Legendary figures and the words that define them
Celebrated writers share their quest to find the right words
We're gonna stop you right there
What about Day Tomorrow?
And how did it get that name?
Word Icons
New!
And is one more correct than the others?
206,640 views
No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?
454,455 views
There, there. We'll sort it out.
104,066 views
The awkward case of 'his or her'
265,728 views
No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.
71,584 views
They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.
54,219 views
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
363,258 views
'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.
289,984 views
Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'
264,787 views
Why is pig meat called 'pork' and cow meat called 'beef?' Because English took on a big serving of French words following the Norman Conquest.
547,510 views
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
156,872 views
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
41,144 views
The story of those iconic illustrations.
24,360 views
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
162,356 views
We'll help you figure it out at once
886,635 views
794,819 views
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts
452,906 views
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
324,666 views
And who put it there, anyway?
322,615 views
We're intent on clearing it up
315,127 views
Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Pick the best words!
