How to say "wording" in Japanese

• 言葉遣いことばづかいJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounCovers wording as a person's manner of speech and expression — how carefully or politely someone uses words. Typical in comments praising or criticizing the way a person talks.
  言葉遣ことばづかいにはいつも気きをつけるべきです。↗

  You should always be careful in your speech.
• 字句じくCommon
  nounWording as the literal words and phrases of a written text — what a document actually says, as opposed to its gist. In computing it also means 'token'. Not the word for everyday speech.
  君きみはあまり字句じくに拘泥こうでいしすぎるよ。↗

  You are too much letter-bound.
• 言い方いいかたCommon
  nounCovers wording as the way something is put into words — whether a remark sounds blunt, gentle or polite. Use it when commenting on, or objecting to, how someone has phrased something.
  私はそのような言い方いいかたをしたことが恥はずかしく思おもっている。↗

  I was ashamed of having said so.
• 語法ごほうCommon
  nounReally means diction, grammar and usage — how words are used in a language, as something to study or comment on. It is seldom the word you want for the wording of a particular remark.
  この辞書じしょは特とくに語法ごほうに重点じゅうてんを置おいている。↗

  This dictionary puts a special emphasis on usage.
• 用語ようごJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounChiefly the word for 'term' or 'terminology' — the words used in a particular field. As 'wording' it amounts to choice of words and phraseology: which terms a text employs.

For how someone speaks, use 「言葉遣い」; for how something is phrased, 「言い方」; for the literal words of a text, 字句; 用語 concerns choice of terms, while 語法 means diction or usage rather than particular wording.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 言葉遣いことばづかいspeech
• 字句じくwording
• 言い方いいかたway of saying (something)
• 語法ごほうdiction
• 文言もんごんwording (esp. of written text)
• ワーディングwording
• 措辞そじwording
• 言葉付きことばつきspeech
• 用語ようごwording
• 辞令じれいwording