What is wordiness in writing?

Wordiness means using more words than you need to express an idea. Every extra word is a small obstacle for the reader. Wordy writing is slower, harder to follow, and often less convincing. Concise writing says the same thing in fewer words — clearly and directly.

Why does Grammarly flag wordy sentences?

Grammarly flags wordiness because extra words slow down reading and reduce clarity. Common patterns it flags include: long prepositional phrases ('due to the fact that' instead of 'because'), redundant pairs ('each and every' instead of 'every'), and filler phrases ('it is important to note that' which adds nothing).

How do I make my writing less wordy?

Three simple steps: (1) Replace long phrases with single words — 'due to the fact that' becomes 'because'. (2) Remove filler phrases that add no meaning — 'it is worth noting that', 'needless to say'. (3) Cut redundant pairs — 'each and every', 'true and accurate', 'end result'.

Why Is Wordiness Wrong? (Cut the Fluff from Your Writing)

The short answer

Wordiness means using more words than you need to say something. Every extra word is a small speed bump for the reader. Too many speed bumps and the reader slows down, loses focus, or gives up. Concise writing says exactly the same thing — in fewer words, more clearly.

See the difference immediately

Wordy ✗

Due to the fact that it was raining, the match was cancelled.

Concise ✓

Because it was raining, the match was cancelled.

✂️ 5 words saved

Wordy ✗

In order to improve her score, she studied every day.

Concise ✓

To improve her score, she studied every day.

✂️ 2 words saved

Wordy ✗

At this point in time, the situation is under control.

Concise ✓

Currently, the situation is under control.

✂️ 4 words saved

Wordy ✗

It is important to note that the deadline has been extended.

Concise ✓

The deadline has been extended.

✂️ 7 words saved — the filler phrase added nothing

Think of it like this

Imagine you need to travel from your home to the market. There are two routes. Route A is direct — 5 minutes. Route B has 10 unnecessary turns — 20 minutes. Both routes get you to the same place. But Route B wastes your time. Wordy writing is Route B. Concise writing is Route A. Same destination. Less effort.

The 4 types of wordiness

Type 1: Long phrases where one word works

due to the fact that→because

in the event that→if

at this point in time→now

prior to→before

💡 These are 4–6 word phrases that do the same job as a single word.

Type 2: Filler phrases that add zero meaning

it is important to note that→(delete)

needless to say→(delete)

it goes without saying→(delete)

as everyone knows→(delete)

💡 If you delete these phrases, the sentence means exactly the same thing. They are pure padding.

Type 3: Redundant pairs (saying the same thing twice)

each and every→every

true and accurate→accurate

end result→result

past history→history

completely finished→finished

💡 Both words in the pair mean the same thing. You only need one of them.

Type 4: Weak verb + noun (instead of a strong verb)

make a decision→decide

give assistance→assist

have a discussion→discuss

take into consideration→consider

💡 This is also called nominalization — turning a verb into a noun makes the sentence longer.

The master cut list — 30 wordy phrases

Wordy (avoid)	Concise (use this)
due to the fact that	because
in the event that	if
at this point in time	now
in spite of the fact that	although / despite
in order to	to
for the purpose of	to / for
it is important to note that	(just delete it)
needless to say	(just delete it)
as a matter of fact	in fact / actually
in the final analysis	finally / ultimately
the reason why is that	because
has the ability to	can
is of the opinion that	believes / thinks
in close proximity to	near
prior to	before
subsequent to	after
with reference to	about / regarding
each and every	every / each
true and accurate	accurate
end result	result
future plans	plans
past history	history
completely finished	finished
exactly the same	the same / identical
very unique	unique
absolutely essential	essential
a large number of	many
on a daily basis	daily
on two separate occasions	twice
at the present time	currently / now

Exam tip — IELTS / SSC sentence improvement

In IELTS Writing, every extra word that adds no meaning hurts your coherence and cohesionscore. In SSC sentence improvement questions, wordy sentences often appear as the “wrong” option — and the correct answer is always the more concise version. Train yourself to spot these patterns: whenever you see a 4–6 word phrase, ask “can one word do this job?”

🤖 AI writing tip

When Grammarly flags a “wordy sentence”, look at the highlighted phrase first. It is almost always a long prepositional phrase or a filler phrase. The suggested replacement is usually correct. But check one thing: does the shorter version keep the exact same meaning? If yes — accept the suggestion. If the meaning changes slightly — keep your original.

Why Is Wordiness Wrong?

See the difference immediately

The 4 types of wordiness

The master cut list — 30 wordy phrases

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