There is a package / style by Juergen Fenn which addresses this situation in whole (rather than in part by adjusting the font size): wordlike.sty (CTAN link)wordlike
I never used it, so I can't speak to its usefulness & friendliness with other classes, packages etc. A first glance at the documentation, however, looks «promising». If you can't get away with «only» the font size adjustment, it may be worth a try.