What constitutes a ';big word';? How do I check to make sure the words I am using in English are not ';big';?

I try to speak clearly on Y!A, but I get repeated complaints about my using ';big words'; in my answers. How can I make sure I am using words that everyone here can understand, wile conveying my message fully?





I thought my English was better. :-(What constitutes a ';big word';? How do I check to make sure the words I am using in English are not ';big';?
Just don't. It's not your fault people can't communicate effectively.What constitutes a ';big word';? How do I check to make sure the words I am using in English are not ';big';?
I can't say I've ever read any of your posts, so I can't tell whether or not you really do use ';big'; words. I'm guessing English isn't your native language? ESL speakers tend to use pedantic (big word) terminology (another ';big'; word) because they are not sure how to say certain words from their native language in English. A foreign language dictionary might give you an unnecessarily inflated word instead of a simpler and more common one. Sometimes, there is no appropriate English equivalent for a particular word in another language. This is one of the things that just comes with practice, so the best way to stop using big words is to find out which words are more commonly used. You can do this by reading books or by talking to native speakers.
LOL! Since I don't know that Ive read any of your answers, I can't say whether or not you use big words, but... Ive had the same complaint, just not on here. This is from people who have smaller vocabularies and/or are less well-read, less educated, less intelligent. (I've been told I use professor-speak when writing - in college - and I always get top grades in writing), but generally, and esp on here I try to be very plain and simple about what I'm saying. It takes practice to sound unintelligent or uneducated, but you can do it. It's just like talking to a little kid!





(PS. Some people would say that 'constitutes' is a 'big' word; that is; anything with more than 5 letters or so)
I used to think Superfragilisticexpealidious was a big word, but I quess it just personified my youth