The 40 tells · Words · No. 02
Why "elevate" makes writing sound machine-made
Flagged "Elevate"
"Elevate" promises that something gets better without saying how. Elevate your brand, elevate your home, elevate your morning coffee. It fits every product, which is why it tells the reader nothing about this one.
It also sounds like a press release. Few people describe their own work this way when they talk to a friend.
Before
Elevate your kitchen with our premium cabinet hardware.
After
Solid brass handles that won't pit or peel. They fit the standard 96 mm holes, so they swap in with a screwdriver.
The fix
Swap it for the concrete thing. What does it do, in words a buyer can check?
Write this instead
- say what improves
- a measurement
- what the buyer will notice first
What the checker matches
Any of these, in any case:
- elevate
- elevates
- elevated
- elevating