A Military Writer's Handbook
Words

When One Word Will Do

Clutter is the lengthy word or phrase that is preferred over the short word that means the same thing. Must you "facilitate someone's needs"? How about simply "helping" someone? Why write "at this point in time" when a brief "now" will do? In the languages of business and academia, politics and the military, we have grown so accustomed to long-windedness that we may not be aware of all the unnecessary words that take up space on the page.

Here is a list of some of the more common offenders and their single-word alternatives:

due to the fact that
because
during the time that when
considering the fact that although
until such time as until
at this point in time now
for the purpose of for
with the possible exception of except
with regard to about
referred to as called
in the final analysis finally
take into account consider
in the event that
 if
in the very near future soon
in close proximity to near

As you edit your own writing, keep an eye out for the wordy phrases on the left. Whenever sense allows, replace them with the one-word alternative.