How to sound more natural in English by avoiding overly formal and uncommon vocabulary
Welcome to Episode 16 of No Pressure English — a podcast for intermediate and advanced English learners.
Do you sometimes feel like your English sounds correct—but not natural? Many learners use vocabulary that is technically accurate but too formal, outdated, or rarely used in everyday conversation. In this episode, we explore why this happens and how to fix it. By focusing on natural, commonly used expressions instead of overly complex words, you can improve your fluency, sound more confident, and communicate more effectively in real-life situations.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Practical tips to sound more fluent and natural in conversations
- Why using overly formal vocabulary can sound unnatural
- The difference between high-level words and commonly used expressions
- Natural alternatives to words like perspicacious, renounce, terminate, and commence
- How to choose the right level of formality for different situations
Here is this episode’s free transcript ->
Episode 16: Do you sound too formal in English? (Common Vocabulary Mistakes)
Hello, guys, you’re very, very welcome to this episode of the podcast. How are you? I hope the week is treating you fantastically well. So for those of you who are listening to the podcast for the first time, I recommend checking out the transcript, which is free to download in the description.
So guys, it’s episode number 16. And what the hell are we going to talk about today? Well, we’re going to talk about differences and the acceptance of differences in general, but more importantly, when it comes to language learning.
So, in general, guys, look, the world is a beautiful place, and it’s full of many different colours. It’d be boring. The world would be a very, very boring place if there were* no differences between us. So, I guess today we want to celebrate those differences, recognise them, accept them, and continue learning because that’s the process. That’s the journey we’re on. And it’s a beautiful journey.
So, differences can cause stress. I totally understand that. And it’s okay. But in general, differences do—they add colour to the world. They make things more colourful.
And this is kind of true in language learning as well. We need at some point to accept that language is just different, like another person is different to us. There are differences, and that’s when we have to accept these differences and try not to impose our native language onto the target language, the language that we are learning, because life just becomes a lot easier when we accept that things are different, because it’s no longer a challenge to try and impose or find a direct link always between our language and the other language. We start to think, “Hey, it’s different. That’s because it’s a different language.” And that’s exactly what it is. And that’s cool.
Again, there are similarities, no doubt. But this is a reason we should be careful. We shouldn’t just look for the shortcuts, the quick solutions. We should be confident that we’re using the correct phrase or word in the right situation and the right context – the right level of formality.
So, when I say a shortcut, I mean a quick way to reach a solution when we’re speaking or learning a language. In this context, I mean using words that are similar to words in our native language when we’re speaking or communicating in our target language, because sometimes it actually creates misunderstandings if we use a word that isn’t common in our target language.
So, it can lead to this kind of miscomprehension or misunderstanding. And today we’re going to look at some of these words that I’ve heard during sessions with Italian students, mainly, or Latin language learners of English.
So, the main thing that I hear that happens is that really complex, cool words are used—like C2 words that we see in literature, but we rarely, if ever, hear. And secondly, the level of formality. Some words are used, and they’re just—they’re exceptionally formal, and they make the situation seem more formal than it is, or unnecessarily formal, or a little bit strangely formal. So, today we’re going to just look at making things sound a little bit more natural rather than formal.
We’re going to start with one word which I found really interesting when I heard it in a language lesson with a student, because, look, I’d read the word many times, but to be honest, I don’t think I’d ever heard it used in conversation. Maybe once or twice at a lecture. I don’t know.
So a very, very interesting and cool word, because the word is perspicacious—perspicacious. I found it interesting, as I said, because I heard it and I was thinking, “Wow, yeah, it exists, but it’s not used a lot.” I’ve never heard anyone use it in daily life, in daily conversation. So it’s a really low-frequency word in general life, or it’s used in a very limited way. It’s not a word we meet a lot.
Sometimes it can happen that the language you’re learning—you might say, “Okay, well, this word exists. I’ve seen it in the dictionary, so therefore I’m using it.” However, it could be an archaic word—like a really, really old word—or it could be a really low-frequency word, barely used.
So in one case, it could be, as I said, like a C2 word, which is cool. You know, kudos, good job to you. But maybe native speakers don’t know it, or they don’t use it at all. That happens. This happens in life.
So, it can have two consequences. One, it can lead to miscommunication. Or two, it can lead to unnecessary formality, which can be strange as well in a kind of normal everyday conversation when someone uses very formal vocabulary. It might feel like they’re coming from the past. It’s like someone has taken a time machine and arrived from the 1920s.
So, I guess perspicacious is like a prime example of this. It’s a cool word. It’s a great word, but it’s not very common, so it may sound very formal or maybe the listener will not know the word. It depends on context too. Like, obviously, in an academic setting, this would be a perfectly fine word to use. So, context is very important. If you’re lecturing and you’re an academic professor, then that word’s cool.
So, I guess one note here is that it’s great to celebrate these words. So, I’m not saying don’t use them or forget them. No, because that’s not cool. Words are beautiful. Just be aware of your audience. Choose the words based on the people you have in front of you.
So, let’s look at just an alternative for this particular adjective. Instead of saying “He’s a perspicacious guy,” we would say “He’s a sharp guy” or “She’s a sharp girl.” “She’s very shrewd. She’s quick-witted, very clever, smart, intelligent.” So those are loads of alternatives, guys. Sharp, quick-witted, astute, intelligent, clever, et cetera. Those are all excellent alternatives. But again, as I said, it depends on the setting. But those are nice alternatives.
I’m moving on to another word that I hear. Again, this one, we see it in literature, and it is used, or it was used. So, maybe it’s a little bit more common than the previous word. But look, I’ve never heard anybody say it in general conversation, and people would look at me strangely if I used it in my family, among my family members. And that word is to renounce—renounce.
To renounce is one that’s used all the time by my students. And I don’t think that, truthfully, before I started teaching English to Italian speakers, I’d only heard “renounce” used about the royals—the royal family members. If they were giving up their duties in the monarchy or leaving the country, if they don’t want to be involved in the monarchy anymore, they’re abdicating, they’re relinquishing their duties, like Harry or something like that. But other than that, I don’t think I’ve heard “renounce” used in conversation.
So as I said, there are alternatives for this. But in general conversation, even “relinquishing,” that’s quite high-level vocabulary—to relinquish your duties. It sounds like a military person who’s saying, “No, I don’t want to continue in this war effort” or something like that.
But other common things would be the phrasal verb – to give up. “I want to give up this job. I can’t do it anymore.” Or “I want to give up smoking. It’s not good for my health.”
To quit. Again, same idea. “I want to quit smoking. I want to give up this job. It’s too stressful.”
Stop. Simple vocabulary that’s always going to be understood and will never sound too formal. I want to stop doing something. I want to stop smoking, quit smoking, – give up smoking.
Guys, I gave up smoking. I don’t know why I’m using it as an example, but look.
So, as I said, those are natural alternatives: to give up, to stop, or to quit doing something.
And guys, we’re going to focus on two more words, and these ones are used. They’re far more common in spoken English than the previous two, but these just aren’t used as frequently in semi-formal or informal situations as maybe Latin language speakers would use them.
One is to terminate. So it might be, for example, to terminate someone’s contract, which means, of course, to end someone’s contract. And this is a little bit legalese. It’s a very formal language that’s used. It’s not super formal, but it’s used. But it is related to a specific ending or termination of something—the legal end of something. It has a very legalese feel to it.
So, I often hear this used in phrases that are not so formal, though. So for example, a student might say, “Oh, we need to terminate the project by the end of the week.” And in my mind, that sounds really, really robotic. Formal. Like really formal. But also, as I said, robotic. “We need to terminate the project.”
For me, it doesn’t give an idea about the conclusion—positive or negative, the outcome of the project… just that it must end.
So it’s very commonly overused when people are speaking English. And “finish” is the perfect alternative. So “We need to finish the project by Friday.” Or “We need to finish working on this project by Friday.” Or “We need to complete this project by Friday. We need to get this project done by Friday. We need to get it wrapped up.”
So, these are some other natural ways that we would say it. Maybe a little bit less formal, more natural. So we need to finish working on the project. We need to complete the project. We need to get it done. We need to get it over the line.
And finally, we have one more word, and that is commence—to commence. To begin something. To start doing something.
Now this is used. It’s more commonly used, again, than the previous two words—perspicacious or renounce. As I said, we do use “terminate.” And again, we do use “commence.” But often to refer to events in formal settings.
So, for example, in the theatre, “The performance will commence at 8 o’clock this evening.” Or “The conference is set to commence at 7:30 a.m. in the morning.”
But the majority of the time in natural conversation, we don’t use “commence” for simple events. Like, for example, “The dinner party will commence at 8 p.m.” It sounds very, very formal.
We use begin or start—simple language, in fairness. Like we might say something more informal. For example, “The party will kick off at 8 p.m. tomorrow evening. You’re all welcome to attend.”
Okay guys, this episode was solely to reflect on the beauty of differences, and how the acceptance of differences can lead to a less stressful, less pressurised language learning experience.
It should be as though you’ve met a new person that you’re fascinated by. You want to get to know them a little bit better, and you have to accept the fact that they’re different, respectfully.
So, just be aware that sometimes, trying to force words that are similar to our native language, that you might find in the dictionary also—they may make you sound very, very formal, or it could be just a really high-level word that’s not used commonly, or it could be an archaic word that’s not used at all.
Or alternatively, guys, just check it out in the dictionary. It usually says “archaic.” Or on ChatGPT, you could put the word in and say, “Is this commonly used in English?” Check it out on any platform.
So don’t simply think, “Oh, this word exists. Next stop, my vocabulary.” Because it’s not always the best way to do it.
And finding the most natural way to say something is definitely the best way to do it. And the beauty of language, or any language, is that the most natural way to say something is the most accessible. It’s the thing we hear the most frequently when we are studying… because the language itself gives you easier access to common words… because they are common. It’s a good system, eh? The language itself gives us the common words, the words that are used on a regular basis.
And we just need to simply notice this and improve with patience. So, listening – lots of listening- is always recommended.
Okay guys, that’s all for today’s episode. Have a great week. Take care of yourselves. Ciao, ciao.
Comprehensive Glossary
perspicacious (adjective) – having keen insight or discernment; perceptive (very formal, archaic, rarely used in speech)
Natural alternatives: sharp, shrewd, quick-witted, clever, smart, intelligent, astute
Example: “She’s really sharp—she figured out the problem immediately.”
to renounce (verb) – to formally give up or reject something, especially a belief, claim, or position (very formal, rarely used in everyday speech)
Natural alternatives: give up, quit, stop
Example: “He gave up smoking last year” (NOT “He renounced smoking”).
terminate (verb) – to bring to an end; to conclude (very formal, often sounds emotionless or legalistic in everyday contexts)
Natural alternatives: finish, end, complete, get done, wrap up, get it over the line
Example: “We need to finish this project by Friday” (NOT “We need to terminate this project”).
commence (verb) – to begin or start (formal, used mainly for official events or ceremonies)
Natural alternatives: begin, start, kick off
Example: “The party will start at 8 p.m.” (more natural than “The party will commence at 8 p.m.”).
impose (verb) – to force something unwelcome or unfamiliar to be accepted or put in place
Example: “Don’t try to impose your views on others.”
miscomprehension (noun) – failure to understand correctly; misunderstanding
Example: “The miscomprehension arose from poor translation.”
low-frequency (adjective) – rarely used or occurring
Example: “That’s a low-frequency word that most people don’t know.”
archaic (adjective) – very old or old-fashioned; no longer in common use
Example: “Thou and thee are archaic pronouns in English.”
depends on context (phrase) – varies according to the situation or circumstances
Example: “Whether that word is appropriate depends on context.”
sharp (adjective) – mentally quick and perceptive; intelligent (informal)
Example: “He’s a sharp businessman who never misses an opportunity.”
shrewd (adjective) – having sharp judgment; astute
Example: “She made a shrewd investment that doubled her money.”
quick-witted (adjective) – able to think and respond quickly; mentally sharp
Example: “Her quick-witted response made everyone laugh.”
astute (adjective) – having good judgment and understanding; perceptive
Example: “That was an astute observation about the market trends.”
abdicating (verb) – formally giving up a position of power or responsibility, especially a throne
Example: “The king is abdicating in favor of his son.”
relinquishing (verb) – voluntarily giving up or letting go of something (formal)
Example: “He’s relinquishing control of the company.”
to give up (phrasal verb) – to stop doing something; to quit
Example: “I’m trying to give up coffee for health reasons.”
to quit (verb) – to stop doing something; to leave a job or position
Example: “He quit his job to start his own business.”
legalese (noun) – complex legal language that is difficult for non-lawyers to understand
Example: “The contract was full of legalese that I couldn’t understand.”
wrapped up (phrasal verb) – finished; completed
Example: “We should have this project wrapped up by Friday.”
get it over the line (idiom) – to complete something successfully; to finish a task or project
Example: “We just need to work hard this week to get it over the line.”
kick off (phrasal verb) – to start or begin (informal)
Example: “The concert will kick off at 7 p.m.”
next stop (idiom) – the next destination or goal
Example: “I’ve learned Spanish—next stop, Italian!”
kudos (noun) – praise and recognition for achievement (informal)
Example: “Kudos to the team for finishing ahead of schedule!”
**Alternatively, you can watch the video below and turn on the subtitles by clicking the CC button in the top right corner:
If you liked this episode, you may enjoy the following:
https://nopressureenglish.com/podcast/episode-15-negotiation-idioms-you-can-use-every-day/
https://nopressureenglish.com/podcast/episode-7-celebrating-your-progress-in-language-learning/
Why not use this wonderful dictionary and add a new word of the day to your vocabulary today?
https://www.merriam-webster.com/
