Briefle words · Writing & copy
Hedging
Softening a statement with qualifiers like 'may', 'hopefully' or 'generally', which makes it sound unsure and hard to hold anyone to.
Say it to an AI
Support chat reply to a customer double-charged $54.99. Be concise: one short apology, then the facts in three sentences: refunded, back on card in 3–5 business days, October box still ships Thursday. No throat-clearing, filler or hedging like 'should hopefully'.
How an expert would brief the stronger version of “Support chat reply”.
See it
Try it as a puzzle →A meal-kit company's support agent replies to a customer who was charged twice.
Why: B's refund 'should hopefully show up'; A's 'will be back on your card' sounds like a promise.
More ways experts use it
Landing hero for month-end close software aimed at finance managers. Lead with a concrete value proposition (3 days instead of 10), then one line on how it works plus a proof point. Confident, specific claims, no hedging or weasel words.
Accounting software landing hero · Writing & copyPatient-portal message with blood test results: say plainly that almost everything is normal and vitamin D is low but easy to treat, then end with one clear next step and call to action: book a 10-minute phone call this week, with a 'Book a call' button and the clinic number. No hedging.
Test results message · Writing & copy
Related words
Room 1 · Essentials
Learn “Hedging” in a five-minute lesson