Avoid weasel words (EK00019)
Concrete, specific wording makes your documentation claims verifiable and builds reader trust, unlike vague intensifiers such as extremely.
Concrete, specific wording makes your documentation claims verifiable and builds reader trust, where vague intensifiers add no real information. EkLine flags weasel words such as vague intensifiers and adjectives (rule EK00019).
Why avoid weasel words in documentation?
Section titled “Why avoid weasel words in documentation?”Words like “extremely” and “arguably” inflate a statement without backing it up. “This is extremely fast” tells the reader nothing measurable, while “This processes 1,000 files per second” gives a number they can rely on. Concrete claims are more persuasive and easier to fact-check, and they keep documentation from sounding like marketing.
What EkLine flags
Section titled “What EkLine flags”EK00019 detects vague intensifiers and adjectives such as absolutely, arguably, extremely, obviously, relatively, and seemingly.
- ❌ Incorrect: This is extremely fast.
- ✅ Correct: This processes 1,000 files per second.
- ❌ Incorrect: It is arguably the best option.
- ✅ Correct: It supports the most formats.
How to fix
Section titled “How to fix”Replace the weasel word with a specific fact — a number, a limit, or a concrete comparison. If no fact supports the claim, remove the word.
What is a weasel word?
Section titled “What is a weasel word?”A weasel word is a vague intensifier or adjective that sounds meaningful but adds no concrete information, such as “extremely”, “arguably”, or “relatively”.
How do you replace a weasel word?
Section titled “How do you replace a weasel word?”Swap it for a specific fact — a number, a limit, or a concrete comparison. When no fact supports the claim, remove the word.
Rule details
Section titled “Rule details”| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Rule ID | EK00019 |
| Category | Respectful language |
| Default severity | Suggestion |
| Enabled by default | No |
Ignore this rule
Section titled “Ignore this rule”To keep a flagged word on one line, add an inline comment with a reason:
<!-- ekline-ignore-next-line EK00019 -- direct customer quotation -->"The setup was absolutely painless." - Dev team leadTo disable the rule across your project, add it to the ignore list in your configuration file.