Language is a dynamic tool we use to communicate our thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Depending on the context and audience, the choice between formal and informal words can significantly impact the effectiveness of our communication. In this blog, we will delve into the distinctions between formal words and informal words, exploring their meanings, characteristics, and practical applications through clear examples.
What are Formal Words?
Formal words are those that adhere to standard language rules and are typically used in professional, academic, or serious contexts. They convey respect and clarity, avoiding slang, colloquialisms, and contractions. Characteristics of formal language include a polished and sophisticated tone, complete sentences, and precise vocabulary. For example, using “assist” instead of “help,” “commence” instead of “start,” and “purchase” instead of “buy” are all hallmarks of formal communication.
What are Informal Words?
Informal words are casual and conversational, commonly used in everyday interactions with friends, family, or in relaxed settings. Informal language often includes slang and idiomatic expressions, along with the use of contractions and simpler sentence structures. For example, saying “help” instead of “assist,” “start” instead of “commence,” and “show” instead of “demonstrate” reflects a more informal approach.
40+ Formal v/s Informal Words with Meanings and Examples
Here you will find a list of formal words v/s informal words with their meanings and examples where you will find a formal word for every informal word that will also enhance your spoken and professional English skills.
Informal Word: Kid
Formal Word: Child
English Meaning: A young human being.
Hindi Meaning: एक युवा इंसान।
Example: The child played happily in the park.
बच्चा park में ख़ुशी से खेल रहा था।
Informal Word: Gonna
Formal Word: Going to
English Meaning: Indicates a future intention or plan.
Hindi Meaning: भविष्य के इरादे या योजना का संकेत देना।
Example: I am going to finish my project by tomorrow.
मैं कल तक अपना project ख़त्म कर लूँगा।
Informal Word: Wanna
Formal Word: Want to
English Meaning: To desire to have or do something.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ को पाने या करने की इच्छा करना।
Example: I want to learn how to play the piano.
मैं piano बजाना सीखना चाहता हूँ।
Informal Word: Yummy
Formal Word: Delicious
English Meaning: Highly pleasant to the taste; flavorful.
Hindi Meaning: स्वाद में बहुत ही अच्छा या स्वादिष्ट।
Example: The meal was absolutely delicious, and I savored every bite.
भोजन बहुत स्वादिष्ट था और मैंने हर कौर का आनंद लिया।
Informal Word: Gotta
Formal Word: Got to
English Meaning: Must; have to.
Hindi Meaning: के लिए होना चाहिए।
Example: I have got to attend the meeting this afternoon.
मुझे आज दोपहर को बैठक में भाग लेना है।
Informal Word: Dude
Formal Word: Male
English Meaning: A man or boy.
Hindi Meaning: एक आदमी या लड़का।
Example: The male student received an award for his academic achievements.
छात्र को उसकी academic उपलब्धियों के लिए पुरस्कार मिला।
Informal Word: Chill
Formal Word: Relax
English Meaning: To make or become less tense or anxious.
Hindi Meaning: तनाव या चिंता को कम करना।
Example: It’s important to relax after a long day at work.
काम के लंबे दिन के बाद आराम करना ज़रूरी है।
Informal Word: Help out
Formal Word: Assist
English Meaning: To help or aid.
Hindi Meaning: सहायता या मदद करना।
Example: The nurse will assist the doctor during the surgery.
Surgery के दौरान नर्स डॉक्टर की मदद करेगी।
Informal Word: Lots
Formal Word: Many
English Meaning: A large number of.
Hindi Meaning: एक बड़ी संख्या के।
Example: There are many factors to consider before making a decision.
फैसला लेने से पहले कई कारकों (factors) पर विचार करना होता है।
Informal Word: Kinda
Formal Word: Kind of
English Meaning: To some extent; somewhat.
Hindi Meaning: कुछ हद तक।
Example: I kind of enjoyed the movie, but it was a bit long.
मुझे फिल्म कुछ हद तक अच्छी लगी, लेकिन यह थोड़ी लंबी थी।
Informal Word: Bye
Formal Word: Farewell
English Meaning: An expression of good wishes when parting.
Hindi Meaning: विदा होते समय शुभकामनायें देना।
Example: They said their farewells before leaving for the trip.
सफर पर रवाना होने से पहले उन्होंने एक दूसरे को अलविदा कहा।
Informal Word: Hook up
Formal Word: Connect
English Meaning: To join or link together.
Hindi Meaning: एक साथ जुड़ना या जोड़ना।
Example: We need to connect the two sections of the report for clarity.
स्पष्टता के लिए हमें report के दोनों खंडों (sections) को जोड़ने की ज़रूरत है।
Informal Word: Look into
Formal Word: Investigate
English Meaning: To examine or inquire into thoroughly.
Hindi Meaning: गहनता से जांच या पूछताछ करना।
Example: The detective will investigate the circumstances surrounding the case.
जासूस मामले से जुड़ी परिस्थितियों की जांच करेगा।
Informal Word: Mess up
Formal Word: Err
English Meaning: To make a mistake or blunder.
Hindi Meaning: गलती या भूल करना।
Example: It is human to err, and we all learn from our mistakes.
गलती करना इंसानी स्वभाव है और हम सभी अपनी गलतियों से सीखते हैं।
Informal Word: Fix
Formal Word: Repair
English Meaning: To fix or mend something that is broken.
Hindi Meaning: किसी टूटी हुई चीज़ को ठीक करना या सुधारना।
Example: The technician will repair the faulty equipment tomorrow.
Technician कल खराब equipment की मरम्मत करेगा।
Informal Word: Show
Formal Word: Demonstrate
English Meaning: To show or prove something through evidence or examples.
Hindi Meaning: किसी बात को प्रमाण या उदाहरण के माध्यम से दिखाना या सिद्ध करना।
Example: The professor will demonstrate the experiment in class.
Professor कक्षा में प्रयोग (experiment) का प्रदर्शन करेंगे।
Informal Word: Get
Formal Word: Obtain
English Meaning: To get or acquire something.
Hindi Meaning: कोई चीज़ पाना या अर्जित करना।
Example: You need to obtain a permit before starting construction.
निर्माण के काम शुरू करने से पहले आपको permit लेना होगा।
Informal Word: Tell
Formal Word: Inform
English Meaning: To give someone facts or information.
Hindi Meaning: किसी को तथ्य या जानकारी देना।
Example: Please inform me of any changes to the schedule.
कृपया कार्यक्रम में किसी भी बदलाव के बारे में मुझे सूचित करें।
Informal Word: Neat
Formal Word: Excellent
English Meaning: Of the highest quality; outstanding.
Hindi Meaning: सबसे अच्छी quality का; बेहतरीन।
Example: She received an excellent grade for her research paper.
उसे अपने research paper के लिए बेहतरीन grade हासिल हुआ।
Informal Word: Get together
Formal Word: Gather
English Meaning: To bring together; to collect.
Hindi Meaning: एक साथ लाना; इकठ्ठा करना।
Example: We will gather all the necessary documents for the meeting.
हम बैठक के लिए सभी ज़रूरी दस्तावेज इकठ्ठा करेंगे।
Informal Word: Take care
Formal Word: Manage
English Meaning: To be in charge of; to handle or oversee.
Hindi Meaning: प्रभारी होना; संभालना या देखरेख करना।
Example: She will manage the project from start to finish.
वह शुरू से लेकर अंत तक परियोजना को संभालेगी।
Informal Word: Free
Formal Word: Complimentary
English Meaning: Given free of charge; expressing praise.
Hindi Meaning: निःशुल्क दिया गया; तारीफ करना।
Example: The hotel offers complimentary breakfast for all guests.
Hotel सभी मेहमानों के लिए निःशुल्क नाश्ता उपलब्ध कराता है।
Informal Word: Job
Formal Word: Position
English Meaning: A job or role within an organization.
Hindi Meaning: किसी संगठन के अंदर कोई नौकरी या भूमिका।
Example: He applied for the position of marketing manager.
उसने marketing manager के पद के लिए आवेदन किया।
Informal Word: Talk about
Formal Word: Discuss
English Meaning: To talk about something in detail.
Hindi Meaning: किसी बात के बारे में विस्तार से बात करना।
Example: Let’s discuss the proposal during our meeting.
आइये, हम अपनी बैठक के दौरान प्रस्ताव पर चर्चा करें।
Informal Word: Smart
Formal Word: Intelligent
English Meaning: Having a high mental capacity; smart.
Hindi Meaning: उच्च मानसिक क्षमता वाला; बुद्धिमान।
Example: The intelligent student excelled in all her subjects.
बुद्धिमान छात्रा ने सभी विषयों में बेहतरीन प्रदर्शन किया।
Informal Word: Cut
Formal Word: Reduce
English Meaning: To make smaller or less in amount.
Hindi Meaning: मात्रा को छोटा या कम करना।
Example: We need to reduce our expenses to stay within budget.
हमें बजट के भीतर रहने के लिए अपने खर्चों को कम करना होगा।
Informal Word: Big
Formal Word: Large
English Meaning: Big in size or extent.
Hindi Meaning: आकार या विस्तार में बड़ा।
Example: The large conference room can accommodate up to 100 people.
बड़े सम्मेलन कक्ष में 100 लोग बैठ सकते हैं।
Informal Word: Small
Formal Word: Tiny
English Meaning: Very small in size.
Hindi Meaning: आकार में बहुत छोटा।
Example: The kitten was so tiny that it fit in the palm of my hand.
बिल्ली का बच्चा इतना छोटा था कि वह मेरे हाथ की हथेली में समा गया।
Informal Word: Ask for
Formal Word: Request
English Meaning: To ask for something formally.
Hindi Meaning: औपचारिक रूप से कुछ माँगना।
Example: Please submit your request for leave at least a week in advance.
कृपया छुट्टी के लिए अपना अनुरोध (request) कम से कम एक हफ्ते पहले पेश करें।
Informal Word: Go
Formal Word: Proceed
English Meaning: To go forward; to continue with a course of action.
Hindi Meaning: आगे बढ़ना; किसी काम को जारी रखना।
Example: We will proceed with the next steps after receiving approval.
Approval हासिल होने के बाद हम अगले कदम उठाएंगे।
Informal Word: Try
Formal Word: Attempt
English Meaning: To make an effort to achieve or complete something.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ को हासिल करने या पूरा करने के लिए प्रयास करना।
Example: She will attempt to solve the complex math problem.
वह मुश्किल गणित समस्या को हल करने का प्रयास करेगी।
Informal Word: Start
Formal Word: Commence
English Meaning: To begin or start.
Hindi Meaning: आरंभ करना या शुरू करना।
Example: The ceremony will commence at 10 AM sharp.
समारोह ठीक सुबह 10 बजे शुरू होगा।
Informal Word: End
Formal Word: Conclude
English Meaning: To bring something to an end; to finish.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ को ख़त्म करना।
Example: We will conclude the meeting with a summary of our discussion.
हम अपनी चर्चा के सारांश (conclusion) के साथ बैठक का समापन करेंगे।
Informal Word: Help
Formal Word: Aid
English Meaning: To help or assist.
Hindi Meaning: मदद या सहायता करना।
Example: The organization aims to aid those in need during the crisis.
संगठन का उद्देश्य संकट के दौरान ज़रूरतमंद लोगों की मदद करना है।
Informal Word: Use
Formal Word: Utilize
English Meaning: To make use of; to employ for a specific purpose.
Hindi Meaning: इस्तेमाल करना; किसी ख़ास उद्देश्य के लिए नियोजित करना।
Example: We will utilize the latest technology to improve efficiency.
हम कार्यकुशलता (efficiency) में सुधार के लिए नयी technology का इस्तेमाल करेंगे।
Informal Word: Fix up
Formal Word: Enhance
English Meaning: To improve the quality, value, or extent of something.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ की quality, कीमत या सीमा में सुधार करना।
Example: The new software will enhance the user experience significantly.
नया software उपयोगकर्ता (user) के अनुभव को काफी बेहतर बनाएगा।
Informal Word: Find out
Formal Word: Discover
English Meaning: To find out something that was previously unknown.
Hindi Meaning: ऐसी चीज़ का पता लगाना जो पहले अज्ञात थी।
Example: Scientists hope to discover a cure for the disease.
वैज्ञानिकों को उम्मीद है कि वे इस बीमारी का इलाज ढूंढ लेंगे।
Informal Word: Let
Formal Word: Allow
English Meaning: To give permission for something to happen.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ को होने की अनुमति देना।
Example: The policy will allow employees to work from home.
यह नीति कर्मचारियों को घर से काम करने की अनुमति देगी।
Informal Word: Show off
Formal Word: Exhibit
English Meaning: To display or show something publicly.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ को सार्वजनिक रूप से प्रदर्शित या दिखाना।
Example: The museum will exhibit the artist’s work throughout the summer.
Museum पूरी गर्मी में कलाकार की कलाकृति प्रदर्शित करेगा।
Informal Word: Make
Formal Word: Create
English Meaning: To bring something into existence; to make.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ को अस्तित्व में लाना; बनाना।
Example: The team will create a new marketing strategy.
Team एक नई marketing रणनीति तैयार करेगी।
Informal Word: Look for
Formal Word: Search
English Meaning: To look for something carefully and thoroughly.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ को ध्यानपूर्वक और पूरी तरह से ढूंढना।
Example: We need to search for a solution to this problem.
हमें इस समस्या का समाधान ढूंढना होगा।
Informal Word: Let down
Formal Word: Disappoint
English Meaning: To fail to meet someone’s expectations; to let someone down.
Hindi Meaning: किसी की उम्मीदों पर खरा न उतर पाना; किसी को निराश करना।
Example: It is important to communicate openly to avoid disappointing the team.
Team को निराश होने से बचाने के लिए खुलकर बातचीत करना ज़रूरी है।
Informal Word: Run out
Formal Word: Deplete
English Meaning: To use up the resources or supply of something.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ के संसाधन (resource) या आपूर्ति (supply) का पूरी तरह इस्तेमाल करना।
Example: The prolonged drought will deplete the water reserves in the region.
लम्बे समय तक सूखे की वजह से क्षेत्र में जल भंडार ख़त्म हो जाएगा।
Informal Word: Bring up
Formal Word: Mention
English Meaning: To refer to something briefly and without going into detail.
Hindi Meaning: किसी बात का संक्षिप्त उल्लेख करना और विस्तार में न जाना।
Example: She failed to mention the deadline during the meeting.
बैठक के दौरान वह समय सीमा के बारे में बताने में कामयाब रही।
Informal Word: Find
Formal Word: Locate
English Meaning: To find or discover the position of something.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ की स्थिति का पता लगाना।
Example: It took us a while to locate the hidden entrance to the park.
Park के छिपे हुए प्रवेश द्वार का पता लगाने में हमें कुछ समय लगा।
Informal Word: Hang out
Formal Word: Socialize
English Meaning: To interact with others for companionship or enjoyment.
Hindi Meaning: संगति या आनंद के लिए दूसरों के साथ बातचीत करना।
Example: We often socialize with friends on weekends.
हम अक्सर weekend पर दोस्तों के साथ मिलते हैं।
Conclusion
Understanding the differences between formal v/s informal words is essential for effective communication in various contexts. Formal words serve to convey professionalism and clarity, making them ideal for academic and business settings, while informal words foster a sense of warmth and relatability in casual conversations. By being mindful of your language choices, you can better connect with your audience, whether you’re delivering a presentation, writing an email, or chatting with friends. Mastering this balance not only enhances your communication skills but also empowers you to express yourself with confidence and adaptability. If you also want to enhance your spoken as well as professional English, you can join a combo pack course of both. We have stated 40+ formal and informal words here and the remaining you can read in the pdf attached below.
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