Digital Library

Spoken English is Less Formal than Written  

Spoken English is less formal than written English. When we speak, we compose sentences "on the fly" so we often make mistakes. Sometimes, we may choose to use a wrong word or get halfway into a sentence and suddenly realize that it was not what we really wanted to say-so we pause, and repeat what we wanted to say with a new selection of words. It is not unusual for us to change direction or topic, as well.  Sometimes we say things incorrectly because it's the "in" thing to do.

Oral language is often described as sloppy or disorderly.  The best way to illustrate this is to tape record someone speaking. Play the tape back and transcribe word for word what was said. You may often discover that what was spoken transcribes, literally, into poorly stated logic, long winded thoughts or even gibberish.

How is Your Mastery of the Language?

If your mastery of the English language and your speaking ability is exceptional, writing the way you speak may work in some instances. However, if you tend to speak, using grammatical errors, poor sentence structure and improper choices of words people will think you're an illiterate fool if you put that into print. That is definitely not the best way to make a good impression.

When we have conversations with our friends, spoken errors are politely overlooked or, if someone gets caught saying something really silly, we have a laugh over it. Your listeners can interrupt to ask you to clarify something they've misunderstood. In print, you don't have that luxury. You must write clearly and in a way that will be understood by all of your readers.

Writing Requires More Care than Speaking

Writing requires more care than speaking. If you hear a good speech it is likely that it was written first and rehearsed. Likewise, with the news reports you hear on the radio or television.  

When you prepare written copy for your ads, flyers, business letters, magazine articles, and so on, you should allow more time to organize your thoughts than you do when you're talking. Consequently, your readers expect you to use that time to review what you've written, clean up the language, and clarify the sentences that may be confusing. If you write for your business (and everyone does) you must learn to use "Standard English." That's the English that professional news announcers use. Listen to the local or national evening news. Listen to the way they use our language.

So, contrary to what we call "boutique" style of teaching, you shouldn't write as you speak ... unless you speak exceptionally well.

Here are some helpful tips:

  • Avoid regional dialects and expressions in your business writing. Slang may work fine for a select group of people but in business, your words may be read by a broader group, all potential customers, from all over the world. Become sensitive to regionalisms and use them appropriately.

  • Use complete sentences. Your sentences need not be long, but they should be complete. Complete sentences will always be in style. Complete sentences are complete thoughts that are more easily understood by everyone.

  • Utilize the thesaurus, spelling and grammar checker on your word processing program.

  • Spell correctly. If you cannot take the time to spell words correctly how will your customer know that you will take the time to stand behind your product or service. Always have a dictionary handy to look up the words when you are unsure. Be sure to read the meaning of the word to be sure you are using the right choice of word. Examples of common misspelled words are too/to, heard/herd, advice/advise, whether/weather, persue/pursue.

  • The thesaurus is ideal  for finding synonyms and antonyms for words that you use. A thesaurus offers you variety -a choice of words that may be more effective or powerful or less redundant.

  • Use proper punctuation. Punctuation is not visible in spoken English so we must actually learn how to punctuate. Most people put commas in the wrong places and don't know when to use an apostrophe for making plurals, plural possessives, and so on. Get a decent book and look things up just as you would use a dictionary to check the spelling of a word. Another remedy is to hire an editor.

  • Never use multiple exclamation points (!!!!) to put emphasis on a thought or word. One (!) is enough. Using two or more exclamation points is evidence of your punctuation ignorance level.

  • Use CAPITALS and bold print wisely. A word written in capitals is the equivalent of shouting. In print, it is more difficult to read than lower case letters.

  • Avoid abbreviations. Spell out words so that there is no misunderstanding. Save abbreviations for use in forms with tight columns. For example: Does "$3.99/min." mean minimum or per minute?

  • Avoid using contractions in more formal writing. Some individuals view contractions as a lazy use of the English language.

  • State prices correctly. Another incorrect example: "SALE! Widgets .50-cents each!" This statement means that each widget costs one-half of one cent each. The placement of the decimal point to the left of the five (5) changes the value to five tenths (of a cent).   But, you already knew that.

  • Proofread your writing more than once. Pay careful attention to the flow of the words. Are the thoughts clear and concise. Now read the letter or advertisement backwards - read every word. This will help you pick up on words that may be spelled incorrectly. Often when we proofread we are so familiar with words we have chosen that we read too quickly and it is easy to overlook a mistake.

  • Use an editor or seek another opinion. This is advisable, especially if you are not skilled at writing. It is prudent to write your thoughts on paper and collaborate with another person or have an editor rewrite it for you.

  • Whenever possible allow a day to elapse and review what you have written with a fresh eye.   


Writing well makes you and your business look good and helps build customer confidence. After all, some of your customers may only know you through your letters or flyers. Your words in print represent you - they are your opportunity to make a good first impression.

Letters and promotional material that is believable, well written, and persuasive, gives you an advantage - otherwise you may not have a chance.



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