Synonyms: Add Some Variety To Your Business Emails

One of the greatest things about the English language is that there are many ways to express the same idea. Here is one example:

Please reply to this email as soon as possible.

Please respond to this email as soon as possible.

Please answer this email as soon as possible.

Reply, respond, answer… These three words are synonyms. This means they have practically the same meaning. If you find yourself repeating the same words over and over again in your business emails, using a synonym is an easy way to improve the flow of your text.

Searching for synonyms

Let’s say you are writing a business email and you find that you have used the word “information” four times in the same paragraph. Although it is acceptable to do this, you want to try a different word–a synonym. How do you find the right one?

In general, the best place to look for synonyms is in a thesaurus. If your computer, tablet, or phone already has a dictionary, look there. It might give you the option to switch from “dictionary” to “thesaurus”.

You can also do an internet search to find an online thesaurus or simply type “synonym” plus the word you wish to change. AI tools can provide helpful suggestions as well. If you prefer a low-tech solution, you can buy a thesaurus in book form and keep it near your workspace.

Let’s try it…

Here are some synonyms for “information” that might work in a business email:

facts

info

data

bulletin

news

details

memo

You may have already figured out that while all of the above words have a similar meaning, there are some subtle differences.

Synonyms are not always interchangeable

If you are looking for a synonym to use in place of “information”, one of the above examples is likely to fit your needs. However, not all of them will work in every context. For example, “info” might be too casual if you are writing a formal email. Words such as “memo” and “bulletin” usually refer to information in printed form.

Therefore, when choosing a synonym, it is important to consider the context as well as the meaning of both your original word and its synonyms. If you have any doubts, the TextRanch crew is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Don’t forget to leave a note explaining the context, so your editor has all information they need to help you with the right suggestions!