Choosing the exact right word instead of an almost-right one

Quote★★★★★

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightening-bug and the lightening. –Mark Twain, Letter to George Bainton, October 15, 1888, solicited for and printed in Bainton, G. 1890. The Art of Authorship: Literary Reminiscences, Methods of Word, and Advice to Young Beginners, London: J. Clarke & Co., 87-88.

— Mark Twain

Mark Twain, The Art of Authorship: Literary Reminiscences, Methods of Word, and Advice to Young Beginners, 87-88.

The point

Choosing the exact right word instead of an almost-right one makes all the difference.

Audience

Adults

Tone

Witty · Memorable

To tell aloud

under a minute · 61 words

Subjects

Precision Difference Words Writing Excellence

Community

Loading discussion...

AI tools

More like this

The difference between the right word and the almost right w…★★★★

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bu…

— Mark Twain

The Costly Comma★★★★

In one of his books, William Hordern tells a story about a woman touring in , who cabled her husband: “Have found wonder…

— Bruce L. Shelley

Punctuation Matters★★★★

Punctuation Matters: The Panda Story In her amusing book Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss bemoans the problem of poor …

— Lynne Truss

One sense of doggedly is "obstinate resolution," which trait…★★★★

One sense of doggedly is "obstinate resolution," which trait of the dog it will do to cherish, if we are careful so to a…

— Unknown

Monumental Mathematics★★★★

"Moses and his people were in the desert, but what was he going to do with them? They had to be fed, and feeding 2 or 3 …

— Unknown

Coloring the Big X★★★★

Little Religion he Sunday school teacher told a story about Jesus and drew a large picture of the cross on a flip chart.…

— Kathy Fitzgerald

Find more illustrations →