10 Words To Erase From Your Vocabulary

#1   "Um"

It's called a "placeholder word" that makes you sound indecisive and inarticulate.

#2  "Can't"

Henry Devries, co-author of Closing America's Job Gap and assistant dean for continuing education at the University of California San Diego, says the word "can't" really means "I won't" or "I don’t know how." A better way to say it: "I want to learn how to do that."

#3  "Like"

Nancy Mobley, founder of consulting firm Insight Performance, says that when "like" is used as a filler word it shows incompetence and poor communication skills.

#4  "Never"

"Don't tempt fate," says Dale Austin, director of the Career Development Center at Hope College. "Never" eliminates even the possibility of an idea, which can be both discouraging and naive.

#5  "But"

Darlene Price, author of Well Said, says the word "but" negates anything that comes before it. She suggests replacing it with the word "and" or re-phrasing.

#6  "Innovative"

This one regularly lands on LinkedIn's annual list of the most overused business buzz-words. Strike it from your resume.

#7  "Probably"

Austin says that "probably," along with phrases like "I guess" and "sort of," is tentative and doesn't reflect confidence or strength.

#8  "No"

"Nobody likes to hear 'no,'" says Devries. "Instead, try the phrase 'I wish I could.'"

#9   "Etcetera"

Robert Finder, author of The Financial Professional's Guide To Communication, calls this a "non-word" that makes others do all the work. Instead, provide meaningful examples to illustrate your point.

#10  "Really"

Finder calls this a "poor attempt to instill candor and truthfulness" that makes clients and coworkers question whether you're really telling the truth.