share?

Credit: PROFIT Communications loved this and couldn’t resist borrowing this ‘spot-on’ feature by Laura Hale Brockway, an Austin-based writer and editor that recently appeared in the LinkedIn Today E-Newsletter. She is also the author of the blog impertinentremarks.com.

Let PROFIT know if you need any help replacing phrases and awkward writing with just one word, as we’re just a phone call, 484-681-9516 or an email, disrael@profitcommunications.com away!