remove a word

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "remove a word" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when instructing someone to delete a specific word from a text or document. Example: "In your essay, please remove a word that seems redundant to improve clarity."

✓ Grammatically correct

Writing

Editing

Linguistics

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

"Every time you remove a word from circulation, you remove a stone from the democratic foundation," she tells Seligman.

The Guardian - Film

"Sometimes, I have to remove a word that conveys an important meaning or emotion, or I don't send my Tweet at all," Rosen wrote.

HuffPost

In the Korean language, by substituting out a vowel, or by repeating a character, one can add or remove a word's emphasis; the way one says a word often changes the scale of the thing that's happening or being described.

Vice

The size makes it perfect to lightly remove a word, and the brush will whisk away the eraser dust that will remain on the paper itself.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Among the latest spin-offs is 'Changing Giles Coren', inspired by journalist Giles Coren's irate letter to sub-editors at The Times, complaining after they removed a word from the final sentence of an article he had submitted.

The Guardian

It's even good advertising for them: a lot of comments on my video said, 'Where can I get the film?' Three million people have seen it.' Among the latest spin-offs is 'Changing Giles Coren', inspired by journalist Giles Coren's irate letter to sub-editors at The Times, complaining after they removed a word from the final sentence of an article he had submitted.

The Guardian

The OED adds words much less frequently and never removes a word once it has been added.

TechCrunch

Create the mad lib by removing a word in every sentence.

WikiHow

Stories that are nice and spare, that you can finish off as soon as you start them, you write them and read them without drawing breath, rounded and perfect like so many eggs, stories that if you add or remove a single word the whole thing goes to pieces.

The New Yorker

By removing a single word from legislation governing the military, Congress has laid the groundwork for both a major shift in U.S. nuclear defense doctrine and a costly effort to field space-based weaponry.

Los Angeles Times

For this task, the child listens to a word spoken aloud and is then asked to remove a specific phoneme from that word to make a new word.

Human Genetics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When editing, always consider the context before you "remove a word". Make sure its absence doesn't alter the intended meaning or grammatical structure.

Common error

Avoid removing words to the point where the text becomes stilted or loses its natural flow. Sometimes, a few extra words can enhance readability and clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "remove a word" functions as an instruction or description of an action, typically within the context of editing, writing, or language analysis. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Wiki

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Academia

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "remove a word" is a grammatically correct and usable instruction, as confirmed by Ludwig AI, employed to describe the action of deleting a specific word from text. It sees frequent use in contexts like news, media and wiki articles. Related phrases include "delete a word", "omit a word", and "eliminate a word". When editing or writing, always consider the context, and avoid over-editing to maintain clarity. Common linguistic questions involve formal alternatives and its impact on conciseness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

delete a word

Direct synonym, emphasizing the act of deletion.

omit a word

Focuses on leaving a word out, often intentionally.

erase a word

Highlights the physical or digital removal of a word.

eliminate a word

Stresses the complete removal of a word to improve conciseness or accuracy.

take out a word

Informal way of saying to remove or delete a word.

cut a word

Similar to "take out", implying a quick removal.

excise a word

Suggests a precise and careful removal, often in editing.

expunge a word

Indicates a complete and thorough removal, as if wiping it out.

drop a word

Casual term for omitting a word, often for brevity.

extract a word

Focuses on removing word from a context and moving it to another one.

FAQs

How can I use "remove a word" in a sentence?

You can use "remove a word" when instructing someone to delete a specific word from a text. For example, "Please "remove a word" from the sentence that is redundant".

What is a more formal way to say "remove a word"?

A more formal way to say "remove a word" could be "omit a word" or "eliminate a word", depending on the specific context and nuance you wish to convey.

Is it always better to "remove a word" to make my writing more concise?

Not always. While conciseness is generally good, removing too many words can sometimes make your writing unclear or unnatural. It's important to strike a balance.

What's the difference between "remove a word" and "replace a word"?

"Remove a word" means to completely delete a word from a text. "Replace a word", on the other hand, means to substitute one word for another, maintaining the overall structure and meaning while changing a specific element.