3 Speaking Habits That Make You Sound Stupid

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Communication at work should always be professional whether it’s online or in person and whether you’re trying to nail an interview or sitting in a meeting at your day job. But even when you’re trying your best to make a good impression, it’s not always good enough. There are quite a few bad speaking habits that can make you sound, well, a little less smart and you might not even realize you’re committing these communication crimes. Here are our biggest pet peeves when it comes to workplace chatter.

1. Saying, “I’m well,” instead of “I’m good.”
That’s right. “I’m good,” is actually grammatically correct. The only time you’d answer someone, “I’m well,” is when you’re referring to your health. Say after you’ve recovered from an illness or a time of being unwell. Read Grammar Girl’s full explanation on good vs. well so you can answer “I’m good,” with confidence.

2. Messing up common phrases with similar-sounding phrases.
Did you know that it’s supposed to be “for all intents and purposes” not “for all intensive purposes?” And “I could care less” means that you actually could care less — what you meant was “I couldn’t care less.” Here’s another one: ‘irregardless’ isn’t a word. It’s just ‘regardless.’ Brush up on these and other common phrases you’re saying wrong.

3. Laughing — at everything.
You might not even realize you are doing this. A little giggle relieves our nerves and it might make saying something a little bit easier. But it also makes you sound like you’re not confident in what you’re saying. Get rid of the giggles and you’ll make a much stronger impression. Also, get comfortable with silence — you don’t have to chime in with a reaction to anything anyone says, especially when it’s an uncomfortable laugh.

Which communication crimes are you guilty of? Comment below!