Latest Video

illustrated notebook that says everyday vs every day
'Everyday' vs. 'Every Day'

A simple trick to keep them separate

semantic bleaching text on white background
What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

Or, how 'literally' can mean "figuratively"

serenity carr next to an illustration of a refrigerator with the letter d in it
Why is there a 'd' in 'fridge' but not in 'refrigerator'?

Thawing one of the mysteries of English

person studying illustration
'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'?

We're intent on clearing it up

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

We're gonna stop you right there

emily brewster and one and the same text graphic
'One in the same' or 'One and the same'?

Is it all the same anyway?

illustration of a man watching a washing machine overflow
'All over sudden' vs. 'All of a sudden'

We'll help you figure it out at once

merriam-webster eggcorns title page
What Is an Eggcorn?

And how did it get that name?

serenity-carr-definitely-image
How to Remember the Spelling of 'Definitely'

A definitive answer.

peter-sokolowski-indict-graphic
Video: Why Is There a 'C' in 'Indict'?

And who put it there, anyway?

cartoon-of-british-nobility
Why Did Yankee Doodle Call a Feather 'Macaroni'?

What's with his feathered cap?

emily-brewster-with-the-words-effect-affect-on-screen
How to Remember 'Affect' and 'Effect'

A simple way to keep them apart. (Most of the time.)

alt-5db61f2bd1cc5
How Do You Pronounce 'Groceries'?

Is there one standard way?

alt-5dee7ce4037ca
2019 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Editor Peter Sokolowski discusses 'they' and the rest of our Word of the Year 2019 selections

hanger-hangar-illustrations
Is It 'Hanger' or 'Hangar'?

How to remember which is which

contractions
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 the numbers 'one' and 'two'

word of the year 2018 woty behind the scenes
2018 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Editor Peter Sokolowski discusses 'justice' and the rest of our Word of the Year 2018 selections

image1815466723
How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

And is one more correct than the others?

video ghost words
How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Editor Peter Sokolowski talks about 'feminism' and the rest of our Word of the Year 2017 selections

page 1 of 3

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of etiquette

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Challenging Standardized Test Words

  • high school student holding a pencil leaning over a sat test
  • Despite the cacophony, the student tried to study.
True or False

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

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!

PLAY