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

 

And how did it get that name?

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

 

A simple trick to keep them separate

play serial comma
The Serial Comma Explained

 

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

play videos pictures in the dictionary
Pictures in the Dictionary

 

The story of those iconic illustrations.

play video schwa
The Schwa

 

The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.

play video between you and i or me
I vs. Me

 

'Between you and __'? Simple guidance for a tricky pronoun.