Arika Okrent

Joined: Nov 21, 2012

Linguist, author of In the Land of Invented Languages, living in Chicago, doing her part to fight off the cot-caught merger and keep "gym shoes" alive.

How Do You Stress the Word: THANKSgiving or ThanksGIVing?

Here’s How Super-Long German Words Are Made

There’s no doubt about it—rotting food is gross.

How Did ‘Gross’ Become a Term of Disgust?

Windsocks can tell you which way the bise blows.

21 Wonderful Words for Wind

11 Nouns That Only Have a Plural Form

Some nouns only have a plural form, regardless of how we think of them. They are known as ‘pluralia tantum,’ Latin for “plural only.”

7 Sentences That Sound Bizarre But Are Still Grammatical

These sentences are sure to make you scratch your head.

The way some words are spelled is downright bizarre.

11 Weirdly Spelled Words—And How They Got That Way

Ever wonder why there’s a ‘k’ in ‘knead,’ or a ‘d’ in ‘Wednesday’? While there isn’t always a good reason for why some English words are spelled the way they are, there are reasons.

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.

Now you know how to sing the alphabet in a few other languages!

Singing the ABCs in 7 Different Languages

English isn’t the only alphabet, and not every alphabet will fit into “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Here are some other songs from around the world to help them learn their ABCs.

These book dedications are anything but nice.

7 Book Dedications that Basically Say “Screw You”

Not all authors’ dedications are nice. Some—like these—are just plain mean.

What would our thoughts be without language?

Is It Possible To Think Without Language?

Language is so deeply embedded in almost every aspect of the way we interact with the world. What would our thoughts be like without it?

Don't worry—you're not the only one who finds the definitions of these words hard to remember.

10 Words With Difficult-to-Remember Meanings

Sometimes there are words that you've seen, read, and maybe even used in conversation whose meaning you can never keep straight.

A sign in Irish on Achill Island in Ireland.

8 Fun Facts About the Irish Language

You may hear an "Erin go bragh" or two, but even on the most Irish of holidays, we don't hear much of the Irish language—which is a shame.

If someone were to mention the word 'Fartulum' to you, a snail probably wouldn't be the first thing that came to mind.

11 Naughty-Sounding Scientific Names (and What They Really Mean)

Perfectly innocent Latin or Greekisms that just happen to sound like something else.

Silent letters are a clue to how words entered English.

15 Words Plagued by Unusual Silent Letters

Silent letters are the scourge of spellers and a stumbling block when learning how to write in English—but they're often hidden remnants of how the words passed through different languages on their way to English.