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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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The True Story of the Backward Index

 

These people needed a computer

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Lay vs. Lie

 

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

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An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

 

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

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Webster's Dictionary of 1864

 

The landmark edition that transformed the way dictionaries are made.

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Sneaked vs. Snuck

 

How the irregular 'snuck' sneaked into the dictionary

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The Schwa

 

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

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How Do You Pronounce 'Groceries'?

 

Is there one standard way?