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A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone
Style Through Vocabulary and Diction
Knowing a lot of words is important, but just as important is knowing how to use them.
The body of words you know and understand is called “vocabulary.” The practice of choosing how to use those words is called “diction.” Both are important, but in different ways. Vocabulary is important as a body of knowledge. Diction is important as an activity you practice.
Vocabulary
Of course, vocabulary is the foundation of writing. In order to write, you need a body of knowledge about words: a vocabulary. This large body of knowledge is the first sense in which vocabulary is important.
However, vocabulary is important in a second sense, too. The word, “vocabulary” has a more specific use. Subjects and disciplines have words that are specific to them. When you write about a subject or participate in a discipline, these vocabularies are important to learn. They fall into two categories.
Sometimes subject and discipline-specific vocabularies consist of words you have never (or seldom) heard. They are not commonly used. We call these words “jargon.”
Jargon can be off-putting, vague, or worse, pretentious. Although no discipline or subject is immune, some of the most frequently discussed examples come from business settings:
The word “synergize” is jargon for coordinating, working together, or combining efforts. However, one just as easily could use coordinate, cooperate, or collaborate. These words have the benefit of being commonly understood and precise.
The word “leverage” is a noun that signifies the act of moving something using a lever. In business settings, however, "leverage” is often used more broadly as a verb. “Let’s leverage our resources.” However, one just as accurately, and more accessibly, could say, “Let’s use our resources.”
There are times, however, when jargon is shorthand for people in a hurry. This can be true, for example, in medical settings.
Writing or saying “atypical” substitutes for “That does not usually happen.”
Writing or saying, “The patient has comorbidities,” substitutes for “The patient is suffering from two or more illnesses at the same time.”
In these cases, jargon eliminates wordiness and gets right to the point.
Sometimes subject and discipline-specific vocabularies consist of words you have heard before. The difference is that these words have specific meanings within a particular subject or discipline. Sometimes these uniquely used words are shortened forms of longer words. Other times they are merely common words used with a slightly different meaning.
When most people use the word “script,” they usually mean writing or the written form of a play or movie. However, in a medical setting, "script” is short for a prescription.
When most people speak of an “engagement,” they usually mean a planned event or a commitment to marry another person. However, in tech settings, “engagement” signifies audience interaction with a creative product.
Diction
- IMPORTANCE
- EXAMPLES
When you write, you make choices—about which words to use, about the order in which you will use them. We call these choices “diction.” These choices are consequential, especially for tone and voice. However, diction is also consequential for clear, nuanced, and complex exploration of ideas.
Consider the following two statements, both from a current college student:
The film was quite good.
The filmmakers superbly introduced their story and characters, and despite a three-hour runtime, the film never dragged on, which was in part due to stunning visuals, solid acting, and a soul-wrenching score.
Both statements communicate a positive opinion. Both are reasonably formal in tone. However, notice how vague the first statement is. “Quite good” could have any number of unstated meanings. The goodness of the film remains a mystery. Improved diction helped unpack “quite good” for the reader.
Notice in contrast the precise language of the second example. We now know what the writer appreciated about the film. Notice also the vivid adjectives: “stunning,” “solid,” and “soul-wrenching.” These draw the reader into how the author feels about the film. Finally, notice how the author uses categories specific to popular film criticism: “dragged on” (i.e. pacing), “visuals,” “acting,” Competent diction provides complexity and clarity.
When you write, you make choices—about which words to use, about the order in which you will use them. We call these choices “diction.” These choices are consequential, especially for tone and voice. However, diction is also consequential for clear, nuanced, and complex exploration of ideas.
Consider the following two statements, both from a current college student:
The film was quite good.
The filmmakers superbly introduced their story and characters, and despite a three-hour runtime, the film never dragged on, which was in part due to stunning visuals, solid acting, and a soul-wrenching score.
Both statements communicate a positive opinion. Both are reasonably formal in tone. However, notice how vague the first statement is. “Quite good” could have any number of unstated meanings. The goodness of the film remains a mystery. Improved diction helped unpack “quite good” for the reader.
Notice in contrast the precise language of the second example. We now know what the writer appreciated about the film. Notice also the vivid adjectives: “stunning,” “solid,” and “soul-wrenching.” These draw the reader into how the author feels about the film. Finally, notice how the author uses categories specific to popular film criticism: “dragged on” (i.e. pacing), “visuals,” “acting,” Competent diction provides complexity and clarity.
Table of Contents: Online Guide to Writing
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How Does College Writing Differ from Workplace Writing? -
What Is College Writing? -
Why So Much Emphasis on Writing?
-
Doing Exploratory Research -
Getting from Notes to Your Draft -
Introduction -
Prewriting -
Prewriting - Techniques to Get Started - Mining Your Intuition -
Prewriting: Targeting Your Audience -
Prewriting: Techniques to Get Started -
Prewriting: Understanding Your Assignment -
Rewriting -
Rewriting: Being Your Own Critic -
Rewriting: Creating a Revision Strategy -
Rewriting: Getting Feedback -
Rewriting: The Final Draft -
Techniques to Get Started - Outlining -
Techniques to Get Started - Using Systematic Techniques -
Thesis Statement and Controlling Idea -
Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Freewriting -
Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Summarizing Your Ideas -
Writing: Outlining What You Will Write
-
A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone -
A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone: Style Through Vocabulary and Diction -
Critical Strategies and Writing -
Critical Strategies and Writing: Analysis -
Critical Strategies and Writing: Evaluation -
Critical Strategies and Writing: Persuasion -
Critical Strategies and Writing: Synthesis -
Developing a Paper Using Strategies -
Introduction -
Kinds of Assignments You Will Write -
Patterns for Presenting Information -
Patterns for Presenting Information: Critiques -
Patterns for Presenting Information: Discussing Raw Data -
Patterns for Presenting Information: General-to-Specific Pattern -
Patterns for Presenting Information: Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern -
Patterns for Presenting Information: Specific-to-General Pattern -
Patterns for Presenting Information: Summaries and Abstracts -
Supporting with Research and Examples -
Writing Essay Examinations -
Writing Essay Examinations: Make Your Answer Relevant and Complete -
Writing Essay Examinations: Organize Thinking Before Writing -
Writing Essay Examinations: Read and Understand the Question
-
Introduction -
Planning and Writing a Research Paper -
Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Ask a Research Question -
Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Cite Sources -
Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Collect Evidence -
Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Decide Your Point of View, or Role, for Your Research -
Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Draw Conclusions -
Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Find a Topic and Get an Overview -
Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Manage Your Resources -
Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Outline -
Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Survey the Literature -
Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Work Your Sources into Your Research Writing -
Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Human Resources -
Research Resources: What Are Research Resources? -
Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? -
Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Electronic Resources -
Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Print Resources -
Structuring the Research Paper: Formal Research Structure -
Structuring the Research Paper: Informal Research Structure -
The Nature of Research -
The Research Assignment: How Should Research Sources Be Evaluated? -
The Research Assignment: When Is Research Needed? -
The Research Assignment: Why Perform Research?
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Academic Integrity -
Giving Credit to Sources -
Giving Credit to Sources: Copyright Laws -
Giving Credit to Sources: Documentation -
Giving Credit to Sources: Style Guides -
Integrating Sources -
Practicing Academic Integrity -
Practicing Academic Integrity: Keeping Accurate Records -
Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material -
Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Paraphrasing Your Source -
Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Quoting Your Source -
Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Summarizing Your Sources -
Types of Documentation -
Types of Documentation: Bibliographies and Source Lists -
Types of Documentation: Citing World Wide Web Sources -
Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations -
Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - APA Style -
Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - CSE/CBE Style -
Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - Chicago Style -
Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - MLA Style -
Types of Documentation: Note Citations
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Introduction -
Reviews and Reaction Papers: Article and Book Reviews -
Reviews and Reaction Papers: Reaction Papers -
Writing Arguments -
Writing Arguments: Adapting the Argument Structure -
Writing Arguments: Purposes of Argument -
Writing Arguments: References to Consult for Writing Arguments -
Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Anticipate Active Opposition -
Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Determine Your Organization -
Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Develop Your Argument -
Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Introduce Your Argument -
Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - State Your Thesis or Proposition -
Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Write Your Conclusion -
Writing Arguments: Types of Argument
Appendix A: Books to Help Improve Your Writing
Appendix B: Collaborative Writing and Peer Reviewing
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Collaborative Writing: Assignments to Accompany the Group Project -
Collaborative Writing: Informal Progress Report -
Collaborative Writing: Issues to Resolve -
Collaborative Writing: Methodology -
Collaborative Writing: Peer Evaluation -
Collaborative Writing: Tasks of Collaborative Writing Group Members -
Collaborative Writing: Writing Plan -
Conclusion -
General Introduction -
Peer Reviewing