Legendary figures and the words that define them
Celebrated writers share their quest to find the right words
We're gonna stop you right there
What about Day Tomorrow?
And how did it get that name?
Word Icons
New!
And is one more correct than the others?
211,133 views
No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?
454,901 views
There, there. We'll sort it out.
104,240 views
The awkward case of 'his or her'
266,013 views
No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.
71,924 views
They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.
54,742 views
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
364,090 views
'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.
290,283 views
Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'
265,231 views
Why is pig meat called 'pork' and cow meat called 'beef?' Because English took on a big serving of French words following the Norman Conquest.
547,812 views
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
157,090 views
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
41,319 views
The story of those iconic illustrations.
24,496 views
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
162,496 views
We'll help you figure it out at once
886,760 views
797,108 views
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts
453,232 views
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
324,928 views
And who put it there, anyway?
324,541 views
We're intent on clearing it up
315,394 views
Face Your Fears
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
Pick the best words!
