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backward index mystery
Words Matter

The True Story of the Backward Index

These people needed a computer

There it sits, hidden in plain view on a set of shelves in the basement of the Merriam-Webster offices: the Backward Index. But why would anyone type out 315,000 words spelled in reverse?

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play backward index mystery
The True Story of the Backward Index

 

These people needed a computer

play video its vs its
Its vs. It's

 

Some practical guidance, and interesting history, about a common mistake.

play mrs malaprop
What is a malaprop?

 

We'll tell you all the perpendiculars

play video how a word gets into the dicionary
How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

 

What our editors are looking for when they enter words in Merriam-Webster.

play video title words of the year 1066
Words of the Year: 1066

 

English was never the same after the Norman Conquest

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

 

And how did it get that name?

play videos pictures in the dictionary
Pictures in the Dictionary

 

The story of those iconic illustrations.

Games & Quizzes

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Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
baobab-trees
Name That Tree! A quiz that’s all bark, no bite.
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