Sounding Smart According To Americans [Infographic]

Matt Zajechowski 0m 121

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

7 in 10 American workers use complex vocabulary to impress a boss or colleague

The words you use can signal to others how intelligent you are, however it’s a fine line between being smart and trying to sound smart.

Preply surveyed nearly 2,000 Americans to ask them about the words they believe make people sound the smartest.

Highlights:

1. 78% of respondents believe using big words or a complex vocabulary makes someone seem smarter.
2. 68% often use complex vocabulary to impress someone.
3. The words most likely to impress:
   1. Articulate
   2. Accolade
   3. Brevity
   4. Anomaly
   5. Adulation
4. Words most frequently used to seem smarter:
   1. Articulate
   2. Ambiguous
   3. Aesthetic
   4. Capitalize
   5. Concur
5. 58% have used a word to sound smarter, even though they didn’t know it’s meaning.

Take a look at the full study findings.

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