Redundancy (Pleonasm)
Remove needless repetition that adds no meaning.
What & why
Listeners process speech in real time with limited working memory, so every extra word is a small tax on attention. Redundant phrasing forces them to handle the same idea twice and confirm it carries nothing new, which slows comprehension and dulls emphasis. Tight phrasing also reads as a competence cue: word choice that looks deliberate tends to raise perceived credibility. When you cut the padding, the remaining words feel more decisive and the point lands harder.
Before & after
“We need to completely finish the final end result of the project by the deadline date.”
“We need to complete the project by the deadline.”
When you’ll use it
Time references: "10 AM in the morning" → "10 AM" (morning is implied)
Meeting language: "End result" → "result" (results are inherently final)
Project descriptions: "New innovation" → "innovation" (innovations are inherently new)
Status updates: "Past history" → "history" (history is always past)
Pro tip
Say it once, with the word that carries the meaning.
Questions & answers
What is redundancy or pleonasm in communication?
How do I identify and eliminate redundancy in my presentations?
What's the difference between helpful repetition and redundancy?
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