Million Dollar Vocabulary

by April M. Ardito

Have you given any thought lately to improving your vocabulary? If you haven’t, you probably should. Johnson O’Connor, founder of the Johnson O’Conner Research Foundation, proved in multiple scientific studies that the size and quality of a person’s vocabulary is directly related to the level of success that person is able to achieve in both personal and professional endeavors. In fact, he believed that having a large and precise vocabulary was not only essential to a successful life, but was also the single greatest quantifiable indicator of the potential for success.

What this means in the business world is that CEOs will have better vocabularies than vice-presidents. Vice-presidents, in turn, will have better vocabularies than managers. And managers will have better vocabularies than their staff. If two candidates for a promotion are equal in all things except for the size and quality of their vocabularies, the job will undoubtedly go to the candidate with the better vocabulary every time.

If you think about it for a minute, it makes sense. The ability to choose the best words and phrases for any given situation impresses those around you. It makes them like you more. It makes them trust you more. People who are impressive, trusted and well-liked will have an easier time swaying friends and colleagues to their way of thinking. Here again, a superior vocabulary continues to serve those who possess it. Verbal communication, both written and oral, is essential to all facets of our daily lives. Wouldn’t you expect that the person with the best tools will continually create the best products, and therefore make the most money? Well, it is precisely the same way with words.

And that’s good news. Having a great vocabulary is not just about the number of words you know, but how precisely you understand those words and a vocabulary isn’t something that you are born with. Anyone can improve their vocabulary with enough dedication and the right tools. Investing in your vocabulary is probably the best investment you can make in your future.

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