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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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play backward index mystery
The True Story of the Backward Index

 

These people needed a computer

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How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

 

And is one way more correct than the others?

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'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine

 

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

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How to Use a Dictionary

 

The best way to find information in the dictionary

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Lay vs. Lie

 

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

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Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs

 

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

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On Contractions of Multiple Words

 

You all would not have guessed some of these