Show is the usual verb for presenting almost anything, including visuals, data, and tone. A chart shows a trend, and a demo shows a feature. A message can also show confidence. Yet the word does not say exactly what was communicated. It also cannot confirm that the reader understood the intended meaning.
What "show" doesn't tell you
"The email showed our concern about the timeline."
How did it show concern: through the chosen words or the email itself? "Show" does not confirm that the intended feeling came through.
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See how Lyra Practice works →What "convey" adds
Convey means communicating a specific meaning, tone, or feeling. It focuses on the message being expressed, but does not guarantee that every reader or listener understands it as intended.
"The email needs to convey urgency without sounding alarmist."
"Her opening slide conveyed exactly how much this launch mattered to the team, before she said a word about the numbers."
Both sentences focus on the specific meaning being communicated, which "show" does not make clear.
Quick swap
Instead of: "Make sure the deck shows we're serious about this." Say: "Make sure the deck conveys that we're serious about this, not just that we made slides."
Instead of: "This message shows confidence." Say: "This message conveys confidence without sounding overconfident."
Instead of: "The report shows the risk clearly." Say: "The report conveys the risk clearly enough that no one can say they weren't warned."
Lyra Practice helps advanced non-native English professionals learn the nuance of high-value workplace expressions and practice using them in realistic scenarios, so their English sounds natural, precise, and senior at work. Try Lyra Practice.