Happy #DictionaryDay! Here are our top ten suggestions for how you can celebrate wherever you are.
10. Read about Noah Webster's many successful spelling reforms. And the ones that didn't catch on. (We almost had 'soop' and 'tung.') merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/…
9. Cut thumb notches in all your books.
8. Make today the day you finally figure out i.e. and e.g.
7. Listen to one of our podcasts. Find that the English language is a weirder thing than you ever thought. Get some laundry done. digital.nepr.net/podcasthub/wor…
6. Alphabetize your spice rack.
5. Honor Noah Webster's memory by finding a word with an extra U in it and kicking it.
4. Get a tattoo. Reflect upon how the pain is less than having to define every word starting with S.
3. Pick a random word. Write a haiku with it that beautifully describes life's divine interplay of beauty and strife.
Everyone loves to hate verbs made with '-ize,' probably because, morphologically, almost any noun or adj in English can be turned into a verb this way. 'Finalize' was among the most controversial entries in our 1961 Unabridged, but it probably doesn't bother many today. #AskMW
This is such a good question. There actually isn't a "standard" phonetic transcription system for English (which is surprising). Dictionary companies come up with their own, which are inevitably similar to each other, with small differences.
Here's the thing: this system is idiosyncratic for English and is NOT the International Phonetic Alphabet, which is usually referred to as (a slightly less hoppy) "IPA."
Look, we might be biased on this, but it's our position that giving a kid a dictionary can change the way they see both language and the world. merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/…
As it happens, in addition to running a mildly popular Twitter account, we also publish a wide and lavish array of print dictionaries.
So in the spirit of back-to-school, here’s a guide to a few that might make a difference to the student in your life.
Hi parents! To help your kids ages 8-12 beat the summer slump, we’ve put together an entire season’s worth of vocab activities and book recs that will keep them reading and learning all summer long.
Our Week 1 theme is The Great Outdoors, featuring nature-inspired games and activities, as well as a vocab guide to @KeklaMagoon’s ‘The Season of Styx Malone.’
Good news, campers: this week’s installment has been updated with a vocab guide to ‘Island of the Blue Dolphins’ by Scott O’Dell! merriam-webster.com/topics/puku-su…