12 Most Persuasive Words in the English Language

1961: Research from the early 1960s found that the following words are highly persuasive in advertising:

You, Easy, Money, Save, Love, New, Discovery, Results, Proven, and Guarantee.

1970: A study by researchers in the Yale psychology department reiterated the importance of specific words in marketing. According to their research, the top 12 persuasive words in the English language are:

You, Money, Save, New, Results, Health, Easy, Safety, Love, Discovery, Proven, and Guarantee.

1972: Canadian Consumer Magazine also cited a research report, emphasizing the same set of persuasive words in English. This list includes:

You, Money, Save, New, Results, Health, Easy, Safety, Love, Discovery, Proven, and Guarantee. Notably, the word “sex” did not make it into the top 12.

1978: Bill Gold, in his Washington Post column “The District Line,” repeated the list of influential words, which included:

Money, Save, New, You, Results, Health, Safety, Easy, Guarantee, Discovery, Proven, and Love.

It’s interesting to note that while these words have consistently been recognized as powerful in marketing, some have wondered why words like “free” were not included, given their historical effectiveness in advertising.

These words can serve as a valuable reference for marketers and advertisers looking to create compelling and persuasive content.