Every business has some amount of writing in day-to-day operations, which is why a thesaurus is a must for any company. A thesaurus provides synonyms, or words that have similar meanings to the one you are looking up. There are many types of thesauri, but it does not matter what kind you decide to use. What does matter is that there is one readily available for both you and any employee to quickly look up a word.

All thesauri will save you time, and some can even save you money. Choose from the following types that are widely used in business:

1. An online thesaurus makes it easy to look up words while you type, and is often free.

2. You can purchase a printed thesaurus for a noncomputerized environment.

3. A visual thesaurus is a fairly recent invention that goes beyond the typical thesaurus, and is a creative way to improve your company's written work.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find thesauri online for your computer-based company

If your company is particularly Internet-savvy, your best bet is most likely to use an online thesaurus. You can find one for free and add it to your bookmarks for quick reference. Online thesauri are essential in companies with employees that are online most of the day and prefer to keep all their activities computer-oriented.

I recommend: The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus is a reputable online thesaurus that has an easy user interface. Thesaurus.com is also user-friendly, and features educational articles on tips when using such reference books.

Buy thesauri from an office supply store

If your employees do not each have their own computer, or spend a large part of the day away from the Internet, you will need at least a few thesauri in your office. Add them to your company's reference library for easy access, or equip every employee's desk with one. You can find a traditional thesaurus at either an online store or regular office supply store near you.

I recommend: The office supply site eofficedirect.com sells Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, which includes synonyms and antonyms. Office Depot carries Webster's New Roget's A-Z Thesaurus, which also allows users to browse by theme.

Check out visual thesauri for a creative office reference book

If you have employees that are visual learners and are more creative, a visual thesaurus might help them. It works similarly to the brain; when you type in a word, it will produce a map-like image of words that can be associated with the word you entered. Such a thesaurus is often considered more thought-provoking than a typical reference book, improving the vocabulary of those who do not easily understand simple lists of words.

I recommend: OfficeMax sells the Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus software, which has more than 145,000 words. You can also subscribe to the online edition through Thinkmap for a nominal monthly or annual fee. The price includes access to the company's online magazine dealing with language news and tips. You can try it out online for free for two weeks.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If your company is considered a multi-language business, thesauri that contain synonyms for different languages are useful. You can find a Spanish thesaurus at most office stores or online, but for most other languages, check out websites that specialize in such languages.