2025-06-05 Synonyms: How do I know which to choose? – Ask BBC Learning English

Introduction

Elie has sent us a question. She wants to know how to choose between different synonyms. Sian has some tips

Sian’s 6 tips!

1. Think about connotation. Words can have different associations. For example, ‘slim’ or ‘slender’ sound positive, while ‘skinny’ sounds negative. Being ‘assertive’ is usually seen as positive, but being ‘bossy’ is seen as negative. It is impotant to consider these connotations when choosing which word to use.

2. Check if something is a set phrase. Set phrases or collocations can often only use one specific word, not a synonym. For example, we talk about someone vanishing into ‘thin air’, not ‘slim air’.

3. Check if something is an idiom. Idioms often use set words, and cannot be used with near synonyms. We can talk about being ‘under the weather’ to say that we are unwell, but not ‘beneath the climate’.

4. Think about the register you want to use. Some words are more formal than others that have a similar meaning. ‘Kids’ has a similar meaning to ‘children’ but is informal. Which word to choose can also depend on regional variations, for example the American English word ‘sidewalk’ and the British English word ‘pavement’ mean the same.

5. What is the context? Different synonyms may be used in different contexts. We might talk about ‘zero’ when talking about mathematics, ‘oh’ when giving a phone number, or ‘nil’ to talk about sport. They all mean ‘0’.

6. Consider your audience. Sometimes you want to show off and use elegant language, at other times it might just be important to get your message across quickly.