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?
215,052 views
No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?
455,317 views
There, there. We'll sort it out.
104,473 views
The awkward case of 'his or her'
266,478 views
No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.
72,123 views
They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.
55,370 views
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
364,692 views
'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.
290,549 views
Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'
265,683 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.
548,152 views
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
157,353 views
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
41,516 views
The story of those iconic illustrations.
24,618 views
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
162,798 views
We'll help you figure it out at once
886,956 views
799,384 views
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts
453,565 views
And who put it there, anyway?
327,102 views
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
325,301 views
We're intent on clearing it up
315,637 views
Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Pick the best words!
