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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 'Groceries'?

 

Is there one standard way?

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Webster's Dictionary of 1864

 

The landmark edition that transformed the way dictionaries are made.

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On Contractions of Multiple Words

 

You all would not have guessed some of these

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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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A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia

 

Some imitative words are more surprising than others

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The Schwa

 

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