LINGUISTICS

Why Do We Capitalize ‘I’?

Some languages capitalize several of their pronouns. Some don’t capitalize any of them. English just capitalizes ‘I’—but why?

This background isn't a real cipher (as far as we know).

5 Beginner’s Codebreaking Tips From ‘Codebreaking: A Practical Guide’

‘Codebreaking: A Practical Guide’ can teach a beginner how to break into codebreaking (and an expert how to up their game).

Crash Blossoms: 17 Funny News Headlines That Make No Sense

From “Milk Drinkers Turn to Powder” to “Indian Ocean Talks,” these funny news headlines will make you say, “Wait, what?”

Why Is ‘February’ Spelled So Strangely?

Why is February spelled the way it is? Delve into the linguistic evolution of the month’s name and its journey from Latin to modern English.

Why Don’t We Want to ‘Open a Can of Worms’?

Opening a can of worms, metaphorically speaking, is trying to solve a problem and ending up in more trouble. And the idiom really does refer to actual worms.

T-Glottalization: The Reason Some People Drop Their ‘T’s When Speaking

Dropping that ‘t’ sound is an example of what linguists call glottalization, or replacing a sound with a pause in the vocal cords.

Use of the word ‘placebo’ in a medical context is more recent than you might think.

Why Is It Called the “Placebo Effect”?

What is a placebo? Technically, a Latin phrase meaning ‘I will please.’ It’s also a Catholic prayer and a clever insult.

How Did ‘Jones’ Come to Mean ‘Craving’?

Nowadays, we use jones to express an intense craving for something. But it used to refer specifically to drugs.

Speech Bubble: How Scientists Working in Antarctica Inadvertently Developed a New Accent

A 2019 study of scientists over-wintering in Antarctica revealed subtle but measurable changes in the participants’ speech.

What Is Vocal Fry?

Vocal fry describes a specific sound quality caused by the movement of the vocal folds—and it’s nothing new.

Is it possible to put a kiss into words?

How to Write the Sound of a Kiss

In English we have a few different ways to write the sound of a kiss: muah, smack, xxx. They get the idea across, but none of them imitate the actual sound of a kiss.

Use these handy tips to get pronouns right.

Why It Can be Hard to Get Pronouns Right, According to Linguistics

A pronoun slip can be embarrassing, especially if you pride yourself on being generally good at using the language people have asked you to use. Why do pronoun slips happen, and why do we seem to mess up pronouns more than names or other gendered words?

These linguistic illusions will hurt your brain.

5 Linguistic Illusions That Will Make You Go “Wait, What?”

Linguistic illusions—a phenomenon in which your judgment or understanding of a sentence or phrase conflicts with its actual meaning or structure—reveal how we process the world, and remind us that things aren’t always as they seem.

Have You Been Misled by ‘Misles’? The Linguistics Behind These Commonly Mispronounced Words

Learning how to pronounce ‘biopic’ is one thing. Understanding why it’s such a commonly mispronounced word is another.

17 Terms That Just Got Added to the Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary is here to help you learn the nuanced meaning of ‘deepfake.’

Pink Trombone is an simulator that simulates how speech is made.

Play With An Odd Voice Simulator That Mimics How Your Mouth Creates Sound

How many sounds can you figure out how to make?

This isn't as tough as the whole chicken-and-egg conundrum.

What Came First: The Color Orange or the Fruit?

The story behind which orange came first involves Arab trade routes and a bunch of old phrases that mean 'orange apple.'

Jive vs. Jibe vs. Gibe: What’s the Difference?

This information might not jibe with what you’ve heard before.

What Makes Swear Words So $#%+@&! Offensive? Scientists Have Found a Clue

Scientists found a key trait that makes words sound profane in multiple languages.

Accent vs. Dialect vs. Language: What’s the Difference?

Any debate about how to pronounce ‘pecan’ could easily turn into a discussion about dialect—but that’s not just another word for ‘accent.’

To expert Wordlers, a five-guesser feels like a failure.

The 10 Hardest Wordle Stumpers of 2022

Wordle solutions aren’t all created equal—and if PARER was your streak-ending downfall, you’re in good company.

Why Does Having ‘Egg on Your Face’ Mean You’re Embarrassed?

Having egg on your face used to have a literal meaning. Here’s how it became an idiom.

Why Are Cowards Called “Chickens”?

‘Chicken’ is such a common synonym for ‘coward’ that it probably doesn’t even seem weird. But it is.

How Do You Pronounce 'Caramel'?

Whether you say 'car-mel' or 'car-a-mel', your pronunciation of 'caramel' is technically correct.

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