The English Language Has Many Redundancies

Redundant words and phrases in English are unnecessary repetitions, but people tend to use them anyway. Many times, speakers and writers don't realize the redundancies.

Redundancy: Definition

Redundancy in language refers to the use of words, phrases, sentences, or ideas that repeat the same thing unnecessarily. This can occur when modifiers are added to nouns or verbs that already convey the same meaning. For example, saying "free gift" is redundant because a gift is inherently free.

Language is a living archive, layered with history, translation, and cultural borrowing. Sometimes, those layers create delightful redundancies—phrases that repeat themselves without us even noticing. What looks like “extra words” is often a story of migration, misunderstanding, or simply the way English absorbs and reshapes meaning.

Redundancy in language isn’t always a mistake—it’s often a window into history, culture, and translation. Therefore, speakers often use redundancy for the following reasons:

• to add clarity
• people don't know about the double meaning
• people forget the common redundancy

Food & Drink Redundancies

The following culinary redundancies remind us how English speakers often add a clarifying word when borrowing from another language.

Chai tea: “Tea tea” (chai already means tea). There was no need to use the word "tea" on this box in the photo below. Many companies use only the word "chai."

Shrimp scampi: “Shrimp shrimp” (scampi is Italian for shrimp)

Naan bread: “Bread bread” (naan is a type of bread in Hindi/Persian/Urdu)

Queso cheese: “Cheese cheese” (queso is Spanish for cheese)

Ahi tuna: “Tuna tuna” (ahi means tuna in Hawaiian)

Paella pan: “Pan pan” (paella comes from the Old French word for pan)

Salsa sauce: “Sauce sauce” (salsa is Spanish for sauce)

Places & Geography

The following geographic words double back on themselves when names cross cultures.

Sahara Desert: “Desert desert” (sahara means desert in Arabic)

Los Angeles Angels: “The Angels Angels” (Los Angeles = “the angels” in Spanish)

Mississippi River: “Big river river” (Missi = big, sippi = river in Ojibwe)

Avon River: “River river” (Avon comes from Welsh for river)

Technology & Acronyms

Redundancy comes from acronyms so familiar we forget their meaning, then tack on an extra word for clarity.

ATM machine: “Automated teller machine machine” because the M stands for machine

PIN number: “Personal identification number number” because the N stands for number

LCD display: “Liquid crystal display display” because the D stands for display

PDF format: “Portable document format format” because the F stands for format

UPC code: “Universal product code code” because the C stands for code

Everyday Expressions

Please RSVP: “Please respond please” (RSVP = répondez s’il vous plaît). This common redundancy sounds like begging.

False pretenses: A pretense is already false, so this doubles the falsity.

HIV virus: “Human immunodeficiency virus virus”

GPS system: “Global positioning system system”

Free gift: A gift is already free, so the phrase doubles the generosity.

Redundant Words

Words are redundant when a modifier's meaning is contained in the word it modifies.

• adequate enough: both words mean the same thing
• merge together: saying the same thing twice
• plus in addition to: plus means addition
• new innovation: an innovation is always new
• exactly the same: both words mean the same thing
• biography of my life: saying the same thing twice
• repeat again: to repeat is to say something again
• added bonus: a bonus is something already added
• past history: all history is in the past

Grammarly responded to every one of the phrases as redundancies and offered corrections.

Conclusion

Redundancy in language isn’t a flaw. It's a window into history. Each “extra” word is a reminder of how English combines cultures, acronyms, and borrowed meanings. What looks like repetition is really a story of connection.

So the next time you order chai tea or withdraw cash from an ATM machine, smile at the poetry of redundancy. Words, like people, carry their past with them—and sometimes, they say things twice just to make sure we’re listening.

May these doubled words remind us that language, like life, often circles back to what matters most. May every “extra” syllable be heard as emphasis, every repetition as reassurance, and every redundancy as a blessing that refuses to be forgotten.

Go forth with words that echo, meanings that multiply, and presence that lingers—because sometimes saying it twice is a way of making sure it's heard.