Brand lexicon
A brand lexicon is the curated set of words, phrases and terms a brand prefers, avoids or reserves for specific contexts.
Also known as:
Brand vocabulary, approved terminology
What is brand lexicon?
A brand lexicon is the curated vocabulary a brand uses to describe itself, its product and its customers. It names the preferred terms ("teammate" rather than "user"), flags the words to avoid ("utilize," "delve," "leverage") and defines how specific concepts should be framed across every piece of content. The lexicon sits alongside the style guide and voice chart, covering word choice where those cover structure and tone.
Preferred: customer, teammate, workspace.
Avoid: utilize, leverage, delve.
Reserved: "launch" for product releases only, otherwise use "ship" or "roll out."
Why does brand lexicon matter?
Word choice is one of the strongest signals of brand voice, and also one of the hardest to keep consistent across a team. Two writers producing the same page with and without a lexicon will use different nouns for the same thing within the first paragraph. A shared lexicon closes that gap, especially as teams grow or bring in freelance and AI-generated content. It also builds category meaning: the brand that consistently says "workspace" starts to own the word in its market.
How do you use brand lexicon?
Build the lexicon from the words your best writing already uses, pairing each entry with a short note on why it is preferred or avoided.
Treat the lexicon as living, not fixed. Add new terms as the product evolves and retire ones that no longer fit the positioning.
Load the lexicon into Brivvy so every AI draft, writer and freelancer starts with the right words already in place.
