UNDATED (CNN) -- Watch your language. It could cost you a promotion, or your job. A new survey finds four-letter words could impact your professional image more than you think.
On the most stressful days at the office, it's easy to let a few four-letter words slip. One person says, "It's something I don't want to do that sometimes I do on accident. It just kind of happens."
But swearing in the workplace can put a dent in a reputation, according to a new CareerBuilder survey of more than 6,000 employers and employees.
Fifty-seven percent of employers said they'd be less likely to promote someone who uses salty language. And more than half said it makes a worker seem less intelligent. Michael Erwin with CareerBuilder says, "The majority of employers told us they think less of a person and they really question their professionalism. They also talk about questioning the lack of control and their maturity."
Only 28 percent of workers said they'd directed an expletive at a colleague, most use their language just to vent. Erwin says, "You get off the phone with somebody who is frustrating and you say something just to get it off your chest, so it happens pretty frequently in my industry."
Regardless of the reason or how comfortable you feel around your colleagues, career experts advise you hold your tongue. Erwin says, "We're all stressed, it's leaner workforces, we're doing more work, our workloads are increasing. But keep that level of professionalism. Because what you think might be an ok word in the office, your co-worker might not, or your manager might not."
The survey found workers here in the nation's capital the most likely to curse in the office, followed by Denver and Chicago.