Mental Floss
We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?
Ellen Gutoskey|
The salt in the ocean comes from two main sources: rocks on land and vents at the bottom of the sea.
Michele Debczak|
Accessibility matters—see which cities are setting the standard for inclusive travel.
CaLea Johnson|
In 1924, H.T. Opsahl sentenced disruptive kids to a high-voltage electric chair. Parents were not amused. Discover more about the origins of one of history's worst high school teachers here.
Jake Rossen|
New research suggests orcas may be using kelp to connect with each other and even exfoliate.
CaLea Johnson|
From patriotic pancakes to trifle towers, these are the festive, Fourth of July foods people are Googling.
CaLea Johnson|
How a 24-year-old Tennessee teacher, a Bible-thumping prosecutor, and a chimpanzee found themselves at the center of the nation’s most contentious trial a century ago.
Colin Scanlon|
Let’s dive into the evolutionary science behind the great white’s namesake feature.
CaLea Johnson|
As languages change, so do pronunciations.
Editorial Staff|
Dachshund is actually made up of two smaller German words (dachs, which means “badger,” and hund, which means “dog”) and it's not pronounced “dash-hound.”
Emily Petsko|
It starts out easy and gets progressively harder.
Emily Petsko|
Açaí, a popular superfood, can be easy for people to mispronounce. Here's a hint: It's definitely not "ack."
Jake Rossen|
Whether you say 'car-mel' or 'car-a-mel', your pronunciation of 'caramel' is technically correct.
Michele Debczak|
From ‘Cholmondeley’ to ‘Wriothesley,’ here's how to pronounce Britain's least intuitive last names.
Ellen Gutoskey|
Test your pronunciation of toughies like 'victuals' and 'skein.'
Ellen Gutoskey|
What it is, why it’s called that, and how to say it correctly.
Ellen Gutoskey|
Plus, a map of the state names that are hardest to spell.
Paul Anthony Jones|
English spelling can be frustrating and confusing, but there are things you can do to help make the task of getting it right more manageable.
Editorial Staff|
Would you recoil in terror if spell-check ever stopped working? Fear not: You're in good company.
Mark Mancini|
These British reformers wanted to ditch "i before e" for something a little simpler. Who could blame them?
Shaunacy Ferro|
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