How to Make Your Writing More Concise: Cut the Fluff
Learn to make writing more concise by cutting filler phrases, redundancy, and wordiness. Real before-and-after examples for clearer, stronger writing.
The most respected writers share one trait: economy of language. They make their point clearly and quickly, respecting the reader's time. If you want your work to stand out—whether it's an email, a report, or a presentation—learning to make your writing more concise is non-negotiable.
Concise writing isn't about being terse or cold. It's about removing words that don't earn their place, eliminating redundancy, and replacing wordy phrases with sharper alternatives. This guide shows you exactly how to cut the fluff and write with punch.
Why Conciseness Matters
Busy professionals read dozens of emails and documents daily. Concise writing gets read. Wordy writing gets skimmed—or ignored entirely.
Concise writing:
- Respects the reader's time
- Makes your main point unmissable
- Sounds more confident and authoritative
- Is easier to remember and act on
- Improves engagement and clarity
Research shows readers process concise writing faster and retain more. That's not an accident—it's because every word is working.
The Six Types of Fluff to Cut
1. Filler Phrases
These are words or phrases that add volume without adding meaning. Cut them ruthlessly.
| Filler | Concise | Word Saved |
|---|---|---|
| "In my opinion, I think..." | "I believe..." | 5+ words |
| "It is interesting to note that..." | (Just state the fact) | 6 words |
| "At the end of the day..." | (Delete or use "Ultimately") | 5 words |
| "To be perfectly honest..." | (Just be honest) | 4 words |
| "Needless to say..." | (Don't say it; delete) | 3 words |
| "The fact that..." | Remove or rewrite | 3 words |
| "I would argue that..." | "I argue..." | 2 words |
| "Sort of," "kind of," "really," "actually" | Omit | 1 word each |
Example:
Before: "To be perfectly honest, I think it would be interesting to note that we are facing some challenges."
After: "We face significant challenges."
2. Redundancy and Repetition
Using multiple words to say the same thing once wastes space and dulls impact.
| Redundant | Concise |
|---|---|
| "both together," "cooperate together" | "cooperate," "together" |
| "completely unique," "totally unique" | "unique" |
| "exactly the same," "identical" | "identical" |
| "first beginning," "initial start" | "beginning" or "start" |
| "absolutely essential," "absolutely necessary" | "essential," "necessary" |
| "continue to persist," "keep going on" | "persist," "continue" |
| "free gift," "unexpected surprise" | "gift," "surprise" |
| "brief moment," "short period of time" | "moment," "period" |
Example:
Before: "We need to cooperate together and work in unison to achieve our shared common goal."
After: "We must work together to achieve our goal."
3. Weak Openings and Hedging Overkill
Starting with weak phrases like "There is," "It is," or excessive hedging buries your main point.
Weak: "There is a possibility that we should consider implementing a new strategy."
Strong: "We should implement a new strategy."
Weak: "It has been determined that many employees feel that communication could possibly be improved."
Strong: "Employees want better communication."
Use hedging strategically in formal writing (see make-writing-more-formal), but don't default to it.
4. Nominalizations: Turning Verbs Into Nouns
This is when you turn a verb into a noun form, which requires more words and weaker phrasing.
| Nominalized (Wordy) | Verb Form (Concise) |
|---|---|
| "make an improvement" | "improve" |
| "provide assistance" | "assist" |
| "conduct a review of" | "review" |
| "come to a decision" | "decide" |
| "give consideration to" | "consider" |
| "perform an analysis of" | "analyze" |
| "undergo training" | "train" |
| "request permission" | "request permission" stays the same, but "obtain approval" → "approve" |
| "raise concerns about" | "question," "challenge" |
Example:
Before: "The team conducted an analysis of the report and made a recommendation for immediate implementation."
After: "The team analyzed the report and recommended immediate implementation."
5. Empty Descriptors
Words like "clearly," "obviously," "basically," "essentially," and "really" often tell rather than show—and they don't add information.
Weak: "This strategy is clearly more effective than the old one."
Strong: "This strategy improved results by 40%."
If something is truly clear or obvious, you don't need to say it. Show it with data or evidence instead.
6. Unnecessary Elaboration and Examples
Details matter, but only if they move the story forward. Ask yourself: does the reader need to know this?
Wordy: "Our customers, who are, as we know, becoming increasingly demanding and are looking for faster service, have begun to express their concerns through various channels, including email, phone calls, and support tickets."
Concise: "Customers now demand faster service and are expressing concerns across all channels."
Pro Tip
Use HumanMe to tighten up a draft. It shows you where wordiness is hiding and suggests sharper alternatives.
The Edit-as-You-Write Checklist
Before you send any piece of writing, scan for these:
- Do I start with the main point, or with filler?
- Did I use "there is" or "it is"? Can I rewrite with a strong verb?
- Are there repeated words or phrases?
- Can I replace weak adjectives ("clearly," "really") with data or stronger language?
- Did I turn verbs into nouns (nominalization)?
- Are there sentences over 25 words? Can I split or trim them?
- Does every clause add value? Delete what doesn't.
Before-and-After Email Examples
Before (169 words):
"I wanted to reach out to inform you about the fact that we have completed our analysis of the project proposal. The results are, in my opinion, really quite impressive. We've made a determination that the strategy outlined in the proposal could potentially help us achieve our goals in a way that is both efficient and cost-effective. I would like to suggest that we schedule a meeting to discuss the details of the findings at some point in the near future."
After (67 words):
"I've completed our analysis of the project proposal. The results are strong and suggest our strategy is both efficient and cost-effective. Let's schedule a meeting this week to discuss the findings."
Removed:
- "I wanted to reach out to inform you about the fact that" → "I've"
- "The results are, in my opinion, really quite impressive" → "The results are strong"
- "We've made a determination that" → Implied
- "could potentially help us achieve our goals in a way that is" → Removed redundancy
- "I would like to suggest that we schedule a meeting to discuss" → "Let's schedule a meeting"
- "at some point in the near future" → "this week"
How Sentence Length Affects Conciseness
Long sentences feel wordy even if they're not. Breaking them up makes writing snappier.
Long sentence (26 words):
"The project, which has been challenging but ultimately rewarding, has taught us valuable lessons about project management and team collaboration."
Shorter, punchier version (three sentences, 31 words total, but easier to read):
"The project was challenging but rewarding. It taught us valuable lessons. We learned about project management and team collaboration."
Average sentence length in professional writing: 15-20 words. If you're hitting 30+, consider breaking it up.
Words to Audit and Often Cut
Search your writing for these and ask if each one earns its place:
- actually, basically, clearly, essentially, fairly, just, kind of, literally, merely, obviously, quite, rather, really, simply, simply, somewhat, sort of, very
Most of the time, these are passengers on your sentence, not drivers. Cut them.
The Paradox: When Conciseness Needs Context
Conciseness doesn't mean leaving readers confused. If cutting words makes your point unclear, add one clarifying sentence instead of cutting more.
Too concise (unclear): "Implement the new workflow by Friday."
Better: "Implement the new workflow by Friday. Use the guide we discussed in yesterday's meeting."
Key Takeaways
- Cut filler phrases like "in my opinion," "to be honest," "needless to say," and "sort of"
- Remove redundancy: don't say the same thing twice with different words
- Avoid weak openings like "There is..." and "It is..."
- Replace nominalized phrases (nouns made from verbs) with strong verbs
- Delete empty descriptors that don't add information (clearly, obviously, very)
- Keep average sentence length to 15-20 words; break up longer sentences
- Make every word earn its place; if it doesn't, cut it
- Concise writing respects your reader's time and increases impact
For related guidance, see how to fix wordy sentences and improve your writing clarity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I'm being too concise?
If a reader feels confused or needs to re-read a sentence, you've cut too much. The goal is clarity with economy—not extreme brevity at the cost of understanding. Aim for sharp, not cryptic.
Is conciseness the same as formal writing?
No. Concise writing removes unnecessary words; formal writing adjusts tone and vocabulary. You can be formal and wordy, or formal and concise. Both conciseness and formality improve professional communication.
How much shorter should my writing be after editing for conciseness?
There's no magic number, but aiming to cut 20-30% of your first draft is realistic and healthy. If you're only cutting 5%, you probably didn't look hard enough. If you're cutting 50%+, check that you didn't sacrifice clarity.
Can I use contractions to make writing more concise?
Yes, in less formal contexts. "I'm" is shorter than "I am," but formal writing typically spells them out. For emails and casual professional writing, contractions save space while staying readable.