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Latest Video

On Contractions of Multiple Words

You all would not have guessed some of these

onomatopoeia video

A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia

Some imitative words are more surprising than others

body parts video

When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes

ismo merriam webster trunk boot

Some Odd Words with ISMO: "Junk in the Trunk"

Comedian ISMO on what separates a boot from a trunk

ismo merriam webster tip

Some Odd Words with ISMO: "People Tipping"

Comedian ISMO on the complexities of the word 'tip'

ismo merriam webster one

Some Odd Words with ISMO: "The One-derful Won"

Comedian ISMO tries to figure out 'one' and 'two'

word of the year 2018 woty behind the scenes

2018 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'justice'

How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

And is one way more correct than the others?

video ghost words

Ghost Word

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors and enter the dictionary.

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video title words of the year 1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

The Serial Comma

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

peter_talk_about_word_of_the_year_2016

2016 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'surreal'

Hot Mess

"The public is a hot mess"

Malaprop

We'll tell you all the perpendiculars

alright allright video

Alright vs. All Right

Is 'alright' all right?

backward index mystery

The True Story of the Backward Index

These people needed a computer

is none singular or plural video

Is None Singular or Plural?

Or both? Or neither?

there theyre their video

There, They're, Their

There, there. We'll sort it out.

video his or her

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

sneaked vs snuck video

Sneaked vs. Snuck

How the irregular 'snuck' sneaked into the dictionary

word of the year 2015 video

2015 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Editor Peter Sokolowski talks about our Word of the Year selections.

how to read a french menu video

How to Read a French Menu

How to amuse-bouche without begging pardon for your French

further vs farther video

Further vs. Farther

They started as same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.

video lay vs lie

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

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WORD OF THE DAY

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standardized text or formulaic language

Test Your Vocabulary

Finance Words Quiz

The etymology of mortgage is related most closely to which two words?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

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Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

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