25 Ways to Sound Smarter in 2025

A new year presents the opportunity to self-reflect and decide what habits to kick, trends to adopt (or avoid), and tips to improve your life. Might I suggest 25 ways to improve your writing and/or speech?

Full disclosure: I am not an English teacher or profess to know all the rules of grammar, but as an editor and writer, I see many of the same issues plaguing good writers and speakers. So I've compiled a quick list, in no particular order (just how they launched off the ol' bean), of 25 ways to sound smarter in the new year. Hope you'll find it helpful. 

1. Lie vs. Lay | I'm not sure why this one seems to trip up so many of us, but the easiest hack I know is lie = rest or recline; lay = place or put. If it helps to think about the E in liE and the E in rEst and rEcline, go with that. Likewise, the A in lAy and the A in plAce. I'll admit that when it comes to past-participles, I have to look them up to ensure I'm using them properly. Fun fact: my mom said she knew a family whose dog would not lie down if told to lay down. He'd only drop if they said, "Lie down."
2. Insure vs. Ensure | Insure is what you do to protect your property. Ensure is to "make sure."
3. Using i.e. vs. e.g. | You can read about the Latin origins here, but I find the best way to remember the difference between these two is to think of i.e. as "in other words" and e.g. as "for example." If you need a prompt, e.g. = egsample. We planned to keep a low profile, i.e. not raise a fuss. Bring whatever dish you want to the potluck, e.g. fruit, salad, dessert.
4. Dangling Modifiers | My senior English teacher was a bit of a hoot. When it came to teaching us misplaced or dangling modifiers, Mrs. Angel taught us this sentence: Hanging in the closet, Mother found her coat. The sentence demonstrates how a dangling modifier can wreck the meaning. Whenever you begin a sentence with a phrase that is intended to set up (modify) the subject of the sentence, the noun that follows the phrase must connect directly to the phrase before. In this case, Mother would be what is hanging in the closet when, presumably, the hanging object is her coat. Sometimes you need to reorder the second part of the sentence; other times you might want to scrap the use of an introductory phrase altogether. In this instance, maybe rewrite: Mother found her coat hanging in the closet. Here are more examples.
5. Hung vs. Hanged | Not to linger too long in the dark, I thought it might be apropos to mention here that objects are hung, people are hanged. 
6. First Annual vs. Inaugural | There is no such thing as a first annual event. Something doesn't become annual until held again the following year. In fact, some diehards prefer you don't call your event annual until the third year, just to ensure you're not going to flake out after year two.
7. Podium vs. Lectern | A podium is something one stands on (think POD, as in feet) and a lectern is something you stand behind. Athletes often stand on a podium to receive a medal or trophy. Most lectures (addresses, presentations, etc.) are given behind a lectern.
8. Stationary vs. Stationery | StationAry means stAying in one plAce. StationEry is what you use to writE lEtters to someone. 
9. Possessive pronoun + gerund phrase | We hated him taking up so much of our time vs. We hated his taking up so much of our time. It's not HIM you hate (or maybe you do) but HIS taking up your time. This is probably one of the most ignored grammar issues that tends to drive me batty. Key is watching out for the -ing on the verb that begins the phrase, which makes it a gerund. 
10. Titled vs. Entitled | If you're talking about a creative work such as a book or poem, you would give it a title; therefore, you've titled it not entitled it. Since people are entitled (given rights) and inanimate works are titled (given a name), I think an argument can be made to use them exclusively as such although you'll often read that works are entitled. 
11. Fewer vs. Less | Another English teacher (my daughter's) taught her class this sentence: Fewer avocados make less guacamole. This demonstrates how fewer refers to something numbered and less relates to a mass. If your grocery has a 15 items or fewer line, you can thank someone in marketing's English teacher. 
12. Me vs. I | While both are personal pronouns, use me as an object of a preposition and I as the subject. Jacob, Ben, Mia, and I want to go to the movie, but they forgot to include Mia and me in deciding the time. One of the easiest ways to ensure you're using the correct pronoun is to drop the other nouns in the sentence and try again: I want to go to the movie. They forgot to include me.
13. My vs. I's | For the love of all that is holy, say it with me: I's is not a word. If you find yourself saying John and I's favorite song is "Yesterday" by the Beatles, or something similar, reach out and smack yourself. The word you're looking for is my. As a test, drop John from the sentence and see how ridiculous I's favorite song sounds. 
14. Good vs. Well | James Brown sang, I feel good! and yet people have decided saying I feel well sounds more correct. It's not. Good is an adjective (modifies a noun) and well is an adverb, used to modify an action. In the case of I feel good, feel is a linking verb, so you'd use an adjective, not an adverb. 
15. Further vs. Farther | Further is used to metaphorically represent distance. She worked hard to further her career. And farther is used when referencing physical distance. The drive was farther than we anticipated. My tip would be to try to use farther and, if it doesn't sound right, you need further. Often you'll see further used when farther is correct.
16. Capital vs. Capitol | Capital means money, value, net worth, or uppercase letters. Capitol is a building. Hint: Picture the O in capitol as the top of the building. 
17. Fave vs. Fav | This one is easy: fave, short for favorite.
18. RSVP | When including an RSVP in an invitation, it's redundant to ask someone to "please RSVP" as the P in RSVP is French for please. Répondez s'il vous plaît, i.e. Respond, if it pleases you.
19. It, Stuff, Thing | Early in my career, whenever I used the word it in an article, an editor I was writing for would balk. What is it? she would write in the margin. So I developed an aversion for using it—the word it. In fact, The Atlantic pushed back when Ann Patchett tried to use the it-word in an essay; using the word went against their style guide. The point is, you might know what you mean when you write or say it, thing, or stuff, but take the time and energy to be more clear so you don't risk your audience misinterpreting you. The thing is, it matters, the small stuff. Blah! 
20. Envious vs. Jealous | Envy typically relates to objects whereas jealous relates to people. He became jealous once his brother started dating a woman who had long been his secret crush and also envious that they were spending New Year's in NYC, his favorite city.
21. Anxious vs. Eager | Anxious = anxiety producing; eager = looking forward to with anticipation. She was anxious about the interview and yet eager about the possibility of a new career.
22. Who vs. That | When using the relative pronouns who and that, who is used when referring to people and famous dogs; that is used for objects ... and less famous animals. Our teacher, who loves to give us homework, also has a nasally voice that drives us crazy.
23. Every Day vs. Everyday | Every day (two words) means happening daily; everyday (one word) means ordinary. Every day we witness everyday insanity in the school cafeteria.
24. Said vs. Read | If you are reading a passage from a book ... or a sign, menu, Substack, tombstone, etc., use the word read. If you're paraphrasing something you read, use said. In the Bible, 1 John 3:17 reads, "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" This verse says we need to love others with our actions. 
25. -ing Words | Whenever you see an -ing ending on a word in your writing, see if you can make an edit. For example: We were wondering how long the paint took to dry. How about: We wondered how long the paint took to dry. Now you've eliminated a weak auxiliary verb (were) and made your point more clear. How long were you wondering? Probably not for long; you wondered once and were done.

Here's to writing better (and more!) and sounding smarter in 2025!