Guide 34 / 200 6 swaps Formal register
Professional words for “teach”
Six verbs that distinguish kinds of instruction.
i · When it mattersTwo lines, no filler
"Teach" works in a classroom. In other settings, prefer "train," "mentor," "coach," or "instruct" to match the relationship.
ii · The swaps6 ways
- 01Train neutral
structured, repeatable instruction
Trained 40 support agents on the new console.
- 02Mentor formal
one-on-one developmental relationship
Mentored three engineers through promotion.
- 03Coach neutral
focused skill development with feedback
Coached the team on incident write-ups.
- 04Instruct formal
deliver formal teaching
Instructed the cohort in system design.
- 05Educate formal
teach a topic at scale
Educated customers through the monthly webinar.
- 06Onboard neutral
bring new people up to speed
Onboarded the new team leads in April.