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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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On Contractions of Multiple Words

 

You all would not have guessed some of these

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Is It 'Hanger' or 'Hangar'?

 

How to remember which is which

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Hot Mess

 

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

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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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An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

 

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut