How to Sound Smart Without Trying Too Hard
by Kathleen M.
So, here is the thing. There is no magic formula to “sound smart.” The best way to accomplish this is by sounding confident. And how do you sound confident? Write about something you know well.
Once you select a topic you know well, plan an essay on that subject. Make sure there is a main point, evidence, and focused organization.
Then write what you know. You will need to proofread to verify you have explained all of the parts well.
Avoid jargon. This is advice you will see in lots of places.
What it really means to me is that you have to connect with your audience. Have you explained your idea clearly? If you are using lots of jargon, then probably you haven’t been clear.
Write like an expert on the topic. You are an expert on the topic.
You may not be the expert on the topic, but you know about the topic you have selected. And who better than you to talk about you?!
Use a thesaurus. But also use a dictionary.
Not all of the words your writing software suggests have the correct connotation or denotation for the place where you want to use the words. So be sure to look the suggested words up and verify that they are correct for the sentence you are writing.
For example:
Despite her rigorous scrutinizing of the material for the exam, she achieved success at the jazz concert after school.
This sentence sounds stilted and not much like you.
Maybe try:
Despite studying for long periods for the upcoming exam, I still managed to perform smoothly at the jazz band concert on Tuesday.
So remember that you know what you are talking about, that you know how to explain it to other people, and that you are smart. You don’t need to “sound smart.”
Also, as a caution, avoid using AI to help you write, it doesn’t sound like you, it offers constructions that aren’t natural, and it can be traced to its source (also, many universities consider it cheating to use AI in writing).
