How To Use Sensory Words in Writing

Which one of the following sentences sounds better?

Arghhh…I have a thumping headache.

Or

I have a really bad headache.

The difference between the above two sentences is that the first one uses sensory words. Sensory words simply refer to words or phrases that create a connection to one or more of the senses, like sense of sight, touch, smell etc.

Sensory language allows the story to come alive. It hooks the readers and engages their interest by making the writing jump off the page. They make the readers actually experience the information in the story.

You may think that sensory language is only meant for creative writers and poets. On the contrary, descriptive words that appeal to our senses are impactful in business context as well.

Think about a product pitch you have heard and try to remember the part that made the most impact. It’s probably the part that played on your senses or invoked mental images by engaging your mind on multiple levels. That is the magic of using sensory language.

It’s a powerful tool to help readers connect to a specific image, action or feeling. Sensory words can be classified into six different categories. Listen to the videos below to explore how you can use these different sensory words to provide your readers or listeners with a more vivid description of what you are trying to say. You can be brilliant every day.

Words of Sight

We offer writing classes where we teach students how to effectively use these descriptive words in their writing. Sign up below to learn more about these classes: https://popsmartkids.com/newslettersignup.asp