Basic English Language Skills Incorrect word choice in an exam or assignment may cause you to lose  marks, while using the wrong word in a business letter may create a bad  first impression.  (www.oxbridgeacademy.co.za/find-a-course/business-administration-courses/) In academic or business writing, for example, the words that you  choose will influence the reader’s opinion of you. As you can probably tell from the image above, using the wrong word  can sometimes have amusing (and embarrassing) results. In some  situations, however, the effect of using incorrect words may be more  serious.  USING THE WRONG WORD CAN SOMETIMES HAVE  AMUSING (AND EMBARRASSING) RESULTS.