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Do you have words you overuse?

  Tags: Word Frequency
 Language Learning Forum : General discussion Post Reply
17 messages over 3 pages: 1 2
s_allard
Triglot
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 5430 days ago

2704 posts - 5425 votes 
Speaks: French*, English, Spanish
Studies: Polish

 
 Message 17 of 17
29 July 2012 at 5:22pm | IP Logged 
I think this is a very normal phenomenon. We all have a repertoire of words that we tend to use over an over again. That is our style.

There are two points that I would like to make.

Firstly, when we look at lists of the most common words of a language, we must remember that the lists that are properly done sample a large number of sources or individuals. And when they determine the ranking of words, it is important to take into account the dispersion or use of the words by different sources. This will mitigate the very phenomenon being discussed here whereby individuals tend to use the same words.

Secondly, in the spoken language, we tend to function individually with a relatively small number of words, even within that list of the most common words of the language. Let's say for example that in our casual speech we use 400 words, those 400 words and their relative frequency are not the same for everybody.

All of this to say that such is the repetitive nature of spoken language. We all have a style that is essentially a set of words and ways of using them. Writers, professors, journalists and other professional wordsmiths will exhibit more sophisticated speaking and writing styles because this is a product of their profession.

Edited by s_allard on 29 July 2012 at 7:17pm



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