The Art of Choosing the Right Words

To be a powerful communicator, you need more than a good vocabulary—you need a deep desire to be understood. You must intuitively grasp not just what to say, but how to say it so the meaning lands exactly where it’s meant to. This is the skill of the Wordsmith: the ability to select words with precision, purpose, and emotional resonance.

Words are never neutral. Whether spoken or written, they shape how we feel, what we understand, and how we relate to one another. A single phrase can lift someone’s spirit, shift a mindset, or start a movement. Words reveal us, define us, and leave a trace of who we are in the minds of others.

“Attitude clarifies the meaning of words.” – Brent M. Jones

Great communicators don’t just throw words into the world—they craft them with care. They understand that the right word has power, while the almost right one can confuse, mislead, or fall flat.

“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning.” – Mark Twain

They also know that restraint matters—that silence can speak volumes, and that grand language loses meaning when used carelessly.

“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” – Mark Twain
“Don’t use words too big for the subject.” – C.S. Lewis
“Words without thoughts never to heaven go.” – Shakespeare
“False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.” – Socrates
“I didn’t have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one.” – Mark Twain