How does a person improve their technique in using words to articulate their thoughts?

Read, read, read. Every chance you get.

@augustlan said it. Read the essays of famous authors, eg Mark Twain, Will Rogers.

Learn new words,build a vocabulary ,and understand them within there context.

^ what @augustlan said.

It’s a combination of that and cultivating a love for words and expressions. The larger your vocabulary, the less likely you will need to repeat words and phrases.

Much like a painter sees patterns of light, shadow, shades of color and lines where the rest of us see a green tree, people like that develop an ear for language (by habitually listening) and by going deeper into a description (a verdant, lustrous magnolia vs. a green tree).

A lot of it is rewriting or editing—“Okay, I described this part pretty good, but this part reads kind of generic.” Then you imagine or visualize the thing you are writing about until you can see the finer details or essence of the thing. Then you write that down.

I will repeat what others have said but I will provide an example.

The example: I know an intelligent guy who scores perfectly on psychology and biology exams, but no one takes him seriously or considers him intelligent because he speaks like an idiot. They don’t believe him when he tells them his grades because they assume he could never score so highly. He does not read, ever, unless it is to study. He can’t even rhyme words. Ask him to find a rhyme for ‘clock’ and he will tell you ‘mop’.

So, yes, you have to read. But just as looking at great paintings won’t make you a great painter, reading won’t make you a good writer (i.e., a user-of-words, whether in your head or out loud). You will need to find your own method, but writing your thoughts down carefully, slowly, and regularly will lead, in an organic/natural way, to more articulate thoughts. You don’t need to write scholarly essays or anything; a journal will do.

Some people tend to think in images while others in words. Try to think in words more often, as an exercise. Also know that a mind works very quickly and sometimes we can come to conclusions, reach the endpoints of ideas without even having to articulate them mentally or vocally. It’s a wonderful thing to make mental leaps, sure. But sometimes an idea must be arrived at rather than teleported to. I have made it a habit to talk to myself aloud if no one is home and to to talk to myself silently (i.e. conduct interior mono/dialogues) when someone is home. It’s more an exercise than a lunacy thing, I promise. It has helped me to be more articulate both in conversation and at the keyboard.

And I wouldn’t worry much about vocabulary (though of course it helps). Syntactical and grammatical aspects are more important in the pursuit of clarity and articulation.

Just two pennies. It works for me.

Do many people on here use thesauri on a regular basis, and considering the use of the Internet, is there any reason to keep one in hard copy?

@beautifulbobby193

I do, but only when writing coursework. Which coursework is pretty regular. I use this one usually, and don’t own a hard copy.

It’s a useful tool but I would discourage you from using it to impress people or decorate your writing. Trying this can lead to a superficial or incomplete grasp of the new words.

Reading is the best place to start. I have found that using a Thesaurus has been a tremendous hel in expanding my everyday vocabulary. Write letters and even journal entries, and as you do so, select words that might have synonyms that could express your thought or feeling more completely. But as @absalom notes, it is good to use the Dictionary in conjunction with the Thesaurus to ensure that the word you select truly is the best to convey your meaning.

You can sign up to have the word of the day emailed to you here and here

I second the reading idea. Also- learn the basics. Learn the parts of sentences and be able to diagram them. Take grammar programs online to correctly learn how sentences should be formed.

The best tip I know- surround yourself with people who write/speak properly. Bad grammar is contaigous, just like good grammar. Keep sentences simple. The longer a sentence, the higher chance you’ll make it too convoluted.

Don’t worry about being perfect. The English language is complicated and the rules can change from region to region. Very few people are grammar mavens. Just keep practicing.

My dad taught me the habit of reading a book and having a dictionary close at hand. That way, if there’s a word you’re unsure about, you can look it up right there and get a little refresher. You could do the same with a thesaurus, maybe. Have both! Familiarize yourself with phrases, new and old. I also have found, unconventionally, that stand-up comics are very talented at expressing thoughts in unique ways.

@beautifulbobby193: Take your question (a good one, by the way). You could also say,” How does one learn to speak and write clearly?

And you never articulate yourself.

Don’t use eight words when one will do.

You can start by simplifying and checking the definition of words you are not sure of. Write a lot, find someone to edit, learn from your mistakes and read, read, read.

The epitome of enviable writing is E. B. White.

In addition to Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web, he wrote sharp, funny, famous and enviable essays for The New Yorker for 60 decades.

We do all have different skills, it is true. But you could try to make any sentence you write a little perfect thing.

Never use a big word, when a diminutive one will do.
And learn to write/talk gooder than anyone else.

@stratman37: Conventionally, a diminutive word is not the same as a short one. An example of a diminutive word is tiny, munchkin, etc.

Multisyllabic words come in handy at times; so do words of one syl.

I think I just got heckled by gailcalled…

C’mon, these are the JOKES people!

Seriously, thanx, I consider myself something of a wordsmith, and I welcome the correction.