Well-meaning teachers encourage my kids to use more "vocabulary" words in their writing. I tell them that on this one point they can ignore their teachers, because the best writing uses the simplest possible words.
Replying to @paulg
No competent writer prefers a lesser-known word to a familiar one without good reason. But good reasons do exist. Simplicity, after all, is only one of the cardinal virtues of civilized prose; sometimes, others (e.g., euphony, clarity, vividness, etc.) may matter more.
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