200 Most Common Redundancies

In this post, we share 200 of the most common redundancies found in writing.

200 Most Common Redundancies

Read: What Is Redundancy In English?

A

(absolutely) essential
(absolutely) necessary
(actual) facts
advance (forward)
(advance) planning
(advance) preview
(advance) reservations
(advance) warning
add (an additional)
add (up)
(added) bonus
(affirmative) yes
(aid and) abet
(all-time) record
alternative (choice)
A.M. (in the morning)
(and) etc.
(anonymous) stranger
(annual) anniversary
(armed) gunman
(artificial) prosthesis
ascend (up)
ask (the question)
assemble (together)
attach (together)
ATM (machine)
autobiography (of his or her own life)

B

bald(-headed)
balsa (wood)
(basic) fundamentals
(basic) necessities
best (ever)
biography (of his–or her–life)
blend (together)
(boat) marina
bouquet (of flowers)
brief (in duration)
(brief) moment
(brief) summary
(burning) embers

C

D

depreciate (in value)
descend (down)
(desirable) benefits
(different) kinds
disappear (from sight)
drop (down)
during (the course of)
dwindle (down)

E

each (and every)
earlier (in time)
eliminate (altogether)
emergency (situation)
(empty) hole
empty (out)
(empty) space
enclosed (herein)
(end) result
enter (in)
(entirely) eliminate
equal (to one another)
eradicate (completely)
estimated at (about)
evolve (over time)
(exact) same
(exposed) opening
extradite (back)

F

(face) mask
fall (down)
(favorable) approval
(fellow) classmates
(fellow) colleague
few (in number)
filled (to capacity)
(final) conclusion
(final) end
(final) outcome
(final) ultimatum
(first and) foremost
(first) conceived
first (of all)
fly (through the air)
follow (after)
(foreign) imports
(former) graduate
(former) veteran
(free) gift
(from) whence
(frozen) ice
(frozen) tundra
full (to capacity)
(full) satisfaction
fuse (together)
(future) plans
(future) recurrence

G

gather (together)
(general) public
GOP (party)
GRE (exam)
green [or blue or whatever] (in color)
grow (in size)

H

had done (previously)
(harmful) injuries
(head) honcho
heat (up)
HIV (virus)
hoist (up)
(hollow) tube
hurry (up)

I

(illustrated) drawing
incredible (to believe)
indicted (on a charge)
input (into)
integrate (together)
integrate (with each other)
interdependent (on each other)
introduced (a new)
introduced (for the first time)
(ir)regardless
ISBN (number)

J

join (together)
(joint) collaboration

K

kneel (down)
(knowledgeable) experts

L

lag (behind)
later (time)
LCD (display)
lift (up)
(little) baby
(live) studio audience
(live) witness
(local) residents
look (ahead) to the future
look back (in retrospect)

M

made (out) of
(major) breakthrough
(major) feat
manually (by hand)
may (possibly)
meet (together)
meet (with each other)
(mental) telepathy
merge (together)
might (possibly)
minestrone (soup)
mix (together)
modern ______ (of today)
(mutual) cooperation
(mutually) interdependent
mutual respect (for each other)
(number-one) leader in ________

N

nape (of her neck)
(native) habitat
(natural) instinct
never (before)
(new) beginning
(new) construction
(new) innovation
(new) invention
(new) recruit
none (at all)
nostalgia (for the past)
(now) pending

O

off (of)
(old) adage
(old) cliche
(old) custom
(old) proverb
(open) trench
open (up)
(oral) conversation
(originally) created
output (out of)
(outside) in the yard
outside (of)
(over) exaggerate
over (with)
(overused) cliche

P

R

raise (up)
RAM (memory)
reason is (because)
reason (why)
recur (again)
re-elect (for another term)
refer (back)
reflect (back)
(regular) routine
repeat (again)
reply (back)
retreat (back)
revert (back)
rise (up)
round (in shape)

S

(safe) haven
(safe) sanctuary
same (exact)
(sand) dune
scrutinize (in detail)
self-______ (yourself)
separated (apart from each other)
(serious) danger
share (together)
(sharp) point
shiny (in appearance)
shut (down)
(single) unit
skipped (over)
slow (speed)
small (size)
(small) speck
soft (in texture) [or (to the touch)]
sole (of the foot)
spell out (in detail)
spliced (together)
start (off) or (out)
(still) persists
(still) remains
(sudden) impulse
(sum) total
surrounded (on all sides)

T

tall (in height)
tall (in stature)
(temper) tantrum
ten (in number)
three a.m. (in the morning)
(three-way) love triangle
time (period)
(tiny) bit
(total) destruction
(true) facts
(truly) sincere
tuna (fish)
(twelve) noon or midnight
(two equal) halves

U

(ultimate) goal
undergraduate (student)
(underground) subway
(unexpected) emergency
(unexpected) surprise
(unintentional) mistake
(universal) panacea
(unnamed) anonymous
UPC (code)
(usual) custom

V

vacillate (back and forth)
(veiled) ambush
(very) pregnant
(very) unique
visible (to the eye)

W

(wall) mural
warn (in advance)
weather (conditions)
weather (situation)
whether (or not)
(white) snow
write (down)

By Richard Nordquist, from About.com Grammar and Composition

Resources for business writers:

Business Writing Tips, Creative Writing, Grammar, Writing Resource

Posted on: 6th April 2013

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