Sometimes we get in a hurry and forget to “hear” the words we write. I don’t know about you, but I can be enjoying a book or an online article or proofreading my own work, then suddenly I hear a “clang.” That’s the sound that happens when the words just sound wrong or are used incorrectly. It’s easy to forget sometimes that written words and the way you put them together have sounds just like spoken words.
A pet peeve of mine is when consecutive sentences end with the same word or words. It sounds clunky and dull.
"BizActions can save you money. Get great tips that can save you money.” Clang!
Sometimes writers do that to make a point or even for a comedic effect. That’s different. I don’t know about you, but I kind of like that.
“That would be the wrong thing to do. Because it would be the wrong thing to do.”
“The good news is, I’m going home for Christmas. The bad news is, I’m going home for Christmas.”
Another clunker… starting sentence after sentence with the same word.
“You should consult your accountant. You shouldn’t wait till the last minute. You could end up in trouble with the IRS if you do.” Clang! Clang! Clang!
Then there is the switch-up in the middle of the stream, when singular becomes plural or vice versa. I know… I sound like an old English teacher, but this one really bugs me.
“Each employee turned in their time card.” Clang squared!
People hesitate sometimes to say “his or her,” and it’s hard to blame them because it can seem cumbersome. But if you want to avoid the clang, don’t switch up. If the gender of the person is unknown say, “Each employee turned in his or her time card,” or make both plural and say “The employees turned in their time cards.”
Any grade school child knows the usual rules for when to use “a” or when to use “an.” But in a world where we use so many abbreviations, the rules get tossed. That is, listen to how the words sound when read aloud.
You would never say, “The President has an Masters of Business Administration degree.”
But if you use the abbreviation MBA, you should say, “The President has an MBA,” even though “an” comes before a consonant, because “M” sounds likes it starts with a vowel.
The moral of the story is, written words have sounds too… at least as long as somebody is reading them. If you want to avoid irritating your audience, read through your copy, listen for the clang, and silence it.
Teresa Ambord
Assistant Editor
BizActions LLC
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