--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The written word is a powerful thing, you…" description: "\"“The written word is a powerful thing, you have to be careful with it. - Silvertongue”\" — Cornelia Funke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/cornelia-funke-908_careful_the-written-word-is-a-powerful-thing-you_592914.png" --- # The written word is a powerful thing, you have to be… ![“The written word is a powerful thing, you have to be careful with it. - Silvertongue” quote by Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/cornelia-funke-908_careful_the-written-word-is-a-powerful-thing-you_592914.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/cornelia-funke-908_careful_the-written-word-is-a-powerful-thing-you_592914.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/cornelia-funke-908_careful_the-written-word-is-a-powerful-thing-you_592914.png) > ““The written word is a powerful thing, you have to be careful with it. - Silvertongue”” [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words hold power; misuse can cause harm. **In simple terms:** Be careful with language. Key Takeaway Choose words responsibly. Themes communication responsibility ethics Mood thoughtful cautious Type advice reflective When to use this quote - writing - teaching - public speaking Key Concepts language impact intentionality Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your words help? - What checks do you use before publishing? A Different Perspective Powerful words can be misinterpreted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inkheart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inkheart/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Written word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written-word/) ## Related quotes > [We're all liars when it serves our purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/we-re-all-liars-when-it-serves-our-purpose/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [The truth's not pretty of course. No one likes to look it in the face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/the-truth-s-not-pretty-of-course-no-one-likes-to-look-it-in-the-face/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“Look at your daughter,' she whispered. 'As brave as...as.." She wanted to compare Meggie to a hero in some story but all the heroes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/look-at-your-daughter-she-whispered-as-brave-as-as-she-wanted-to/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Only in books could you find pity, comfort, happiness and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/only-in-books-could-you-find-pity-comfort-happiness-and-love/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Life was more difficult in Inkheart, yet it seemed to Meggie that with every new day Fenoglio's story was spinning a magic spell around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/life-was-more-difficult-in-inkheart-yet-it-seemed-to-meggie-that-with/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Books have to be heavy because the whole world's inside them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/books-have-to-be-heavy-because-the-whole-world-s-inside-them/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [She wanted to return to her dream. Perhaps it was still somewhere there behind her closed eyelids. Perhaps a little of its happiness still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/she-wanted-to-return-to-her-dream-perhaps-it-was-still-somewhere/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Why would we ever want to go back when your world is so accommodating with your telephones and your guns and what's that sticky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/why-would-we-ever-want-to-go-back-when-your-world-is-so-accommodating/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“(...)depois de acordar de um pesadelo, nada a sossegava mais do que a respiração do pai, ali ao seu lado, e o folhear das…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/depois-de-acordar-de-um-pesadelo-nada-a-sossegava-mais-do-que-a/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“Las malas historias no despiertan a la vida. No hay ningún Dedo Polvoriento en ellas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/las-malas-historias-no-despiertan-a-la-vida-no-hay-ning-n-dedo/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [The world was a terrible place, cruel, pitiless, dark as a bad dream. Not a good place to live. Only in books could you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/the-world-was-a-terrible-place-cruel-pitiless-dark-as-a-bad-dream-not/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Life's barely long enough to get good at one thing. So be careful what you get good at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/life-s-barely-long-enough-to-get-good-at-one-thing-so-be-careful-what/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) > [Money is that dear thing which, if you're not careful, you can squander your whole life thinking of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jo-salter/money-is-that-dear-thing-which-if-you-re-not-careful-you-can-squander/) [Mary Jo Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jo-salter/) > [The one thing you have to be careful of is trying to do what other teams and players are doing when you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cowher/the-one-thing-you-have-to-be-careful-of-is-trying-to-do-what-other/) [Bill Cowher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cowher/) > [Here's the thing - you can't be careful about what you pick because what looks like on paper is going to be a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halle-berry/here-s-the-thing-you-can-t-be-careful-about-what-you-pick-because/) [Halle Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halle-berry/) ## More by Cornelia Funke > [ There was another reason \[she\] took her books whenever they went away. They were her home when she was somewhere strange. They were familiar… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/there-was-another-reason-she-took-her-books-whenever-they-went-away/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“A story is a labyrinth, it looks as if there were several ways to go, but only one is right, and there's a nasty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/a-story-is-a-labyrinth-it-looks-as-if-there-were-several-ways-to-go/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her full on the mouth. His skin was wet with rain. When she didn't pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/he-put-his-hands-on-her-shoulders-and-kissed-her-full-on-the-mouth/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“For a moment Dustfinger felt as if he had never been away- as if he had simply had a bad dream, and the memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/for-a-moment-dustfinger-felt-as-if-he-had-never-been-away-as-if-he/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Don't let it worry you, not being able to speak,'Dustfinger had often told her. 'People tend not to listen anyway, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/don-t-let-it-worry-you-not-being-able-to-speak-dustfinger-had-often/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“And he will have a great aunt called Elinor who tells him there's a world not like this one. A world with neither fairies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/and-he-will-have-a-great-aunt-called-elinor-who-tells-him-there-s-a/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“Yes, Mo would come. Meggie could think of nothing else as Fenoglio led her away with him, his arm around her as if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/yes-mo-would-come-meggie-could-think-of-nothing-else-as-fenoglio-led/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [When it came to hiding, even Gwin had nothing to teach Dustfinger. A strange sense of curiosity had always driven him to explore the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/when-it-came-to-hiding-even-gwin-had-nothing-to-teach-dustfinger-a/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Because fear kills everything," Mo had once told her. "Your mind, your heart, your imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/because-fear-kills-everything-mo-had-once-told-her-your-mind-your/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Perhaps there's another, much larger story behind the printed one, a story that changes just as our own world does. And the letters on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/perhaps-there-s-another-much-larger-story-behind-the-printed-one-a/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Mo could paint pictures in the empty air with his voice alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/mo-could-paint-pictures-in-the-empty-air-with-his-voice-alone/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [I remember the feeling. Whenever my father got so absorbed in a book that we might have been in visible I felt like taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/i-remember-the-feeling-whenever-my-father-got-so-absorbed-in-a-book/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [I wish you luck,' she said, kissing him on the cheek. He still had the most beautiful eyes of any boy she'd ever seen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/i-wish-you-luck-she-said-kissing-him-on-the-cheek-he-still-had-the/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Because by now Elinor had understood this, too: A longing for books was nothing compared with what you could feel for human beings. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/because-by-now-elinor-had-understood-this-too-a-longing-for-books-was/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [The night breathed through the apartment like a dark animal. The ticking of a clock. The groan of a floorboard as he slipped out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/the-night-breathed-through-the-apartment-like-a-dark-animal-the/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) [Explore all 286 Cornelia Funke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) ## More Careful quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Only careful political manoeuvring will be able to manage the situation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davan-yahya-khalil/only-careful-political-manoeuvring-will-be-able-to-manage-the/) Davan Yahya Khalil > [Be careful. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to the worst Spanish student in the history of the language.” I laughed. “No problemo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/be-careful-i-wouldn-t-want-anything-to-happen-to-the-worst-spanish/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [If I held all the thoughts of the world in my hand, I would be careful not to open it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-le-bovier-de-fontenelle/if-i-held-all-the-thoughts-of-the-world-in-my-hand-i-would-be-careful/) [Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-le-bovier-de-fontenelle/) > [Physical beauty is not everything, but the beauty is more careful than anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/physical-beauty-is-not-everything-but-the-beauty-is-more-careful-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think about what you do, if you become self-conscious about it, you've got to be very careful. Because I really like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/if-you-think-about-what-you-do-if-you-become-self-conscious-about-it/) [Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/) > [You've got to be careful against classy fighters, especially counter-punchers because if you go for the finish too early, you can end up getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-froch/you-ve-got-to-be-careful-against-classy-fighters-especially-counter/) [Carl Froch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-froch/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [Be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-clement-stone-2/be-careful-the-friends-you-choose-for-you-will-become-like-them/) W Clement Stone > [A woman who is careful with her words is a gift to all who know her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/a-woman-who-is-careful-with-her-words-is-a-gift-to-all-who-know-her/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I have to be careful to get out before I become the grotesque caricature of a hatchet-faced woman with big knockers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/i-have-to-be-careful-to-get-out-before-i-become-the-grotesque/) [Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/) > [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [ I just have to deal with it \[injuries\] if and when problems happen. It's obviously a concern and I've been very careful with my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-james/i-just-have-to-deal-with-it-injuries-if-and-when-problems-happen-it-s/) [Greg James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-james/) > [Our communications reflect in our countenance. Therefore, we must be careful not only what we communicate, but also how we do so. Souls can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-lionel-kendrick/our-communications-reflect-in-our-countenance-therefore-we-must-be/) [L. Lionel Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-lionel-kendrick/) Browse all 2,861 Careful quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The written word is a powerful thing, you have to be careful with it. - Silvertongue”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cornelia Funke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/the-written-word-is-a-powerful-thing-you-have-to-be-careful-with-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Careful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/the-written-word-is-a-powerful-thing-you-have-to-be-careful-with-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/cornelia-funke-908_careful_the-written-word-is-a-powerful-thing-you_592914.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/cornelia-funke-908_careful_the-written-word-is-a-powerful-thing-you_592914.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/cornelia-funke-908_careful_the-written-word-is-a-powerful-thing-you_592914.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The written word is a powerful thing, you have to be careful with it. - Silvertongue” — Cornelia Funke", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cornelia Funke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The written word is a powerful...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/the-written-word-is-a-powerful-thing-you-have-to-be-careful-with-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/the-written-word-is-a-powerful-thing-you-have-to-be-careful-with-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```