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Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts

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'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine

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

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How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

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

video drive safe ly
Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs

You don't have to end all your adverbs in -ly to talk right.

video soup vs soop
An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

video hopefully
Hopefully

Contrary to what your teachers may have said, we believe the popular usage of this word is correct. Hopefully you agree.

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Ending a Sentence with a Preposition

An old-fashioned rule we can no longer put up with.

video who vs whom
Who vs. Whom

Good news for those who feel stuffy saying 'whom.'

video affect vs effect
Affect vs. Effect

Here's the lowdown on what may be the most confusing pair of words in the English language.

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Mariah Carey & 'Christmastime'

Legendary figures and the words that define them

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Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bloviate

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Test Your Vocabulary

Commonly Misspelled Words Vol. 2 Quiz

  • sequel spelled three ways with the incorrect ways crossed out and the correct spelling circled
  • Rachel seemed to be _____ in every endeavor she started.
True or False

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

TAKE THE QUIZ
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.

Pick the best words!

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