Every writer has favorite words. Not favorite words in the poetic, literary sense. Not the words you carefully choose because they create the perfect image. I'm talking about the words you use so often that you don't even realize they're there anymore. The sneaky little crutch words that appear on every page of your manuscript. The bad news? You probably have them. The worse news? Your readers can see them even when you can't.
What Are Crutch Words?
Crutch words are words and phrases that show up repeatedly in your writing out of habit rather than necessity. They aren't always bad words. In fact, many of them are perfectly useful. The problem is frequency. A word that works well once can become distracting when it appears twenty times in a chapter. Some common examples include:
- Just
- Really
- Very
- Quite
- Actually
- Suddenly
- Somehow
- Seemed
- Began
- Started
- Perhaps
- Maybe
- Literally
- Then
- That
- Even
- Still
Every writer develops their own list. Some writers overuse intensifiers. Some rely on filler words. Others repeat the same descriptive language over and over.
Why You Don't Notice Them
Your brain is focused on meaning. When you read your own work, you're concentrating on the story, the characters, and the ideas you're trying to communicate. Because you already know what you're trying to say, your brain tends to skip right over repetitive wording. Readers don't have that advantage. They see every "just." Every "really." Every "suddenly." And once they notice it, they start seeing it everywhere.
The Real Problem Isn't the Word
Most crutch words create one of two problems. They either weaken the sentence. Or they repeat so often that they become distracting. Consider these examples:
She was very angry.
The word "very" isn't helping much.
Stronger:
She was furious.
Even better:
She slammed the door hard enough to rattle the windows.
Another example:
He just wanted to go home.
The word "just" rarely adds meaningful information.
Stronger:
He wanted to go home.
The sentence says exactly the same thing. One less word. One less distraction.
Repetition Happens at the Sentence Level Too
Writers often focus on repeated individual words and overlook repeated sentence patterns. For example:
- She looked at the door.
- She looked at the clock.
- She looked at her phone.
- She looked at the floor.
Nothing is technically wrong. But the repetition becomes noticeable. A reader begins hearing the same rhythm over and over. Instead:
- She glanced at the door.
- The clock read nearly midnight.
- Her phone remained silent.
- The patterns in the wood floor were far more interesting than the conversation.
The information stays the same, but the repetition disappears.
How to Find Your Personal Favorites
The easiest way to find your personal favorite words is with a search function. Open a chapter you've written and search for words at the beginning of this post. You may be surprised by the results. Better yet, look for words you know you personally use a lot. Most writers already have suspects. I regularly see writers using these words, and I catch myself using the quite often in a first draft:
- Nodded
- Smiled
- Shrugged
- Looked
- Turned
- Realized
- Felt
- Actually
- Simply
- Quite
- Completely
- Totally
Your favorite word may be completely different. That's what makes this exercise so valuable. So keep an eye out for them and write them down for future reference. It's also helpful to examine each use individually and ask yourself these questions:
- Does this word add meaning?
- Would the sentence work without it?
- Is there a stronger, more specific alternative?
You don't need to eliminate every occurrence. You simply want each occurrence to earn its place.
Patterns Reveal Writing Habits
One of the most useful things about identifying crutch words is that they reveal larger writing habits. Writers who overuse "very" often need stronger word choices. Writers who overuse "seemed" may be distancing readers from the action. Writers who overuse "just" are often adding unnecessary filler. Writers who overuse "suddenly" may be telling readers something is surprising instead of making it surprising. The word itself is rarely the real issue. The habit behind it is.
Great Editing Starts with Self-Awareness
Every writer has favorite words, and professional writers are not immune. The difference is that experienced writers learn to identify their patterns and manage them. Because once you know your favorite weak words, you'll start seeing them everywhere. And that's when your editing becomes significantly more effective. Your manuscript probably doesn't need more words. It probably needs fewer of the ones you've been leaning on without realizing it.