Formal and Informal Words: Grasping the correct ways to use the formal and informal ways to speak is a stepping stone in mastering the English language. There is a major difference between formal and informal words in English.
We have designed a list of formal and informal words in English to help you in this endeavor. The list will help you solve Formal and Informal words pdf.
The two styles of language, namely formal and informal, usually vary depending on the tone one uses, the words that are carefully chosen by the one who is speaking, and the way the speaker is meticulously constructing the words together.
The use of formal language determines and identifies a less personal connection than when using informal language.
Formal and Informal Words in English
- Description of Formal and Informal Language
- Formal and Informal Words in English with Meanings and Examples
Description of Formal and Informal Language
- Formal Language: Formal Language is used mostly 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. Because of its formal tendencies, it can also be used to address people formally.
- Informal Language: Informal language is more of a casual way of speaking, writing, or addressing someone. Generally one uses informal language to communicate with people one knows well like one’s family and friends.
It is usually applied in places that are not of a professional or formal capacity. Further, it is used mostly when narrating a story or personal thoughts. The informal language uses more of a conversational tone, with frequent usage of personal pronouns, informal expressions, sentences constructed are less complicated, and the feelings are more personal.
This type of language can be used in advertising, spontaneous speeches, networking, and everyday conversation with friends and family.
Formal and Informal Words in English with Meanings and Examples
Informal Words
Ask for
This indicates the informal action of asking something an example of that will be The man asked me the path to the nearest bank.
Book
This indicates the informal way of reserving something for a certain time an example of which will be We booked a hotel room for two weeks for our family vacation.
Check
This indicates the informal way of making sure if something is right or present
An example of that will be the following Marie checked her bag thoroughly but still couldn’t find what she was looking for.
Enquire
This indicates the action of asking something an example of which will beThe board members were enquiring the CEO about the company’s revenue.
Get
The word implies the informal way to mean receiving something, generally a gift.
An example of this will be: My friend got me a laptop for my birthday.
Help
The word indicates an informal way of saying coming to the assistance. An
An example of that will be: My friend helped me write my assignment.
Need
The word indicates having the want for something or someone. An
An example of that will be: Three units of blood were urgently needed at the emergency unit.
Say sorry
The word implies an informal way of apologizing to someone. An example of it will be
Jim had to say sorry to me because he lost my precious football.
Start/ Begin
Indicates to an informal way that implies the beginning of a certain event. An example of that will be: The ceremony began in the afternoon and went on till midnight.
Endeavor
This indicates an informal way to imply putting effort into something. An example of that will be I hope Joe can be successful in his future endeavors.
Deal with
This indicates an informal way of addressing the fact that a person has to understand and fix a situation. An example of that will be: Cal was called up to deal with the situation that involved his brother.
Tell
Indicates an informal way to imply the exchange of information between two people.
An example of that will be: The teacher told the students to concentrate and study harder to ace the exam.
Wait for
This indicates an informal way of implying waiting for somebody. An example of this will be: I had to wait for the bus at the bus stop for more than three hours.
Fight
A word that implies the physical action of going against somebody with the intention of hitting them. An example of that will be: A fight broke out in the college cafeteria regarding who will get the last piece of fried chicken
Use/Eat
The word indicates the act of consuming food for the sustenance of life. An example of that will be We decided to eat a turkey during Thanksgiving.
Go
Indicates the act of moving from one place to another. An example of that will be: We decided to go to Europe together as a family during our school vacation.
Tough
The word means to imply something hard in nature and not easy to break. An example of that will be: The cheese froze in the freezer and it was very tough to break.
Small
The word goes to mean an object that is minuscule in size. An example of that would be I asked for a smaller portion of food because I wasn’t very hungry.
Explain
The word means to make something be understood in detail. An example of that will be: The teacher explained to us the facilities of a modern computer
Set out
The word essentially means to arrange and put something on display. An example of that will be: The food was put out on the table for dinner.
Throw out
A word that implies the act of discarding something. An example of that will be: While cleaning the house, my mother threw out my favorite toy by mistake.
Old
A word that is used for referring to someone who has lived for a long time. An example of that will be: The old man suffered from several diseases and died at the age of eighty-three.
Say
A word that is used to describe when someone utters various expressions and words to convey information. An example of that will be: It was time for Jim to say goodbye to his friends.
Afraid
A word used to refer to someone scared of something. An example of it will be: Jim sleeps with the light on in his room because he is afraid of the dark.
In the End
A word used to mean the end of something. An example for the usage of the word will be: The team worked really and in the end finally won the championship.
Lucky
The word that is used to refer to someone who generally is graced with an element of luck. An example of that would be: Joe considers seven to be his lucky number.
But
A word that is used to mention something that is to be added to the first part of a sentence. An example of that will be: Joe is a rich man but very humble.
Wrong
It is a word used to refer to something incorrect. An example of that will be: It is wrong to discriminate against people of different caste, races, or ethnicities.
However
A word used to introduce something to a sentence to contradict its first part. An example of that will be Jim has a lot of clothes however most of them are not his size.
Go up
A word used to refer to something that is increasing. An example of the usage of the word will be: The price of the Tesla stock has been going up for the last few months.
Cheap
A word used to refer to something that is of relatively less value. An example for the usage of that word will be Jake bought cheap earphones and they stopped functioning properly in a month.
At first
A word used to refer to something in the beginning. An example for the usage of that word will be: Jim was skeptical at first but later warmed up to the plan.
Mad
A word used to refer to someone who is not mentally stable. An example for the usage of that word will be: The friends ran around the town like madmen trying to solve the treasure hunt.
Set up
The word is used to refer to something being established, a plan, or an establishment. An example for the usage of that word will be: The company set up a five-year plan to track its growth.
Put off
The word used to say one wants to postpone. An example for the use of that word will be: He has put the task off for so long that he doesn’t want to do it anymore.
Seem
It is the word used to refer to something or someone appears to be in a particular way
An example of the usage of that word is: Jake seems annoyed by his friends constantly picking on him.
Want
The word is attributed to the emotion of needing something. An example of the usage of the aforementioned word is: Aaron wanted to have a burger for dinner.
Say no
These words are generally used to reject someone. An example of it will be: The students requested more time but the teacher said no.
Buy
It is the word used to obtain something in exchange for money. An example of the use of the word would be: Jack bought himself a computer for his birthday.
Formal Words
Request
A word used to imply the formal way of asking for something. An example of the usage of the word will be: We called the hotel and requested a booking at 3.
Reserve
The formal way of saying one has booked something for a particular time. An example of the usage of the word will be: The restaurant called us to tell us that we had missed our reservation for 3.
Verify
The formal way of asking to make sure i.e double-check about something. An example of the usage of the word will be: The website asked me to verify my credentials numerous times.
Receive
The word used to imply the formal way to mean accept something. An example of the usage of the word will be: I received a few packages from Amazon that weren’t properly packed.
Assist
The word used to imply the formal way to refer to the act of helping. An example of the usage of the word will be The customer care executive asked me if he could assist me in anything.
Request
The word is used to describe the formal way of stating the want for something or someone. An example of the usage of the word will be All residents are requested to be at the community hall by 3.
Apologize
The word is used to describe a formal way of saying sorry to someone. An example of the usage of the word will be: The company staff apologized to me for providing me with a faulty product.
Commence
The word is used to describe a formal way to address the beginning of a certain event. An example of the usage of the word will be: The meeting will commence in three minutes.
End
The word is used as a formal way to imply the ending of a certain event. An example of the usage of the word will be: The event started during the evening and went on well into the night before it ended.
Terminate/ Finish
The word is used as a formal way of implying the end of an event. An example of the usage of the word will be: He was about to finish the race when he felt a bad cramp in his leg and had to retire from the race.
Try
Word used to describe effort put into something to achieve something. An example of the usage of the word will be: Jim was trying to enter the school football team by any means necessary.
Handle
Word used to imply a formal way of addressing the fact that a person has to deal with a situation. An example of the usage of the word will be: Jim was called up by his company to handle the situation in his department.
Inform
It is a word used in a formal way of usage for the term “tell”. An example of the usage of the word will be: The corporate informed me of my immediate termination of service because of my tardiness.
Await
It is a word used to imply a formal way of implying waiting for somebody. An example of the usage of the word will be: I awaited Jin’s arrival for more than an hour.
Combat
The word is used to describe the formal way to state and understood to be fighting. An example of the usage of the word will be: In the ancient days, the winner was decided by a trial by combat.
Consume
The word is used as the formal way of stating absorbing something. An example of the usage of the word will be: We calculated the number of calories we consumed each day.
Depart
The word is used as the formal way to state a person is going from one point to another or leaving somewhere. An example of the usage of the world will be: The train departed at a quarter past three.
Difficult
The word is used as a formal way to state if something is difficult. An example of the usage of the word will be: The question paper set by the teacher was so difficult that half of the students failed.
Diminutive
The word is used as a formal way to make one understand if something is small. An example of the usage of the word will be: Jim has diminutive hands for an adult
Disclose
The word is used as a means to reveal something to someone. An example of the usage of the word will be: The government has disclosed the details of the undercover operation against terrorists to the public.
Display
The word is used to imply the formal way that is to be understood for putting things in public for everyone to see. An example of the usage of the word will be: The awards he had won in high school were put on display in a transparent cupboard.
Eject
The word is used to describe the formal way to state the exercise of taking or throwing something out. An example of the usage of the word will be: The computer mechanic ejected the hard drive and fixed my computer.
Elderly
The word is used as the formal way of referring to a person who has lived for a long time. An example of the usage of the word will be: The millionaire donated a huge amount of money for the construction of a home for the elderly.
Express
The word is used as a formal way to mean saying something to someone. An example of the usage of the world: They organized a march to express their dissent against the government laws.
Fearful
The word is used as a formal way to imply being afraid. An example of the usage of the world: The company was fearful of the consequences if they rolled out new products to replace the old ones.
Finally
The word is used as the formal word that is used to mean the end of something. An example of the usage of the world: The team performed really well for years and finally in the fifth year they won the championship.
Fortunate
The word is the formal word used to refer to luck. An example of the usage of the word will be: He was fortunate enough to survive the car crash.
Incorrect
The formal word is used to mean when something is incorrect. An example of the usage of the world will be like: The manager was angry at Simon because he put in incorrect numbers in the spreadsheet.
Increase
The formal word is used to refer to something that is growing in size. An example of the usage of the word: Air Pollution has increased potentially since the rise in the market of cars.
Inexpensive
The formal word is used to refer to something that is of less value. An example of the usage of the word: The company looked for inexpensive solutions to their major problems.
Initially
The formal word is used to refer to someone’s emotions at the beginning. An example of the usage of the word: The payment was initially made in installments and later paid in chunks.
Insane
The formal word is used to refer to someone who is not mentally stable. An example of the usage of the word: The poet almost went insane trying to find the meaning of life.
Establish
The formal word refers to something being set up. An example of the usage of the word: The company established itself as one of the biggest in their area of work.
Postpone
The formal word is used to put off something for a certain period of time. An example of the usage of the word will be: The meeting was postponed by fifteen minutes.
Appear
A Formal word is used to mean something or someone that appears to be in a particular way. An example of the usage of the word: The third part of the book appeared at a considerably later time than the second part.
Desire
A formal word is attributed to the emotion of want. An example of usage of the word: Jim desired to be a pilot when he grew up.
Reject
The formal word is used for the act of saying no. An example of usage of the word: His job application was rejected and he didn’t get the job.
Purchase
The formal word used for the word “buy”. An example of the usage of the word Microsoft purchased the smaller app for an amount of two million dollars.
This concludes the list of most formal and informal words in English. There are obviously more of these but the ones put in the list are the most common ones and are used a lot in daily life. This list is prepared with the purpose that it will help a first-time learner understand the concepts of the English language.