It is extremely important to know when to use either formal or informal language. This will depend on the business you are working in, the industry you are in, the people you are speaking with, and the topic you are talking about. Learning the formal and informal way to speak is also a great way to master and learn the language.
Both formal and informal languages serve different individual purposes. The two styles vary depending on the tone you use, the words you choose to use, and the way you construct the words together. Using formal language is less personal than using informal language. Always remember that the type of language you decide to use in writing or speaking will solely depend on your purpose and the audience you are speaking to. Here are some tips you must remember to help you know when to use either formal or informal language.
Formal and Informal Language
Formal Language
As mentioned above, formal language is less personal than informal language. This is commonly used when writing or speaking for professional or academic purposes like emails for business, formal letters, academic write-ups, professional academic circumstances, presentations, reports, official and or legal documents, job interviews, and any scenario where formal language is appropriate. Since it is less personal, this can be used when you are communicating with a person you do not personally know well, like public speeches and tenders.
Note that very formal English in everyday situations may sound pompous at times, so always consider the context and the audience you are targeting. In situations that are more serious like job interviews or emailing your university professor, using formal language is highly encouraged. This can help you avoid sounding disrespectful and inappropriate and help you sound polite and professional instead. Remember that formal language has a more complex grammar where the sentences are generally phrased longer and use modal verbs. In pronunciation, speech is slower when using formal language and the tone should be serious.
Informal Language
Informal language is more casual and laid back. This is commonly used with people you know well as your family and friends. You usually use this when you are in a relaxed environment. When your agenda is to share your personal thoughts or you are telling a story, you should use language that is appropriate to the scenario. Informal language has a more conversational tone, frequently using personal pronouns, informal expressions, sentences are shorter, and the feelings are more personal.
This type of language is best suited to use when telling a story, personal narrations, and social forms like blogs and personal emails. This can also be used in advertising, spontaneous speeches, networking, or socializing with your clients, meetings with your teams, text messages, and everyday conversations with your family and friends you know well. Contractions are used in informal languages to ease the flow and make the speech faster. Abbreviations and acronyms are also used to shorten the words. Colloquial language is also used to allow the casual flow of conversation. You can even insert an emoji here and there when using informal language!
Examples of Differences between Formal and Informal Language
Here are some examples of formal and informal languages used below in terms of:
Informal: It won’t turn on.
Formal: The device will not turn on.
Informal: I don’t want to drop out of school.
Formal: I have no intention of leaving the school.
Informal: Imma go hit him up.
Formal: I am going to contact him.
Informal: My business is going bankrupt.
Formal: My business has now officially ceased to trade.
Informal: I will send the files asap.
Formal: I will send the files as soon as I can.
First-Person Pronouns
Informal: I think my study is very useful.
Formal: The researcher is certain that the research conducted serves a lot of purposes.
Formal language is commonly used when writing. Informal language is usually used when speaking. However, this is always not the case. Always refer to the situation you are in upon deciding when to use either formal or informal language. If you are ever uncertain about whether what type of language you should use in a conversation, especially when speaking to someone older than you are or in a work environment, pay close attention to how they talk to you and try to follow their lead. However, when you are emailing someone you do not know, it is best to use formal language to be respectful and polite to the person you are emailing to.
Formal vs. Informal Words/Phrases
Learn an extensive list of 400+ formal vs. informal words and phrases in English.
Ask >>——-<< Enquire
Ask for >>——-<< Request
Book >>——-<< Reserve
Check >>——-<< Verify
Get >>——-<< Receive
Help >>——-<< Assist
Need >>——-<< Request
Say sorry >>——-<< Apologise
Start/ Begin >>——-<< Commence
End >>——-<< Terminate/ Finish
Try >>——-<< Endeavour
Deal with >>——-<< Handle
Tell >>——-<< Inform
Wait for >>——-<< Await
Fight >>——-<< Combat
Use/Eat >>——-<< Consume
Go >>——-<< Depart
Tough >>——-<< Difficult
Small >>——-<< Diminutive
Explain >>——-<< Disclose
Set out >>——-<< Display
Throw out >>——-<< Eject
Old >>——-<< Elderly
Say >>——-<< Express
Afraid >>——-<< Fearful
In the end >>——-<< Finally
Lucky >>——-<< Fortunate
But >>——-<< However
Wrong >>——-<< Incorrect
Go up >>——-<< Increase
Cheap >>——-<< Inexpensive
At first >>——-<< Initially
Mad >>——-<< Insane
Formal Words vs. Informal Words in English | Image 1
Bright/smart >>——-<< Intelligent
Big/Large >>——-<< Enormous
Right >>——-<< Correct
A bit >>——-<< A little
Away >>——-<< Absent
Speed up >>——-<< Accelerate
Okay, ok >>——-<< Acceptable
Help >>——-<< Aid/ Assist
Let >>——-<< Allow
Call off >>——-<< Cancel
Friendly >>——-<< Amiable
Expect >>——-<< Anticipate
Seem >>——-<< Appear
Climb >>——-<< Ascend
Beat up >>——-<< Assault
Fall out >>——-<< Quarrel
Eager >>——-<< Avid
Stop >>——-<< Cease
Dare >>——-<< Challenge
Kids >>——-<< Children
Settle for >>——-<< Choose
Round >>——-<< Circular
Pick up >>——-<< Collect
Think of >>——-<< Conceive
Link up >>——-<< Connect
Think about >>——-<< Consider
Build >>——-<< Construct
Refer to >>——-<< Consult
Hurt >>——-<< Damage, harm
Go down >>——-<< Decrease
Want/ hope >>——-<< Desire
Lack >>——-<< Deficiency
Show >>——-<< Demonstrate
Brave >>——-<< Courageous
Pin down >>——-<< Determine
Put/ set down >>——-<< Deposit
Throw away >>——-<< Discard
Make out >>——-<< Discern
Talk about >>——-<< Discuss/consider
Give out >>——-<< Distribute
Give >>——-<< Donate
Remove >>——-<< Eliminate
Imagine >>——-<< Envisage
Break out >>——-<< Erupt
Get out >>——-<< Escape
Avoid >>——-<< Evade
Go through >>——-<< Examine
Make up >>——-<< Fabricate
Test >>——-<< Experiment
Ease >>——-<< Facilitate
Come after >>——-<< Follow
Sick >>——-<< Ill
Ask out >>——-<< Invite
Go away >>——-<< Leave/ depart
At once >>——-<< Immediately
Free >>——-<< Liberate
Deal with >>——-<< Manage
Bad >>——-<< Negative
Look into >>——-<< Investigate
Chance >>——-<< Opportunity
See >>——-<< Perceive
Happy >>——-<< Pleased
Give up >>——-<< Quit
Older >>——-<< Senior
Use >>——-<< Utilize
Enough >>——-<< Sufficient
End >>——-<< Terminate
Empty >>——-<< Vacant
Rich >>——-<< Wealthy
Mend >>——-<< Repair
Idea >>——-<< Notion
Mainly >>——-<< Principally
See >>——-<< Observe
Leave out >>——-<< Omit
Go against >>——-<< Oppose
Formal Words vs. Informal Words in English | Image 2
Hungry >>——-<< Famished
Childish >>——-<< Immature
Maybe >>——-<< Perhaps
Good >>——-<< Positive
Give >>——-<< Provide
Buy >>——-<< Purchase
Say no >>——-<< Reject
Free >>——-<< Release
Look for >>——-<< Seek
Choose >>——-<< Select
Get by >>——-<< Survive
So >>——-<< Therefore
Put up with >>——-<< Tolerate
Block >>——-<< Undermine
Catch up >>——-<< Understand
Sight >>——-<< Vision
Young >>——-<< Youthful
Get >>——-<< Obtain
Need >>——-<< Require
Pay back >>——-<< Repay
Live >>——-<< Reside
Point out >>——-<< Indicate
Find out >>——-<< Learn/Discover
Get away >>——-<< Elude
Come in >>——-<< Enter
Lively >>——-<< Energetic
Clear >>——-<< Transparent
Whole >>——-<< Entire/Complete
Blow up >>——-<< Explode
Break down >>——-<< Fail/Collapse
Hopeless >>——-<< Futile
Hit out at >>——-<< Criticise
Tired >>——-<< Exhausted/ Fatigued
Clothes >>——-<< Garment
Go before >>——-<< Precede
Thanks >>——-<< Gratitude
Hurry >>——-<< Haste, hasten
Funny >>——-<< Humorous, amusing
Better >>——-<< Improved
Dim >>——-<< Indistinct
Worse >>——-<< Inferior
Put in >>——-<< Insert
Bring in >>——-<< Introduce
Make up >>——-<< Invent
Kidding >>——-<< Jesting
Naked >>——-<< Nude
Childish >>——-<< Infantile
A lot of >>——-<< Numerous
Stubborn >>——-<< Obstinate
Danger >>——-<< Peril
Put off >>——-<< Postpone
Here >>——-<< Present
Keep >>——-<< Preserve
Go ahead >>——-<< Proceed
Go after >>——-<< Pursue
Anyways >>——-<< Nevertheless
Let >>——-<< Permit
Sweat >>——-<< Perspiration
Look at >>——-<< Regard
Laid back >>——-<< Relaxed
Take out >>——-<< Remove
Rack up >>——-<< Accumulate
Over >>——-<< At an end
Good looking >>——-<< Attractive
Good for >>——-<< Beneficial
By >>——-<< By means of
Lead to >>——-<< Cause
Complex >>——-<< Convoluted
Go out of >>——-<< Exit
Death >>——-<< Demise
Break off >>——-<< Suspend/adjourn
Also >>——-<< In addition, additionally
Wood >>——-<< Timber
Describe >>——-<< Depict
Go on >>——-<< Continue
In charge of >>——-<< Responsible
Enjoyment >>——-<< Gratification
Dirty/ polluted >>——-<< Contaminated
Again & again >>——-<< Repeatedly
Marvelous >>——-<< Exceptional
Really big >>——-<< Considerable
Can >>——-<< Is capable of
Fork out >>——-<< Pay (money)
Talk into >>——-<< Persuade
Come up to >>——-<< Reach/attain
Iron out >>——-<< Solve/overcome (a problem/difficulty)
Next/later >>——-<< Subsequently
Try out >>——-<< Test
Call on >>——-<< Visit
Drop out of >>——-<< Withdraw (from)
Look up to >>——-<< Respect
Look like >>——-<< Resemble
Job >>——-<< Occupation
Dad >>——-<< Father
Boss >>——-<< Employer
Formal and Informal Words | Images
Formal Words & Informal Words in English | Image 3
List of Formal Words & Informal Words in English | Image 4
Useful Formal Words & Informal Words in English | Image 5
Formal Words & Informal Words in English | Image 6
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