Eloquence is In! Let Your Vocabulary be Your Best Accessory

A girl walks down the busy streets of St Andrews as if she’s walking out of the pages of Vogue. But then she opens her mouth… and the glamour is gone. We get so focused on curating incredible outfits to brave the fashion show that is the streets of St Andrews, we forget our most powerful accessory: our words. 

Today, with social media trends and AI being our primary forms of media consumption, our attention span isn’t the only victim; our vocabulary is too. Why learn fancy words when ChatGPT can find a synonym? Why expand your vocabulary when ‘cool’ can describe any emotion or opinion? The art of speaking, eloquence, is becoming a dying language, and it’s time we address it. 

Your Vocabulary Should Be Your New Signature Bag

Your vocabulary is just as important an accessory as a bag. Like a bag, the way you speak not only elevates your outfit, but it also has incomparable utility. If this does not concern you, let me put it in practical terms. We are all getting to the point in our lives where we have job interviews and networking opportunities with important people. I’ll go out on a limb and suggest they won’t be impressed with you describing your later university years as when you finally ‘locked in.’ The same thing applies to assignments. It’s important to have varied syntax and prose as well as the ability to choose the perfect word to convey your argument. Before you disagree, I’m in STEM, and it’s still important, so don’t think you get out of it that way. 

Still not convinced? That’s ok, let’s go back to style. When you think of someone chic, nay glamorous, I venture you imagine impeccable fashion taste, makeup, and hair. But I surmise you also imagine someone who can carry on a conversation, someone who sounds intelligent about anything they discuss. Having an extensive vocabulary is a way to make yourself unique. It becomes, for example, the vintage thrifted handbag that stands out and creates envy in everyone who sees it.  

How Do You Find the ‘It’ Vocabulary?

How do you find this prophesied bag that turns heads? You know where to look! In other words, by being intentional with what you consume. Read books! Really, any book. But if you want to be prolific read something with more substance, the classics if you will. I recommend meandering through Topping & Co to find a book that piques your interest. Observe what words those authors use and try to incorporate them into your daily lexicon. Or, since we can’t escape it, follow someone on TikTok who is gifted with words. Or find a creator whose page is dedicated to improving vocabulary. Regarding your assignments, I recommend the Manchester Academic Phrasebank. It provides many practical examples of how to eloquently structure your writing and strengthen your arguments. If you want more writing-based inspiration, HerCampus is a great place to start, with many interesting, well-written articles.

The most helpful tip I have is to practice. When you’re speaking to anyone, especially friends, pay attention to what you’re saying. Swap out bland words like ‘nice’ with words that actually describe what you are trying to say. Specifically, have a word-du-jour that you try to incorporate at least once in conversation. Or as you go about your day practice describing the minutiae, just to yourself. I’m still working on this myself, it’s astonishing– and maybe concerning– how much I say, ‘lock in’. Basically, what I’m trying to communicate to you is, be like Fancy Nancy. If you have no idea who I’m talking about, do look her up. Fancy Nancy encapsulates exactly the goal of this article. She’s glamourous not only in her outfits but in her vocabulary. Try to mimic her: switch party to soirée, problem with dilemma, cold with frigid, and the list goes on. Learning vocabulary is just like thrift shopping for vintage bags: it takes time and the right places to look, but once you find it, you’ve gained an accessory for life. Don’t lose it!

What Vocabulary Words to Look For 

Thrifting can be overwhelming. What bag should you even look for? My answer is something you like that exemplifies your personal style. It’s the same principle for finding your distinctive prose. I think the peak of glamour is people with signature words or phrases. They often say something witty or interesting that adds to their persona. I don’t mean slang; I mean their own unique turn of phrase. It’s a great way to start building to your personal lexicon. For example, one of my friends’ signature words is ‘ravenous’ and she uses it every time she needs a snack. It’s just such a creative way to spice up a conversation or impress people. Looking for inspiration? Mads Mitch is an internet personality who is a phrase genius. She is a master of the craft and has so many lists of creative words and phrases she uses. They make her seem instantly more intelligent and enhance her humour; I could spend hours listening to her talk just because of her unique prose. Ultimately, an easy way to begin to expand your vocabulary is to start with one signature word or phrase at a time. Before you know it, you won’t even need to rely on a thesaurus. Your signature word or phrase becomes the perfect vintage bag: something that exudes your personality.

Put Your Vocabulary on the Runway

I’m a connoisseur of fashion as much as the next person, but overlooking vocabulary as a very crucial accessory is style sabotage. Bland filler words are ubiquitous and the basic black bags of vocabulary. They have their place, but as every fashionista knows, you must switch it up and add something colourful to create a runway-worthy look. Practise curating your vocabulary when you read, when you write, when you think, and before you know it, you’ll be a regular wordsmith. Focusing on syntax will, of course, help your academics but also your future. You’ll stand out amongst other applicants or impress strangers. Unlike an expensive bag, daily use of a strong vocabulary will not wear out. It only improves with age. So, use this accessory every day and soon you’ll become the person who walks down the busy streets of St Andrews like you’re walking out of the pages in Vogue, and when you open your mouth… the look only becomes more glamorous. 

• fashion
• speaking
• style
• university
• vocabulary