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?
214,313 views
No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?
455,217 views
There, there. We'll sort it out.
104,414 views
The awkward case of 'his or her'
266,354 views
No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.
72,069 views
They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.
55,203 views
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
364,548 views
'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.
290,448 views
Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'
265,551 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.
548,040 views
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
157,285 views
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
41,470 views
The story of those iconic illustrations.
24,584 views
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
162,714 views
We'll help you figure it out at once
886,904 views
798,808 views
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts
453,469 views
And who put it there, anyway?
326,228 views
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
325,194 views
We're intent on clearing it up
315,577 views
Challenging Standardized Test Words
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Pick the best words!
