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Merriam-Webster Declares They Its Word of the Year
This year, the nonbinary pronoun "they" got a new dictionary definition and some high-profile endorsements.
GRAMMAR
It’s Official: Merriam-Webster Has Added They to Its Online Dictionary as a Nonbinary Pronoun
Two and a half years after the Associated Press OK’d the gender-fluid pronoun, Merriam-Webster follows suit.
Farther vs. Further: There’s an Easy Way to Remember the Difference, and When to Use Which
'Further' and 'farther' are separated by one letter and they're often used interchangeably, but there's an easy way to tell the difference between them.
The Very Particular Grammar Rule You Probably Never Knew—But Use Every Day
Here’s the adjective order rule behind why ‘silver whittling knife’ sounds better than ‘whittling silver knife.’
4 Fake Grammar Rules You Don't Need to Worry About
People wave these rules around all the time. Set them straight—especially on National Grammar Day!
Can You Tell an Author’s Identity By Looking at Punctuation Alone? A Study Just Found Out.
For decades, linguists have been able to use the quirks of written texts to pinpoint the author. The process, called stylometric analysis or stylometry, has dozens of legal and academic applications.
6 Grammar Lessons Hidden in Christmas Songs
What exactly is going on with the word yon in "Silent Night," and the word troll in "Deck the Halls"? Drop these facts about the grammar in your favorite carols when you're out caroling this holiday season.
How and Why Did Silent Letters Emerge in English?
The short answer? Because English can’t leave well enough alone.
Daniel Radcliffe Played Fact-Checker at The New Yorker to Prepare for New Role
He said it was more nerve-wracking than going on stage.
6 Punctuation Marks Hated by Famous Authors
“Cut out all these exclamation points," F. Scott Fizgerald once said. "An exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke.”
11 Historical Figures Who Were Really Bad At Spelling
Would you recoil in terror if spell-check ever stopped working? Fear not: You're in good company.
What Would English Sound Like If Its Rules Were Consistent?
The answer: Really bizarre.
25 Facts About the Scripps National Spelling Bee
You may know how to spell “victory,” but here are 25 things you might not know about the country’s best-known gathering of logophiles.
Why You Shouldn't Trust the New Study That Supports Putting Two Spaces After a Period
The one space-versus-two space debate rages on.
How Much Does a Missing Comma Cost? For One Dairy in Maine, $5 Million
A lawsuit that hinged on the lack of a serial comma in a state law has been settled. For the anti-comma crowd, it wasn't cheap.
The Early 20th Century Society That Tried to Make English Spelling More Intuitive
These British reformers wanted to ditch "i before e" for something a little simpler. Who could blame them?
The Grammar Rules of 3 Commonly Disparaged Dialects
Every dialect has a grammar.
Even Parents Couldn’t Figure Out This English Homework Given to 5-Year-Olds
The teacher admitted it didn't belong in a workbook for kindergartners.
An Oxford Comma Helped Decide a Labor Dispute in Maine
It may seem unnecessary at times, but the Oxford comma is only here to help.
5 Unofficial Rules Native English Speakers Don't Realize They Know
It can be shocking to realize that we are able to follow rules that no one ever taught us explicitly.
The Odd Grammar Rule Most English Speakers Know But Are Rarely Taught
You know this rule, even if you don't know you know it.
Watch Weird Al Perform 'Word Crimes' Live
"You'd better slow down and use the right pronoun." -Weird Al
Improve Your Writing Using a Bot That Echoes the Advice of E.B. White and More
Proselint edits your writing based on the advice of some of the world's best writers and grammar authorities.
The British Government Is Cracking Down on Exclamation Marks
The British government thinks kids these days are overusing exclamation marks, and they’ve decided to take a stand!