Repetition v. Redundancy

How do repetition and redundancy differ?

Repetition helps to drive home your point and directs the flow of your message. Redundancy results from using too many words to state your point. Both can be improved with thoughtful planning and careful editing. Consider the following techniques:

Repetition 

• Repeated key words and phrases connect the points, producing a coherent, easy-to-read message. 

"Diplomatic, informational, economic partnerships with Mexico support the U.S. economy and security. However, no formalized military partnership between the two countries currently exists. A formalized military partnership would mitigate shared transnational concerns (i.e., transnational organized crime, natural disasters, border security and transmigration, and the potential for terrorism).  Such concerns could be addressed by policies and security cooperation activities that would allow the U.S. Army to enhance its military relationship with Mexico’s Army."

• Repeating ideas drive home the main point.

“Tell ‘em what you are going to tell ‘em. Then, tell ‘em. Last, tell ‘em what you told ‘em.” This strategy for organizing a message can be useful for oral and written messages. It emphasizes the bottom line, which should appear up front. It also includes a “roadmap” of what the longer message will cover. Consider the use of repetition (with a roadmap) used in the following tutorial about writing high-impact messages. “Can you say it in fewer words?"

Note: This strategy should be used with discretion. It can “be too much of a good thing” as this article in Harvard Business Review explains.

Redundancy 

Redundancy occurs when we use too many words to state our points. For example,

“In this next section we will discuss ways to make our writing clearer and easier to understand.” 

Edit unnecessary words. 

“In this [The] next section we will discuss [will describe] ways [how] to make our writing [write] [more] clearer[ly] and easier to understand.” 

Edited:

“The next section will describe how to write more clearly.” 

Conclusion

Repetition is useful for emphasizing the point of your message without using more words than needed.