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?
214,536 views
No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?
455,250 views
There, there. We'll sort it out.
104,428 views
The awkward case of 'his or her'
266,411 views
No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.
72,087 views
They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.
55,267 views
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
364,583 views
'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.
290,485 views
Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'
265,598 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.
548,088 views
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
157,308 views
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
41,489 views
The story of those iconic illustrations.
24,594 views
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
162,740 views
We'll help you figure it out at once
886,928 views
799,008 views
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts
453,501 views
And who put it there, anyway?
326,536 views
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
325,226 views
We're intent on clearing it up
315,599 views
Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Pick the best words!
