Many people add "and ever" when describing something that will last forever. This addition is unnecessary because "forever" already means an endless amount of time. When you say you'll remember something "forever and ever," you're not making your point any stronger. The concept of eternity is already contained in the word "forever" itself. Next time you want to emphasize something's permanence, just stick with the simple "forever"—it already communicates everything you need.
2. New Innovations
Calling something a "new innovation" is like saying "wet water." Innovation, by definition, is the introduction of something new—a fresh method, idea, or product. The word already contains the concept of newness within it. When you describe an innovation as "new," you're simply repeating yourself. Language experts point out that this redundancy is particularly common in business and technology writing, where people want to emphasize cutting-edge developments. Just call it an "innovation" and everyone will understand it's new.
3. Blatantly Obvious
When something is crystal clear to everyone, it doesn't need to be described as both "blatant" and "obvious." These words essentially mean the same thing—something that's extremely apparent or impossible to miss. Using both creates what language experts call "word overflow." While it might feel like you're emphasizing your point, you're actually diluting it with unnecessary words. Your communication becomes sharper when you pick just one: either "it's blatant" or "it's obvious."
4. Passing Fad
Remember fidget spinners, pet rocks, or planking? These were all fads—trends that quickly gained enormous popularity and then disappeared just as fast. The word "fad" inherently describes something temporary, so adding "passing" creates a redundancy. All fads pass by nature; that's what makes them fads rather than lasting cultural changes. When discussing short-lived trends, simply calling them "fads" communicates their temporary status without adding unnecessary words.
5. Period of Time
Time itself is already understood as occurring across periods, so saying "period of time" duplicates your meaning. Whether you're referring to weeks, months, or years, just saying "period" or "time" alone would suffice. Grammar experts recommend eliminating one word or the other to make your writing more concise. Instead of "I waited for a long period of time," try "I waited for a long time" or "I waited for a long period."
6. Please RSVP
The abbreviation RSVP comes from the French phrase "Répondez s'il vous plaît," which translates to "respond if you please." When you add "please" before "RSVP," you're essentially saying "please respond if you please." The request for politeness is already built into the abbreviation itself. While double-dipping on courtesy might seem harmless, precise communication means understanding what your words actually mean.
7. Safe Haven
A haven is a place of safety or refuge. Adding "safe" to "haven" doesn't provide any additional information—it simply repeats the concept that's already there. This type of redundancy falls into the category of pleonasm, using more words than needed to express a meaning. Similar phrases include "frozen tundra" (tundra is already frozen by definition) and "free gift" (gifts are inherently free).
8. Advance Warning
All warnings occur before the event they're warning about—otherwise, they wouldn't be warnings at all but simply reports of what already happened. The "advance" part is already implied in the concept of a warning. When meteorologists issue storm warnings, there's no need to specify they're "advance" warnings because that's the only kind of warning that exists. You can strengthen your communication by simply using "warning" alone.
9. Unexpected Surprise
Surprises are events that occur unexpectedly and without warning. If you expected it, it wouldn't be a surprise! This makes "unexpected surprise" a classic redundancy. The phrase often appears when people are trying to emphasize their reaction, but it actually weakens the impact through wordiness. Whether it's a surprise party, gift, or plot twist, the element of unexpectedness is already built into the word "surprise."
10. Sudden Impulse
An impulse is a sudden, spontaneous urge to do something without prior planning. The suddenness is already part of what makes an impulse an impulse. If you planned it, it wouldn't be impulsive!
Communication experts point out that this redundancy often appears when writers try to emphasize the spontaneity of an action, but they're actually just repeating themselves. Simply describing something as an "impulse" already tells readers everything about its sudden nature.
11. End Result
In any process, the result happens at the end—that's what makes it a result rather than an intermediate step. Adding "end" to "result" doesn't clarify anything; it just adds an unnecessary word. This redundancy often appears in business communications and academic writing, where people want to sound more formal. For clearer communication, choose either "end" or "result" based on what fits better in your sentence.
12. Future Plans
Plans, by their very nature, are about the future. You don't make plans for things that have already happened or are currently happening. When someone talks about their "future plans," they're using an extra word that adds no meaning. This phrase sometimes slips into conversation because it feels natural, but being aware of it helps you communicate more precisely in both speech and writing.
13. Close Proximity
Proximity already means closeness or nearness in space, time, or relationship. When you add "close" to describe proximity, you're essentially saying "close closeness"—doubling up on the same concept. This phrase appears frequently in formal writing and news reporting. For clearer communication, either say something is "in proximity to" something else or simply say it's "close to" it, but avoid combining both terms.
14. Past History
History, by its very definition, refers to events that occurred in the past. Adding "past" to "history" creates a redundancy that many writers fall into without noticing. Whether discussing personal experiences, company milestones, or world events, simply referring to "history" already communicates that you're talking about things that happened before now. This redundancy often appears in academic writing and memoirs, where writers want to emphasize the temporal distance, but "history" alone does the job perfectly well.
15. Final Outcome
An outcome is the end result of a process or situation—it's what ultimately happens after everything else. The word "final" doesn't add any new information since outcomes are final by nature. Sports commentators and business analysts frequently use this redundancy when discussing conclusions of games or projects. For clearer communication, choose either "final result" or simply "outcome," but combining them creates unnecessary wordiness.
16. Join Together
Next time you hear someone say "let's join together" at a party or community event, remember that joining already implies togetherness. You can't join separately! This redundancy pops up frequently in casual invitations and group activities. Whether you're joining forces with neighbors for a block party or joining friends for dinner, the "together" part is already built into the concept of joining. Simply saying "let's join" or "let's get together" communicates your meaning without the extra word.
17. Exact Same
Something is either the same or it isn't—there aren't degrees of sameness. When you describe things as the "exact same," you're not adding any information beyond what "same" already tells us. This phrase has become incredibly common in everyday speech, but writing experts consistently flag it as redundant. Next time you want to emphasize identity between two things, just "same" will do the job perfectly well.
18. Free Gift
That special offer with a "free gift" when you make a purchase? It's a classic redundancy that marketers love. By definition, a gift is something given without payment—that's what makes it a gift rather than a purchase. If you have to pay for it, it's not really a gift at all. This phrase has become so common in advertisements and promotional materials that many people don't notice the redundancy. Next time you're tempted to mention a "free gift," just "gift" alone says everything you need.
