LINGUISTICS

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.

Apple pie is known as a classic American dessert.

How Did Apple Pie Become an Iconic American Dessert?

The phrase "American as apple pie" leaves out the dish's complicated history as an English dessert made of fruit that originated in Asia.

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.

Why Do We Call It a ‘Piggyback’ Ride?

Pigs were involved in piggyback rides lexically much more than literally.

How Do You Pronounce 'Caramel'?

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

The Mysterious Origins of the Phrase ‘The Whole Nine Yards’

Linguists and lexicographers have truly gone the whole nine yards to uncover the origin of ‘the whole nine yards.’

The situation has clearly gone from bad to worse.

How to Use Worse vs. Worst Correctly in 6 Common Phrases

What's the 'worse' or 'worst' that could happen if you use the wrong form of this commonly used word? Here's what to know.

If you know, you know. And if you don't know, this list should help.

15 Gen Z Slang Terms You Should Lowkey Know

Zoomers have revolutionized the slang game on- and offline with colorful terms like ‘stan’ and ‘She ate.’ But some are older than you think.

What Does Goodbye Actually Mean?

You’re not really wishing someone a good ‘bye.’ ‘Bye’ is just an abbreviation—and ‘good’ is sort of a mistake.

These phrases likely came from some dark places.

8 Common Phrases with Surprisingly Dark Origins

From poisoning to warfare, these are the dark origin stories behind eight common phrases and idioms.

Social media has helped create a thriving slang landscape.

From GOAT to Ghost: Here Are America’s 30 Most Googled Slang Terms

Maybe you know ‘GOAT,’ ‘FOMO,’ and ‘stan.’ But thanks in part to TikTok, slang is a little more complex than that these days.

Why Is February Spelled So Strangely?

Remembering how to spell ‘February’ has troubled many a kindergartener (and plenty of adults, too). Blame Latin.

The historic—and historical—grand opening of New York City's Brooklyn Bridge in May 1883.

Historic vs. Historical: What’s the Difference and Which Should I Use?

Do they historically mean the same thing? Yes. Do they have separate definitions in modern usage? Also yes.

Dogs Have the Potential to Be Bilingual, a Recent Study Finds

Older dogs in particular can distinguish between languages. Also, there may be breed-specific linguistic differences.

Bychykhin_Olexandr/iStock via Getty Images

The Secret to Winning Wordle, the Internet's New Favorite Game

Luck is a big element of Wordle, but there are skills and strategies you can use to win the new word game sweeping the internet.