The best stylists become masters at artfully placing transition words in pivotal positions—i.e., places where the sentence or paragraph meaning “shifts” slightly. What follows is a handy list of common transition words and their functions. If you open sentences appropriately with these words it will help your writing to flow. One caveat though: Always keep the literal meaning of a transition word in mind as you use it—therefore, do not use “for example” unless you are introducing an example that links to the preceding information; do not use “nevertheless” unless you are offering a contrasting point. Note how this paragraph has required a minimal use of transition words; they should not be forced in where they do not belong. When you do use them, keep their broader functions (i.e., “causality,” “emphasis,” etc.) directly in mind.
| Causality | Emphasis | Amplification |
| Accordingly | Above all | Again |
| Consequently | Certainly | Also |
| For this reason | Clearly | Apparently |
| Hence | Indeed | Besides |
| Therefore | In fact | Equally important |
| Thus | In short | Finally |
| Obviously | First, Second, etc. | |
| Intention | Of course | Further |
| For this purpose | In addition | |
| In order to do this | Closure | Moreover |
| To this end | In conclusion | |
| With this in mind | In sum | Detail |
| On the whole | Especially | |
| Location | To summarize | In particular |
| Beyond | In regard to | |
| Here | Similarity | Namely |
| Nearby | Likewise | Specifically |
| Opposite | Similarly | To enumerate |
| Overlying (underlying) | ||
| There | Time | Comparison/Contrast |
| To the right (left) | Afterward | However |
| At the same time | In contrast | |
| Concession | Before | In relation to |
| At any rate | Earlier | Nevertheless |
| At least | Eventually | On the other hand |
| In the meantime | Still | |
| Example | Sometimes | |
| For example | Later | Interpretation |
| For instance | Next | Fortunately |
| To demonstrate | Preceding this | Interestingly |
| To illustrate | Simultaneously | Significantly |
| Soon | Surprisingly |
Self-Study
For more transition word lists, check out these URLs:
“Transitional Words and Phrases” list from the University of Richmond Writing Center
