Vocabulary Mistakes in Malaysian Thesis Writing: Why They Matter More Than You Think
Vocabulary mistakes in Malaysian thesis writing are more consequential than simple grammatical errors because they affect the precision and credibility of your scholarly argument — not just its surface correctness. When an examiner reads the study utilized a questionnaire to get data from respondents instead of the study employed a questionnaire to collect data from participants, they are observing not just a style preference but a cluster of vocabulary choices that signal the writer’s level of immersion in academic discourse.
This guide organises the most persistent vocabulary mistakes in Malaysian thesis writing into categories, explains why each error occurs, and provides direct replacements that immediately improve the academic register of your writing.
Category 1: Informal Verbs Replacing Formal Academic Verbs
This category of vocabulary mistakes in Malaysian thesis writing is the most pervasive. Informal verbs that are perfectly acceptable in spoken English or general writing are consistently inappropriate in formal academic contexts.
Get / Got → Use obtain, acquire, achieve, yield, or produce depending on context. The researcher got the results → The analysis yielded the following results.
Show → Use demonstrate, reveal, indicate, illustrate, or suggest. The results show that is borderline acceptable; The findings demonstrate that is clearly more appropriate.
Use → Often acceptable, but employ, utilise, or apply are preferred in formal methodology descriptions. Note: do not overuse utilise — it only adds value when distinguishing from mere use.
Find out → Use determine, identify, ascertain, or establish. The study aimed to find out why → The study aimed to determine the reasons why.
Look at → Use examine, investigate, analyse, or explore. This chapter looks at → This chapter examines.
Category 2: Imprecise Nouns and Noun Phrases
A second major category of vocabulary mistakes in Malaysian thesis writing involves imprecise or vague nouns that weaken the specificity of academic claims.
Things → Always replace with the specific noun. There are many things that affect performance → identify what those things are.
Stuff → Never appropriate in academic writing. Replace with the specific noun.
Aspects → Frequently used as a vague placeholder. The aspects of leadership → The dimensions of leadership or specify which aspects.
Factors → Acceptable but overused in Malaysian theses. Vary with determinants, variables, elements, predictors, or antecedents depending on what is meant.
Problems → Often more accurately described as challenges, limitations, constraints, barriers, or obstacles depending on the specific nature of the difficulty.
Category 3: Colloquial Phrases That Have Entered Academic Writing
These vocabulary mistakes in Malaysian thesis writing are phrases that appear frequently in general English but are categorically inappropriate in formal academic contexts:
In a nutshell → Replace with in summary, to summarise, or in brief.
At the end of the day → Replace with ultimately, in conclusion, or fundamentally.
Needless to say → Remove entirely. If it is needless to say, do not say it.
Last but not least → Replace with finally or lastly.
On the other hand → Acceptable but overused. Vary with conversely, in contrast, however, or nevertheless.
In today’s world / In today’s society → Overly vague. Specify the context: In contemporary Malaysian organisations or In the current digital economy.
Category 4: Overused Transition Words
Certain vocabulary mistakes in Malaysian thesis writing involve transition words that appear so frequently they become meaningless. The most problematic:
Moreover → Often used where furthermore, in addition, or additionally would be more precise. Reserve moreover for introducing a point stronger or more significant than the one preceding it.
However → Severely overused as a generic contrast marker. Vary with nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, in contrast, or on the contrary depending on the type of contrast intended.
Furthermore → Like moreover, appropriate only when genuinely adding a stronger or more extensive point.
Category 5: Malaysian English Vocabulary Errors
Some vocabulary mistakes in Malaysian thesis writing are specific to Malaysian English usage patterns:
Discuss about → The preposition is incorrect. Discuss about the results → discuss the results. Discuss does not take about.
Explain about → Same error. Explain about the methodology → explain the methodology.
Comprise of → The correct form is comprise (no preposition) or consist of. The sample comprises of → The sample comprises or The sample consists of.
Based from → The correct preposition is based on. Based from the findings → Based on the findings.
Different from vs different than → In Malaysian academic writing following British English conventions, different from is preferred. The results were different than expected → The results differed from expectations.
A Systematic Vocabulary Audit for Your Thesis
To address vocabulary mistakes in Malaysian thesis writing systematically, use the Find function in Word to search for the informal and imprecise words identified in this guide. For each instance, evaluate whether a more precise or formal alternative would improve the sentence. This process, applied chapter by chapter, produces consistent improvement in the academic register of the entire thesis.
Conclusion
Vocabulary mistakes in Malaysian thesis writing are systematic and correctable. The patterns identified in this guide appear across disciplines and institutions, which means addressing them produces reliable improvement regardless of your specific field. Work through your thesis category by category using the Find function, and the cumulative effect of these targeted corrections will be a substantially more polished and credible academic document.
