play merriam-webster eggcorns title page
Usage Notes

What Is an Eggcorn?

And how did it get that name?


How did eggcorn become the term used to describe a word or phrase that sounds correct but is the result of a mishearing? Senior Editor Emily Brewster explains.
Some of our favorite eggcorns include for all intensive purposes, would just assume, and hunger pains.

Transcript

An eggcorn is a word or phrase that sounds right and seems to make sense, but is the result of a mishearing. Linguist Geoff Pullum came up with the term inspired by the use of eggcorn to mean acorn. It may be like an oak tree's egg, but it's not an eggcorn. It's an acorn.

Up next

play merriam-webster eggcorns title page
What Is an Eggcorn?

 

And how did it get that name?

play serial comma
The Serial Comma Explained

 

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

play video title attorney generals
Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

 

'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

play video mischievous nulcear library mispronunciations
'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine

 

'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.

play mrs malaprop
What is a Malaprop?

 

We'll tell you all the perpendiculars

play how to use a dictionary
How to Use a Dictionary

 

The best way to find information in the dictionary

play woman and dog illustration
'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?

 

We're gonna stop you right there