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data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-video-play-lg/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-video-play-lg/video-schwa-1130@2x.jpg 2x" pair-id="1132" image-id="1130" srcset-img-1x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-video-play-lg/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg" srcset-img-2x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-video-play-lg/video-schwa-1130@2x.jpg" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="/></span> </div>  <div class="vp-cont hidden"> <div id="video-placeholder" class="video-placeholder hidden"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="info"> <div> <div class="play-text-content"> <div class="rubric-text"> Usage Notes </div> <div class="video-headers-content"> <h1 class="item-text-title">The Schwa</h1> <h2 class="item-text-subtitle">The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.</h2> </div> </div> </div> <hr class="video-body-divider"> <div class="video-body"> The schwa is one significant reason that English is difficult to spell. A single sound that can be spelled many different ways leads to occasional confusion for almost all of us. And even the very best spellers sometimes have to admit, I fought the schwa and the schwa won. </div> </div> </div> <div class="controls"> <div id="mw-ad-slot-right-1" class="d-none abl abl-auto-250-nr d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center mb-5"></div> <div class="d-flex align-items-center"> <div> <h4 class="upn-title m-0">Up next</h4> </div> <div class="ms-auto d-flex align-items-center"> <label for="video-autoplay-toggle" class="toggle-title">Autoplay</label> <div class="form-check form-switch mw-form-switch"> <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" id="video-autoplay-toggle" aria-checked="false"> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="video-list-wrapper"> <div class="rg-line"></div> <div class="video-list"> <div class="video-item border-box active" data-video-index="0"> <a class="image-anchor" href="/video/schwa"> <i class="vp-sb-icon">play</i> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden"><img data-sizes="auto" alt="video schwa" is_retina="true" data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-type="video" data-dim="vid-home-featured-carousel" data-ret-pref="video-schwa-1130" data-ret-x="1" data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-schwa-1130@2x.jpg 2x" pair-id="1132" image-id="1130" srcset-img-1x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg" srcset-img-2x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-schwa-1130@2x.jpg" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="/></span> </a> <div class="sb-text-content"> <h5 class="item-title"><a href="schwa">The Schwa</a></h5> <p class="item-description"> </p> <p class="item-teaser mb-0">The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.</p> </div> </div> <div class="video-item border-box" data-video-index="1"> <a class="image-anchor" href="/video/fun-funner-funnest"> <i class="vp-sb-icon">play</i> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden"><img data-sizes="auto" alt="fun funner funnest" is_retina="true" data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/fun-funner-funnest-1125@1x.jpg" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-type="video" data-dim="vid-home-featured-carousel" data-ret-pref="fun-funner-funnest-1125" data-ret-x="1" data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/fun-funner-funnest-1125@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/fun-funner-funnest-1125@2x.jpg 2x" pair-id="1127" image-id="1125" srcset-img-1x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/fun-funner-funnest-1125@1x.jpg" srcset-img-2x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/fun-funner-funnest-1125@2x.jpg" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="/></span> </a> <div class="sb-text-content"> <h5 class="item-title"><a href="fun-funner-funnest">Fun, Funner, Funnest</a></h5> <p class="item-description"> </p> <p class="item-teaser mb-0">Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'</p> </div> </div> <div class="video-item border-box" data-video-index="2"> <a class="image-anchor" href="/video/how-to-use-a-dictionary"> <i class="vp-sb-icon">play</i> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden"><img data-sizes="auto" alt="how to use a dictionary" is_retina="true" data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad@1x.jpg" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-type="video" data-dim="vid-home-featured-carousel" data-ret-pref="how to use a dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad" data-ret-x="1" data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad@2x.jpg 2x" pair-id="11460" image-id="11458" srcset-img-1x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad@1x.jpg" srcset-img-2x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad@2x.jpg" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="/></span> </a> <div class="sb-text-content"> <h5 class="item-title"><a href="how-to-use-a-dictionary">How to Use a Dictionary</a></h5> <p class="item-description"> </p> <p class="item-teaser mb-0">The best way to find information in the dictionary</p> </div> </div> <div class="video-item border-box" data-video-index="3"> <a class="image-anchor" href="/video/drive-safe-in-praise-of-flat-adverbs"> <i class="vp-sb-icon">play</i> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden"><img data-sizes="auto" alt="video drive safe ly" is_retina="true" data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@1x.jpg" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-type="video" data-dim="vid-home-featured-carousel" data-ret-pref="video-drive-safe-ly-1152" data-ret-x="1" data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@2x.jpg 2x" pair-id="1154" image-id="1152" srcset-img-1x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@1x.jpg" srcset-img-2x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@2x.jpg" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="/></span> </a> <div class="sb-text-content"> <h5 class="item-title"><a href="drive-safe-in-praise-of-flat-adverbs">Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs</a></h5> <p class="item-description"> </p> <p class="item-teaser mb-0">You don't have to end all your adverbs in -ly to talk right.</p> </div> </div> <div class="video-item border-box" data-video-index="4"> <a class="image-anchor" href="/video/ghost-word"> <i class="vp-sb-icon">play</i> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden"><img data-sizes="auto" alt="video ghost words" is_retina="true" data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-ghost-words-1154@1x.jpg" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-type="video" data-dim="vid-home-featured-carousel" data-ret-pref="video-ghost-words-1154" data-ret-x="1" data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-ghost-words-1154@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-ghost-words-1154@2x.jpg 2x" pair-id="1156" image-id="1154" srcset-img-1x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-ghost-words-1154@1x.jpg" srcset-img-2x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/video-ghost-words-1154@2x.jpg" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="/></span> </a> <div class="sb-text-content"> <h5 class="item-title"><a href="ghost-word">How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary</a></h5> <p class="item-description"> </p> <p class="item-teaser mb-0">An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary</p> </div> </div> <div class="video-item border-box" data-video-index="5"> <a class="image-anchor" href="/video/why-did-yankee-doodle-call-a-feather-macaroni"> <i class="vp-sb-icon">play</i> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden"><img data-sizes="auto" alt="cartoon-of-british-nobility" is_retina="true" data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed@1x.jpg" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-type="video" data-dim="vid-home-featured-carousel" data-ret-pref="cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed" data-ret-x="1" data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed@2x.jpg 2x" pair-id="7374" image-id="7372" srcset-img-1x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed@1x.jpg" srcset-img-2x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed@2x.jpg" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="/></span> </a> <div class="sb-text-content"> <h5 class="item-title"><a href="why-did-yankee-doodle-call-a-feather-macaroni">Why Did Yankee Doodle Call a Feather 'Macaroni'?</a></h5> <p class="item-description"> </p> <p class="item-teaser mb-0">What's with his feathered cap?</p> </div> </div> <div class="video-item border-box" data-video-index="6"> <a class="image-anchor" href="/video/body-parts-that-are-also-verbs-head-shoulder-muscle"> <i class="vp-sb-icon">play</i> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden"><img data-sizes="auto" alt="body parts video" is_retina="true" data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0@1x.jpg" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-type="video" data-dim="vid-home-featured-carousel" data-ret-pref="body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0" data-ret-x="1" data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0@2x.jpg 2x" pair-id="6175" image-id="6173" srcset-img-1x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0@1x.jpg" srcset-img-2x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-home-featured-carousel/body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0@2x.jpg" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="/></span> </a> <div class="sb-text-content"> <h5 class="item-title"><a href="body-parts-that-are-also-verbs-head-shoulder-muscle">When Body Parts Are Also Verbs</a></h5> <p class="item-description"> </p> <p class="item-teaser mb-0">Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </main> </div>  <div class="additional-content-area"> <div class="container-xxl games-footer-container pb-5"> <div class="content-section-promos content-section-with-header mb-5 mt-5"> <div class="content-section-header content-section-border-gold"> <div class="d-flex align-items-center"> <h2>Games & Quizzes</h2> <div class="ms-auto"> <a class="wap-see-all-link-btn fw-bold text-decoration-none d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center" href="/games"> <span class="me-3">See All</span> <span class="wap-see-all-link-icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section-body"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12 pe-4 ps-4"> <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/games/quordle/" class="footer-recirc-card d-block h-100 text-decoration-none"> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden"><img data-sizes="auto" alt="Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word." data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/images/games/external/quordle/485x364@1x.jpg" data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/images/games/external/quordle/485x364@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/images/games/external/quordle/485x364@2x.jpg 2x" data-dim="485x364" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="></span> <div class="footer-recirc-card-overlay"> <span class="footer-recirc-card-overlay-title">Quordle</span> <span class="d-block footer-recirc-card-overlay-teaser">Can you solve 4 words at once?</span> <div class="p-3 mt-auto"> <button type="button" class="btn take-quiz-btn">Play</button> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12 pe-4 ps-4"> <a href="/games/blossom-word-game" class="footer-recirc-card d-block h-100 text-decoration-none"> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden"><img data-sizes="auto" alt="Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points." data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/images/games/iframe/blossom-word-game/485x364@1x.jpg" data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/images/games/iframe/blossom-word-game/485x364@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/images/games/iframe/blossom-word-game/485x364@2x.jpg 2x" data-dim="485x364" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="></span> <div class="footer-recirc-card-overlay"> <span class="footer-recirc-card-overlay-title">Blossom Word Game</span> <span class="d-block footer-recirc-card-overlay-teaser">Pick the best words!</span> <div class="p-3 mt-auto"> <button type="button" class="btn take-quiz-btn">Play</button> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12 pe-4 ps-4"> <a href="/games/missing-letter" class="footer-recirc-card d-block h-100 text-decoration-none"> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden"><img data-sizes="auto" alt="Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?" data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/images/games/iframe/missing-letter/485x364@1x.jpg" data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/images/games/iframe/missing-letter/485x364@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/images/games/iframe/missing-letter/485x364@2x.jpg 2x" data-dim="485x364" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="></span> <div class="footer-recirc-card-overlay"> <span class="footer-recirc-card-overlay-title">Missing Letter</span> <span class="d-block footer-recirc-card-overlay-teaser">A daily crossword with a twist</span> <div class="p-3 mt-auto"> <button type="button" class="btn take-quiz-btn">Play</button> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12 pe-4 ps-4"> <a href="/games/spot-more-misspelled" class="footer-recirc-card d-block h-100 text-decoration-none"> <div> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2"><img data-sizes="auto" alt="child-detective" is_retina="true" data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/quiz/quiz-global-footer-recirc/child-detective-12162-d43386f0455436778dd51d4e8d07a429@1x.jpg" data-caption="child detective" data-credit="Getty" data-type="quiz" data-dim="quiz-global-footer-recirc" data-ret-pref="child-detective-12162-d43386f0455436778dd51d4e8d07a429" data-ret-x="1" data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/quiz/quiz-global-footer-recirc/child-detective-12162-d43386f0455436778dd51d4e8d07a429@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/quiz/quiz-global-footer-recirc/child-detective-12162-d43386f0455436778dd51d4e8d07a429@2x.jpg 2x" pair-id="12164" image-id="12162" srcset-img-1x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/quiz/quiz-global-footer-recirc/child-detective-12162-d43386f0455436778dd51d4e8d07a429@1x.jpg" srcset-img-2x="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/quiz/quiz-global-footer-recirc/child-detective-12162-d43386f0455436778dd51d4e8d07a429@2x.jpg" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="/></span> </div> <div class="footer-recirc-card-overlay"> <span class="footer-recirc-card-overlay-title">Quiz: Spot More Misspelled Words</span> <span class="d-block footer-recirc-card-overlay-teaser">Can you get all these questions write?</span> <div class="p-3 mt-auto"> <button type="button" class="btn take-quiz-btn">Take the quiz</button> </div> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div>  <script type="text/javascript"> var largeImagesData = {"3":{"id":1152,"alt":"video drive safe ly","caption":null,"credit":null,"is_retina":1,"source":"video-drive-safe-ly-1152.jpg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","dims":{"id":63,"image_ratio_id":6,"name":"vid-video-play-lg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","width":928,"height":522}},"0":{"id":1130,"alt":"video schwa","caption":null,"credit":null,"is_retina":1,"source":"video-schwa-1130.jpg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","dims":{"id":63,"image_ratio_id":6,"name":"vid-video-play-lg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","width":928,"height":522}},"2":{"id":11458,"alt":"how to use a dictionary","caption":"","credit":"","is_retina":1,"source":"how to use a dictionary-11458-6ae06fd0571f0eac5c3ac72598a3b3d3.jpg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","dims":{"id":63,"image_ratio_id":6,"name":"vid-video-play-lg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","width":928,"height":522}},"4":{"id":1154,"alt":"video ghost words","caption":null,"credit":null,"is_retina":1,"source":"video-ghost-words-1154.jpg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","dims":{"id":63,"image_ratio_id":6,"name":"vid-video-play-lg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","width":928,"height":522}},"6":{"id":6173,"alt":"body parts video","caption":null,"credit":null,"is_retina":1,"source":"body-parts-video-6173-3d6b4494af7ecedc3bffbb4acd5242da.jpg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","dims":{"id":63,"image_ratio_id":6,"name":"vid-video-play-lg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","width":928,"height":522}},"1":{"id":1125,"alt":"fun funner funnest","caption":null,"credit":null,"is_retina":1,"source":"fun-funner-funnest-1125.jpg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","dims":{"id":63,"image_ratio_id":6,"name":"vid-video-play-lg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","width":928,"height":522}},"5":{"id":7372,"alt":"cartoon-of-british-nobility","caption":"","credit":"","is_retina":1,"source":"cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-9815eaa0972d29d000e04a827659be8f.jpg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","dims":{"id":63,"image_ratio_id":6,"name":"vid-video-play-lg","type":"video","directory":"vid-video-play-lg","width":928,"height":522}}}; var allVideos = [{"id":9,"image_pair_id":1132,"rubric_id":3,"feature_id":2,"app_id":"mw","name":"The Schwa","page_title":"What is the Schwa Sound?","slug":"schwa","meta_tags":null,"meta_description":"The schwa is one significant reason that English is difficult to spell. A single sound that can be spelled many different ways leads to occasional confusion for almost all of us.","dek":"The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.","teaser":"The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.","youtube_video":null,"hosted_video":"\/mw\/video\/0054-schwa.mp4","sub_file":"9.vtt","vtt":"WEBVTT\r\n\r\n1\r\n00:00:00.567 --> 00:00:02.092\r\n- Welcome to Ask the Editor.\r\n\r\n2\r\n00:00:02.092 --> 00:00:05.686\r\nI am Peter Sokolowski, Editor at Large at Merriam-Webster.\r\n\r\n3\r\n00:00:05.686 --> 00:00:07.680\r\nChances are you've never heard of the schwa\r\n\r\n4\r\n00:00:07.680 --> 00:00:09.394\r\nbut you certainly heard it.\r\n\r\n5\r\n00:00:09.394 --> 00:00:12.438\r\nThe schwa is the most common vowel sound in English\r\n\r\n6\r\n00:00:12.438 --> 00:00:15.104\r\nand the phonetic symbol that stands for it.\r\n\r\n7\r\n00:00:15.104 --> 00:00:17.577\r\nThat funny upside down E that you see\r\n\r\n8\r\n00:00:17.577 --> 00:00:19.835\r\nin the pronunciation symbols in dictionaries.\r\n\r\n9\r\n00:00:19.835 --> 00:00:21.021\r\nThe sound can be spelled\r\n\r\n10\r\n00:00:21.021 --> 00:00:23.921\r\nwith an A, E, I,\r\n\r\n11\r\n00:00:23.954 --> 00:00:26.704\r\nO, U or Y\r\n\r\n12\r\n00:00:26.840 --> 00:00:30.485\r\nby many combinations of letters or by no letters at all.\r\n\r\n13\r\n00:00:30.485 --> 00:00:32.940\r\nThe schwa stands for the sound \"uh\",\r\n\r\n14\r\n00:00:32.940 --> 00:00:36.868\r\nas in the first and last syllables of America and banana.\r\n\r\n15\r\n00:00:36.868 --> 00:00:40.527\r\nIt's the E in racket, the I in pencil,\r\n\r\n16\r\n00:00:40.527 --> 00:00:43.785\r\nthe O in bacon, the U in lawful\r\n\r\n17\r\n00:00:44.056 --> 00:00:46.939\r\nand the second Y in polypropylene.\r\n\r\n18\r\n00:00:46.939 --> 00:00:50.741\r\nIt's the combination AI in mountain and fountain.\r\n\r\n19\r\n00:00:50.741 --> 00:00:53.855\r\nIt's the vowel sound of the second syllable of rhythm,\r\n\r\n20\r\n00:00:53.855 --> 00:00:55.590\r\nspelled with no vowels at all.\r\n\r\n21\r\n00:00:55.590 --> 00:00:58.683\r\nSome people even sneak the sound into the middle of words,\r\n\r\n22\r\n00:00:58.683 --> 00:01:00.203\r\nlike athlete.\r\n\r\n23\r\n00:01:00.203 --> 00:01:01.981\r\nAnd although it's most common\r\n\r\n24\r\n00:01:01.981 --> 00:01:04.435\r\nin unstressed syllables such as these,\r\n\r\n25\r\n00:01:04.435 --> 00:01:07.915\r\nit can also be stressed as in both syllables of humdrum\r\n\r\n26\r\n00:01:07.915 --> 00:01:10.259\r\nand the second syllable of abut,\r\n\r\n27\r\n00:01:10.259 --> 00:01:14.426\r\nas well as single syllable words like fun, duck and love.\r\n\r\n28\r\n00:01:14.736 --> 00:01:18.408\r\nThe word schwa came to English through German from Hebrew.\r\n\r\n29\r\n00:01:18.408 --> 00:01:21.257\r\nThe modern symbol was introduced into English phonetics\r\n\r\n30\r\n00:01:21.257 --> 00:01:24.567\r\nin the 19th century by Alexander John Ellis,\r\n\r\n31\r\n00:01:24.567 --> 00:01:26.036\r\nthe British linguist who was the model\r\n\r\n32\r\n00:01:26.036 --> 00:01:28.462\r\nfor Henry Higgins in my fair lady.\r\n\r\n33\r\n00:01:28.462 --> 00:01:30.870\r\nThe use of turned or upside down letters\r\n\r\n34\r\n00:01:30.870 --> 00:01:33.834\r\nas phonetic characters started for practical reasons.\r\n\r\n35\r\n00:01:33.834 --> 00:01:35.706\r\nPrinters already had the symbol,\r\n\r\n36\r\n00:01:35.706 --> 00:01:38.978\r\nall they had to do was turn the metal letter upside down.\r\n\r\n37\r\n00:01:38.978 --> 00:01:42.539\r\nIt was first used by Merriam-Webster in 1959.\r\n\r\n38\r\n00:01:42.539 --> 00:01:44.279\r\nThe schwa is one significant reason\r\n\r\n39\r\n00:01:44.279 --> 00:01:46.653\r\nthat English is difficult to spell.\r\n\r\n40\r\n00:01:46.653 --> 00:01:49.544\r\nA single sound that can be spelled many different ways\r\n\r\n41\r\n00:01:49.544 --> 00:01:53.105\r\nleads to occasional confusion for almost all of us.\r\n\r\n42\r\n00:01:53.105 --> 00:01:56.580\r\nAnd even the very best spellers sometimes have to admit,\r\n\r\n43\r\n00:01:56.580 --> 00:01:59.382\r\nI fought the schwa and the schwa won.\r\n\r\n44\r\n00:01:59.382 --> 00:02:02.521\r\nLook for more videos at merriam-webster.com.\r\n\r\n","body":"The schwa is one significant reason that English is difficult to spell. A single sound that can be spelled many different ways leads to occasional confusion for almost all of us. And even the very best spellers sometimes have to admit, I fought the schwa and the schwa won.","fb_legacy_url":"\/video\/0054-schwa.htm","is_editor_choice":0,"is_archived":0,"is_published":1,"published_at":"2014-05-29 03:20:00","last_published_at":"2014-05-29 03:20:00","created_at":"2014-05-29 15:20:09","updated_at":"2022-04-14 13:54:17","tldr":null,"jw_id":"dW4l4BCQ","promo_date":"2025-02-17","promo_type":"Filler","promo_index":9,"promo_bucket":"random","promo_category_type":"None","promo_category_index":0,"wap_category_path":"grammar","vc":"167,999","aName":"Peter Sokolowski","aUrl":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeterSokolowski\/","aPublic":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeterSokolowski\/","vid-home-featured-carousel":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"video schwa\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-home-featured-carousel\" data-ret-pref=\"video-schwa-1130\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-schwa-1130@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"1132\" image-id=\"1130\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-schwa-1130@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","vid-video-play-lg":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-16-9\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"video schwa\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-video-play-lg\" data-ret-pref=\"video-schwa-1130\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-schwa-1130@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"1132\" image-id=\"1130\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-schwa-1130@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","meta":{"canonical":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/schwa","title":"What is the Schwa Sound? (Video) | Merriam-Webster","description":"The schwa is one significant reason that English is difficult to spell. A single sound that can be spelled many different ways leads to occasional confusion for almost all of us.","keywords":"schwa, vowel, Peter Sokolowski, video, merriam-webster, ask the editor","og":{"og:title":"What is the Schwa Sound? (Video)","og:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg","og:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/schwa","og:description":"The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.","og:type":"article"},"twitter":{"twitter:title":"What is the Schwa Sound? (Video)","twitter:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/video-schwa-1130@1x.jpg","twitter:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/schwa","twitter:description":"The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.","twitter:share-text":"The Schwa","twitter:card":"summary_large_image","twitter:site":"@MerriamWebster"}},"rubric":"Usage Notes"},{"id":4,"image_pair_id":1127,"rubric_id":3,"feature_id":3,"app_id":"mw","name":"Fun, Funner, Funnest","page_title":"Fun, Funner, Funnest","slug":"fun-funner-funnest","meta_tags":null,"meta_description":"Though many insist 'funner' is not a word, it makes a great deal of sense.","dek":"Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'","teaser":"Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'","youtube_video":null,"hosted_video":"\/mw\/video\/0059-funner.mp4","sub_file":"4.vtt","vtt":"WEBVTT\r\n\r\n00:00:00.546 --> 00:00:01.726 A:middle\r\n<v -> Welcome to Ask the Editor. <\/v>\r\n\r\n00:00:01.826 --> 00:00:04.666 A:middle\r\nI'm Emily Brewster, an associate\r\neditor at Merriam-Webster.\r\n\r\n00:00:05.016 --> 00:00:07.296 A:middle\r\nI've never been to a funner party.\r\n\r\n00:00:07.546 --> 00:00:09.786 A:middle\r\nIt was the funnest party I can remember.\r\n\r\n00:00:10.286 --> 00:00:14.636 A:middle\r\nAs a one-syllable adjective, fun should\r\nby all rights have the comparative\r\n\r\n00:00:14.636 --> 00:00:19.326 A:middle\r\nand superlative forms funner and funnest,\r\njust like new has newer and newest.\r\n\r\n00:00:19.756 --> 00:00:24.586 A:middle\r\nBut, spellcheckers and lots of people think\r\nfunner and funnest are just plain wrong.\r\n\r\n00:00:25.436 --> 00:00:29.286 A:middle\r\nThe not-quite-kosher status of\r\nfunner and funnest has its origin\r\n\r\n00:00:29.286 --> 00:00:31.846 A:middle\r\nin the adjectival status itself of fun.\r\n\r\n00:00:32.436 --> 00:00:37.826 A:middle\r\nJust as funnest party sounds strange to many of\r\nus, there are a number of people who also object\r\n\r\n00:00:37.826 --> 00:00:40.306 A:middle\r\nto sentences like, \"The party was really fun.\"\r\n\r\n00:00:40.956 --> 00:00:44.026 A:middle\r\nThey'd prefer we all use fun only as a noun.\r\n\r\n00:00:44.176 --> 00:00:45.456 A:middle\r\nWe had great fun.\r\n\r\n00:00:45.836 --> 00:00:47.206 A:middle\r\nThe party was such fun.\r\n\r\n00:00:47.976 --> 00:00:51.956 A:middle\r\nAdjectival use dates back at\r\nleast as far as the 1840s,\r\n\r\n00:00:51.956 --> 00:00:54.336 A:middle\r\nbut until the mid-20th century,\r\nit was pretty rare.\r\n\r\n00:00:54.846 --> 00:00:58.556 A:middle\r\nPerhaps there was something about\r\npostwar America that just felt, oh,\r\n\r\n00:00:58.556 --> 00:01:01.226 A:middle\r\nmore fun to people than a noun could express.\r\n\r\n00:01:01.956 --> 00:01:06.606 A:middle\r\nFun as a noun does continue to be more common,\r\nand there are still some who think uses\r\n\r\n00:01:06.606 --> 00:01:12.106 A:middle\r\nlike so fun, very fun, and fun times should\r\nbe avoided in any kind of serious discourse,\r\n\r\n00:01:12.596 --> 00:01:16.186 A:middle\r\nbut their numbers are dwindling, and\r\nthe adjective fun is fully accepted\r\n\r\n00:01:16.186 --> 00:01:18.416 A:middle\r\nby a number of dictionaries, including ours.\r\n\r\n00:01:19.166 --> 00:01:22.626 A:middle\r\nDoes this mean funner and funnest are\r\ndestined for full acceptance, too?\r\n\r\n00:01:23.066 --> 00:01:24.366 A:middle\r\nCertainly possible.\r\n\r\n00:01:24.366 --> 00:01:25.246 A:middle\r\nLikely, even.\r\n\r\n00:01:25.506 --> 00:01:30.136 A:middle\r\nMore fun and most fun are still the usual\r\ncomparative and superlative forms of fun,\r\n\r\n00:01:30.496 --> 00:01:34.576 A:middle\r\nbut funner and funnest are included in\r\nour dictionaries, with a sometimes label,\r\n\r\n00:01:34.836 --> 00:01:39.026 A:middle\r\nbecause we have plenty of evidence\r\nof them in published, edited text.\r\n\r\n00:01:39.056 --> 00:01:41.796 A:middle\r\nThey're most natural when paired\r\nwith other similar adjectives;\r\n\r\n00:01:41.796 --> 00:01:44.986 A:middle\r\na bigger and funner event, the\r\nfunnest and funniest person.\r\n\r\n00:01:45.776 --> 00:01:48.366 A:middle\r\nI say, don't hesitate to use\r\nthem if you're inclined to.\r\n\r\n00:01:48.516 --> 00:01:49.756 A:middle\r\nIt'll be funner if you do.\r\n\r\n00:01:50.176 --> 00:01:54.446 A:middle\r\nFor more from our Ask the Editor\r\nseries, visit merriam-webster.com.\r\n\r\n","body":"<br\/><\/p>\n\n<h2>TRANSCRIPT<\/h2>\n\n<p><br\/>\nWelcome to Ask the Editor. I'm Emily Brewster, an associate editor at Merriam-Webster.\n<br\/>\u00a0<br\/>\n- I've never been to a funner party.<br\/>\n- It was the funnest party I can remember.\n<br\/>\u00a0<br\/>\nAs a one-syllable adjective, fun should by all rights have the comparative and superlative forms funner and funnest, just like new has newer and newest. But, spellcheckers and lots of people think funner and funnest are just plain wrong.\n<br\/>\u00a0<br\/>\nThe not-quite-kosher status of funner and funnest has its origin in the adjectival status itself of fun. Just as funnest party sounds strange to many of us, there are a number of people who also object to sentences like, \"The party was really fun.\"\n<br\/>\u00a0<br\/>\nThey'd prefer we all use fun only as a noun.<br\/>\n- We had great fun.<br\/>\n- The party was such fun.\n<br\/>\u00a0<br\/>\nAdjectival use dates back at least as far as the 1840s, but until the mid-20th century, it was pretty rare. Perhaps there was something about postwar America that just felt, oh, more fun to people than a noun could express.\n<br\/>\u00a0<br\/>\nFun as a noun does continue to be more common, and there are still some who think uses like so fun, very fun, and fun times should be avoided in any kind of serious discourse, but their numbers are dwindling, and the adjective fun is fully accepted by a number of dictionaries, including ours.\n<br\/>\u00a0<br\/>\nDoes this mean funner and funnest are destined for full acceptance, too? Certainly possible. Likely, even.\n<br\/>\u00a0<br\/>\nMore fun and most fun are still the usual comparative and superlative forms of fun, but funner and funnest are included in our dictionaries, with a sometimes label, because we have plenty of evidence of them in published, edited text.\n<br\/>\u00a0<br\/>\nThey're most natural when paired with other similar adjectives; a bigger and funner event, the funnest and funniest person.\n<br\/>\u00a0<br\/>\nI say, don't hesitate to use them if you're inclined to. It'll be funner if you do.\n<br\/>\u00a0<br\/>\nFor more from our Ask the Editor series, visit merriam-webster.com.","fb_legacy_url":"\/video\/0059-funner.htm","is_editor_choice":0,"is_archived":0,"is_published":1,"published_at":"2015-01-14 06:24:00","last_published_at":"2015-01-14 06:24:00","created_at":"2015-01-14 18:24:22","updated_at":"2024-12-16 16:47:59","tldr":null,"jw_id":"kSQI4Xus","promo_date":null,"promo_type":"None","promo_index":1,"promo_bucket":"none","promo_category_type":"None","promo_category_index":0,"wap_category_path":"grammar","vc":"264,949","aName":"Emily Brewster","aUrl":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/eabrewster","aPublic":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/eabrewster","vid-home-featured-carousel":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"fun funner funnest\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-home-featured-carousel\" data-ret-pref=\"fun-funner-funnest-1125\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"1127\" image-id=\"1125\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","vid-video-play-lg":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-16-9\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"fun funner funnest\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-video-play-lg\" data-ret-pref=\"fun-funner-funnest-1125\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"1127\" image-id=\"1125\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","meta":{"canonical":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/fun-funner-funnest","title":"Fun, Funner, Funnest (Video) | Merriam-Webster","description":"Though many insist 'funner' is not a word, it makes a great deal of sense.","keywords":"Grammar, Usage, fun, fun-filled, funny, Emily Brewster, video, merriam-webster, ask the editor","og":{"og:title":"Fun, Funner, Funnest (Video)","og:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@1x.jpg","og:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/fun-funner-funnest","og:description":"Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'","og:type":"article"},"twitter":{"twitter:title":"Fun, Funner, Funnest (Video)","twitter:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/fun-funner-funnest-1125@1x.jpg","twitter:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/fun-funner-funnest","twitter:description":"Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'","twitter:share-text":"Fun, Funner, Funnest","twitter:card":"summary_large_image","twitter:site":"@MerriamWebster"}},"rubric":"Usage Notes"},{"id":448,"image_pair_id":11460,"rubric_id":null,"feature_id":null,"app_id":"mw","name":"How to Use a Dictionary","page_title":"How to Use a Dictionary","slug":"how-to-use-a-dictionary","meta_tags":null,"meta_description":"Simple instructions for students about how to find information in the dictionary. Dictionaries tell us lots of things about lots of words, such as what they mean, but there's much more. Dictionaries are overflowing with interesting information!","dek":"Dictionaries are overflowing with interesting information! Here's how to get the most out of your dictionary.","teaser":"The best way to find information in the dictionary","youtube_video":null,"hosted_video":"\/mw\/video\/MW+-+How+to+Use+a+Dictionary-final.mp4","sub_file":"448.vtt","vtt":"WEBVTT\n\n00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.390 align:middle line:84%\nDictionaries tell us lots of things about\nlots of words, such as what they mean,\n\n00:00:06.390 --> 00:00:07.520 align:middle line:90%\nand how to spell them.\n\n00:00:07.520 --> 00:00:12.340 align:middle line:84%\nBut there's much more--each\nword has a story to tell!\n\n00:00:12.340 --> 00:00:15.500 align:middle line:84%\nA dictionary is filled\nwith entries and each entry\n\n00:00:15.500 --> 00:00:18.430 align:middle line:90%\ncontains information about a particular word.\n\n00:00:18.430 --> 00:00:22.660 align:middle line:84%\nThese entries are arranged\nin alphabetical order.\n\n00:00:22.660 --> 00:00:25.910 align:middle line:84%\nSo let's say you're looking\nfor the word 'ripple'.\n\n00:00:25.910 --> 00:00:29.980 align:middle line:84%\nFirst, you'll find the section with\nall the words that begin with R,\n\n00:00:29.980 --> 00:00:35.290 align:middle line:84%\nthen you'll use the guide words at the top\nof each page to find the page with the entry\n\n00:00:35.290 --> 00:00:36.810 align:middle line:90%\nfor 'ripple'.\n\n00:00:36.810 --> 00:00:41.350 align:middle line:84%\nThis page has 'rink' and\n'rivalry' as its guide words.\n\n00:00:41.350 --> 00:00:48.300 align:middle line:84%\nSince the r-i-p of 'ripple' comes after\nthe r-i-n of 'rink' and before the r-i-v\n\n00:00:48.300 --> 00:00:53.430 align:middle line:84%\nof 'rivalry', we know that this\nis the page 'ripple' is on.\n\n00:00:53.430 --> 00:00:58.350 align:middle line:84%\nYou'll find a lot of information about\n'ripple', including how it's spelled.\n\n00:00:58.350 --> 00:01:00.990 align:middle line:90%\nSome words can be spelled more than one way.\n\n00:01:00.990 --> 00:01:08.200 align:middle line:84%\nAt the entry for racket, for example,\nyou'll see r-a-c-k-e-t as the main headword,\n\n00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:11.564 align:middle line:90%\nas well as the variant spelling: r-a-c-q-u-e-t.\n\n00:01:11.564 --> 00:01:16.120 align:middle line:90%\n\n\n00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:21.620 align:middle line:84%\nThis dot between the p's in 'ripple' shows you\nwhere you can divide the word with a hyphen\n\n00:01:21.620 --> 00:01:25.610 align:middle line:84%\nif it doesn't all fit on one\nline when you're writing it down.\n\n00:01:25.610 --> 00:01:30.370 align:middle line:84%\nDictionaries also tell us how to\nsay a word with its pronunciation.\n\n00:01:30.370 --> 00:01:33.980 align:middle line:84%\nThere are some familiar letters\nhere, as well as some special symbols\n\n00:01:33.980 --> 00:01:37.500 align:middle line:84%\nthat represent specific\nsounds; you can find out what\n\n00:01:37.500 --> 00:01:43.740 align:middle line:84%\nthese symbols mean by looking at\nthe key on the bottom of each page.\n\n00:01:43.740 --> 00:01:50.540 align:middle line:84%\nHyphens separate the word's syllables;\nas you can see, ripple has two syllables.\n\n00:01:50.540 --> 00:01:54.020 align:middle line:84%\nThe marks at the top or bottom of\nsome parts of the pronunciation\n\n00:01:54.020 --> 00:02:00.000 align:middle line:84%\ntell you that those syllables are stressed,\nor given more emphasis, when spoken.\n\n00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:06.690 align:middle line:84%\nThe first syllable of 'ripple' is\nstressed, so we say 'RIPple', not 'riPLE'.\n\n00:02:06.690 --> 00:02:11.730 align:middle line:84%\nEvery word has a job, or function, in a\nsentence, which we call a 'part of speech'.\n\n00:02:11.730 --> 00:02:23.690 align:middle line:84%\nA word can be a noun, verb, adjective, adverb,\npronoun, preposition, conjunction, article,\n\n00:02:23.690 --> 00:02:26.160 align:middle line:90%\nor interjection.\n\n00:02:26.160 --> 00:02:31.500 align:middle line:84%\nIn some dictionaries, the part of speech\nfor each entry is listed as an abbreviation,\n\n00:02:31.500 --> 00:02:39.890 align:middle line:84%\nlike n for noun, vb for\nverb, and adj for adjective.\n\n00:02:39.890 --> 00:02:43.930 align:middle line:84%\nNow, have you ever seen two words\nthat are spelled the same way,\n\n00:02:43.930 --> 00:02:45.680 align:middle line:90%\nbut have different meanings?\n\n00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:49.060 align:middle line:90%\nThese are called homographs.\n\n00:02:49.060 --> 00:02:52.860 align:middle line:84%\nIn this dictionary, each\nhomograph has a separate entry;\n\n00:02:52.860 --> 00:02:58.760 align:middle line:84%\ntheir headwords look the same except\nfor a small number just before it.\n\n00:02:58.760 --> 00:03:01.030 align:middle line:90%\nRipple has two homographs.\n\n00:03:01.030 --> 00:03:05.010 align:middle line:84%\nOne is a noun (as in \"there's\na ripple on the water\"),\n\n00:03:05.010 --> 00:03:10.110 align:middle line:84%\nand one is a verb (as in, \"The\nwind made the water ripple\").\n\n00:03:10.110 --> 00:03:16.600 align:middle line:84%\nBecause they're both pronounced the same,\nonly the first homograph gets a pronunciation.\n\n00:03:16.600 --> 00:03:19.160 align:middle line:90%\nMany words have more than one form.\n\n00:03:19.160 --> 00:03:26.120 align:middle line:84%\nFor example, most nouns have a\nplural form: one ripple, two ripples.\n\n00:03:26.120 --> 00:03:33.360 align:middle line:84%\nVerbs can also have different forms: \"the water\nripples,\" \"water is rippling,\" \"water rippled.\"\n\n00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:37.022 align:middle line:90%\n\n\n00:03:37.022 --> 00:03:39.480 align:middle line:84%\nADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS CAN TOO:\nyour dictionary will always\n\n00:03:39.480 --> 00:03:43.680 align:middle line:84%\nshow you the verb forms and\nadjective and adverb forms,\n\n00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:50.700 align:middle line:84%\nbut it only shows forms for nouns when they\ndon't follow the regular \"add -s or -es\" noun\n\n00:03:50.700 --> 00:03:52.360 align:middle line:90%\npattern.\n\n00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:57.630 align:middle line:84%\nSo, there's no plural form at the entry\nfor the noun 'ripple', but at the entry\n\n00:03:57.630 --> 00:04:03.020 align:middle line:90%\nfor 'mouse' you'll see the plural form 'mice'.\n\n00:04:03.020 --> 00:04:05.190 align:middle line:90%\nNow let's look at the definition!\n\n00:04:05.190 --> 00:04:09.550 align:middle line:84%\nIt follows a bold colon and\ntells you what the word means.\n\n00:04:09.550 --> 00:04:14.370 align:middle line:90%\nThe verb 'ripple' has two meanings!\n\n00:04:14.370 --> 00:04:18.690 align:middle line:84%\nDown at the bottom of this page,\nthe definition for the word rivalry\n\n00:04:18.690 --> 00:04:22.960 align:middle line:84%\nis followed by the word\ncompetition in capital letters.\n\n00:04:22.960 --> 00:04:27.730 align:middle line:84%\nThe capital letters tell you that\ncompetition and rivalry are synonyms--\n\n00:04:27.730 --> 00:04:31.750 align:middle line:90%\nthe two words mean the same thing!\n\n00:04:31.750 --> 00:04:35.890 align:middle line:84%\nDefinitions are often followed\nby examples of the word in use\n\n00:04:35.890 --> 00:04:40.540 align:middle line:84%\nto help you understand the\nmeanings and how they're used.\n\n00:04:40.540 --> 00:04:44.080 align:middle line:84%\nSome dictionary entries\nhave other features, too.\n\n00:04:44.080 --> 00:04:48.270 align:middle line:84%\nA note or label might tell you\nthat a word is usually capitalized\n\n00:04:48.270 --> 00:04:50.900 align:middle line:90%\nwhen used with a particular meaning,\n\n00:04:50.900 --> 00:04:55.040 align:middle line:84%\nor that a meaning of a word is\nmore common in British English,\n\n00:04:55.040 --> 00:04:59.960 align:middle line:84%\nor that a word is always\nused in its plural form.\n\n00:04:59.960 --> 00:05:02.770 align:middle line:84%\nAt the end of some entries,\nyou'll see other words\n\n00:05:02.770 --> 00:05:06.360 align:middle line:90%\nin dark, heavy type that don't have definitions.\n\n00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:11.660 align:middle line:84%\nThese are words that are formed by\nadding a suffix to the main entry.\n\n00:05:11.660 --> 00:05:17.010 align:middle line:84%\nAt the end of the entry for 'proud', for\nexample, you'll find the word 'proudly'.\n\n00:05:17.010 --> 00:05:26.520 align:middle line:84%\nThe suffix -ly is defined as \"in a specified\nmanner,\" so proudly means \"in a proud manner.\"\n\n00:05:26.520 --> 00:05:31.550 align:middle line:84%\nSometimes you'll find a phrase in dark,\nheavy type at the end of an entry.\n\n00:05:31.550 --> 00:05:37.890 align:middle line:84%\nHere at 'make' are 'make believe',\n'make fun of', and 'make good'.\n\n00:05:37.890 --> 00:05:40.600 align:middle line:90%\nThese are called run-on phrases.\n\n00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:44.860 align:middle line:84%\nThe entry's headword is the first\nmajor word in this kind of phrase,\n\n00:05:44.860 --> 00:05:48.690 align:middle line:90%\nbut not necessarily the first word.\n\n00:05:48.690 --> 00:05:52.640 align:middle line:84%\nSome entries have a paragraph\nabout the synonyms of the word.\n\n00:05:52.640 --> 00:05:57.880 align:middle line:84%\n'Price', for example, has a synonym paragraph\nthat helps explain the differences between\n\n00:05:57.880 --> 00:06:04.300 align:middle line:84%\nthe words 'price', 'charge', and\n'cost', which all share a meaning.\n\n00:06:04.300 --> 00:06:09.600 align:middle line:84%\nThe word synonym in dark italic type at the\nentries for 'charge' and 'cost' direct you\n\n00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:13.510 align:middle line:90%\nto the paragraph at 'price'.\n\n00:06:13.510 --> 00:06:17.900 align:middle line:84%\nMany words in English come from\nolder words in Latin or Greek.\n\n00:06:17.900 --> 00:06:22.350 align:middle line:90%\nThose words are called 'word roots.'\n\n00:06:22.350 --> 00:06:27.390 align:middle line:84%\nHere at the entry for primary, there's a\nparagraph about how the Latin word primus,\n\n00:06:27.390 --> 00:06:32.000 align:middle line:84%\nmeaning \"first,\" gave us the\nroot prim, which led to the words\n\n00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:36.450 align:middle line:90%\n'primary', 'primeval', and 'primitive'.\n\n00:06:36.450 --> 00:06:42.220 align:middle line:84%\nAt the entries for 'primeval' and 'primitive',\nyou'll find the word 'ROOT' in red pointing you\n\n00:06:42.220 --> 00:06:46.420 align:middle line:90%\nto the word root paragraph at 'primary'.\n\n00:06:46.420 --> 00:06:50.380 align:middle line:84%\nSome entries include paragraphs\nthat explain where a word comes from\n\n00:06:50.380 --> 00:06:52.940 align:middle line:90%\nor how its meanings developed.\n\n00:06:52.940 --> 00:06:58.600 align:middle line:84%\nThe word 'pretzel', for example, first\nappeared in the U.S. in the 1830's.\n\n00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:01.610 align:middle line:90%\nIt comes from the German word 'Brezel'.\n\n00:07:01.610 --> 00:07:07.700 align:middle line:84%\nThis word, and those tasty bread snacks,\ngo all the way back to medieval Germany.\n\n00:07:07.700 --> 00:07:13.650 align:middle line:84%\nThe older German word, 'brezitela',\ncomes from an even older word in Latin,\n\n00:07:13.650 --> 00:07:18.230 align:middle line:84%\n'brachiatus', which means\n\"having branches like arms.\"\n\n00:07:18.230 --> 00:07:21.120 align:middle line:90%\nWhat do pretzels have to do with arms?\n\n00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:26.910 align:middle line:84%\nWell, you could say a pretzel looks\nlike a couple of crossed arms!\n\n00:07:26.910 --> 00:07:30.790 align:middle line:84%\nDictionaries are overflowing\nwith interesting information!\n\n00:07:30.790 --> 00:07:34.050 align:middle line:84%\nSome dictionaries may look\ndifferent, but every dictionary\n\n00:07:34.050 --> 00:07:38.890 align:middle line:84%\nstarts with a section that explains\nhow its information is presented.\n\n00:07:38.890 --> 00:07:45.910 align:middle line:84%\nSo, if something doesn't make sense, you can\nalways check the front of the dictionary!\n\n00:07:45.910 --> 00:07:50.300 align:middle line:84%\nAs you can see, dictionaries are more\nthan a collection of definitions;\n\n00:07:50.300 --> 00:07:56.420 align:middle line:84%\nthey tell us the stories of words, and\nhelp us discover new words along the way!\n\n00:07:56.420 --> 00:08:02.340 align:middle line:84%\nNow that you know a dictionary's secrets, it's\ntime to pick one up and see what you find.\n\n00:08:02.340 --> 00:08:04.000 align:middle line:90%","body":"","fb_legacy_url":null,"is_editor_choice":0,"is_archived":0,"is_published":1,"published_at":"2024-04-30 11:25:03","last_published_at":"2024-04-30 11:25:03","created_at":"2024-04-26 09:25:40","updated_at":"2024-04-30 11:25:03","tldr":null,"jw_id":"CIO6WLzC","promo_date":null,"promo_type":"None","promo_index":1,"promo_bucket":"none","promo_category_type":"None","promo_category_index":0,"wap_category_path":null,"vc":"552","aName":null,"aUrl":null,"aPublic":false,"vid-video-play-lg":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-16-9\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"how to use a dictionary\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-6ae06fd0571f0eac5c3ac72598a3b3d3@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-video-play-lg\" data-ret-pref=\"how to use a dictionary-11458-6ae06fd0571f0eac5c3ac72598a3b3d3\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-6ae06fd0571f0eac5c3ac72598a3b3d3@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-6ae06fd0571f0eac5c3ac72598a3b3d3@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"11460\" image-id=\"11458\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-6ae06fd0571f0eac5c3ac72598a3b3d3@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-6ae06fd0571f0eac5c3ac72598a3b3d3@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","vid-home-featured-carousel":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"how to use a dictionary\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-home-featured-carousel\" data-ret-pref=\"how to use a dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"11460\" image-id=\"11458\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/how%20to%20use%20a%20dictionary-11458-7259218a1a2019af1a1407b8cd2bedad@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","meta":{"canonical":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/how-to-use-a-dictionary","title":"How to Use a Dictionary (Video) | Merriam-Webster","description":"Simple instructions for students about how to find information in the dictionary. Dictionaries tell us lots of things about lots of words, such as what they mean, but there's much more. Dictionaries are overflowing with interesting information!","keywords":", video, merriam-webster, ask the editor","og":{"og:title":"How to Use a Dictionary (Video)","og:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/how to use a dictionary-11458-b0fb5f9f7622a76bc27e0d0e52e108e7@1x.jpg","og:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/how-to-use-a-dictionary","og:description":"The best way to find information in the dictionary","og:type":"article"},"twitter":{"twitter:title":"How to Use a Dictionary (Video)","twitter:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/how to use a dictionary-11458-b0fb5f9f7622a76bc27e0d0e52e108e7@1x.jpg","twitter:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/how-to-use-a-dictionary","twitter:description":"The best way to find information in the dictionary","twitter:share-text":"How to Use a Dictionary","twitter:card":"summary_large_image","twitter:site":"@MerriamWebster"}},"rubric":""},{"id":31,"image_pair_id":1154,"rubric_id":3,"feature_id":3,"app_id":"mw","name":"Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs","page_title":"Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs","slug":"drive-safe-in-praise-of-flat-adverbs","meta_tags":null,"meta_description":"","dek":"You don't have to end all your adverbs in -ly to talk right.","teaser":"You don't have to end all your adverbs in -ly to talk right.","youtube_video":null,"hosted_video":"\/mw\/video\/0030-flatadverbs.mp4","sub_file":"31.vtt","vtt":"WEBVTT\r\n\r\n1\r\n00:00:00.729 --> 00:00:03.272\r\n<v ->Welcome to Ask the Editor, I'm Emily Brewster,<\/v>\r\n\r\n2\r\n00:00:03.272 --> 00:00:05.529\r\nan associate editor at Merriam-Webster.\r\n\r\n3\r\n00:00:05.529 --> 00:00:07.882\r\nThe other night, my parting words to a friend were,\r\n\r\n4\r\n00:00:07.882 --> 00:00:10.745\r\n\"Drive safe,\" at which point, another friend chimed in,\r\n\r\n5\r\n00:00:10.745 --> 00:00:14.153\r\n\"-ly,\" which made me think about how attached some of us are\r\n\r\n6\r\n00:00:14.153 --> 00:00:17.428\r\nto the idea that an adverb should end in -ly.\r\n\r\n7\r\n00:00:17.428 --> 00:00:18.261\r\nShould it?\r\n\r\n8\r\n00:00:18.261 --> 00:00:19.992\r\nShould I have said, \"Drive safely?\"\r\n\r\n9\r\n00:00:19.992 --> 00:00:22.002\r\nOr was \"drive safe\" okay?\r\n\r\n10\r\n00:00:22.002 --> 00:00:24.792\r\nThe adverb safe is what's called a flat adverb,\r\n\r\n11\r\n00:00:24.792 --> 00:00:26.886\r\nthat is, an adverb that has the same form\r\n\r\n12\r\n00:00:26.886 --> 00:00:30.773\r\nas its related adjective, so safe in drive safe,\r\n\r\n13\r\n00:00:30.773 --> 00:00:34.518\r\nslow in go slow, easy in take it easy.\r\n\r\n14\r\n00:00:34.518 --> 00:00:37.880\r\nFlat adverbs used to be much more common than they are now.\r\n\r\n15\r\n00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:39.703\r\nIn Robinson Crusoe, Daniel DeFoe\r\n\r\n16\r\n00:00:39.703 --> 00:00:42.310\r\nspoke of weather that was \"violent hot.\"\r\n\r\n17\r\n00:00:42.310 --> 00:00:44.260\r\nIn his famous diary, Samuel Pepys\r\n\r\n18\r\n00:00:44.260 --> 00:00:46.726\r\nwrote of being \"horrid angry.\"\r\n\r\n19\r\n00:00:46.726 --> 00:00:49.944\r\nBut most of these adverbs have long since been abandoned.\r\n\r\n20\r\n00:00:49.944 --> 00:00:52.811\r\nIn Middle English, adverbs like these had case endings\r\n\r\n21\r\n00:00:52.811 --> 00:00:55.477\r\nthat distinguished them from the related adjectives,\r\n\r\n22\r\n00:00:55.477 --> 00:00:57.653\r\nbut those gradually disappeared.\r\n\r\n23\r\n00:00:57.653 --> 00:00:59.480\r\n18th century grammarians didn't even\r\n\r\n24\r\n00:00:59.480 --> 00:01:02.278\r\nidentify flat adverbs as adverbs.\r\n\r\n25\r\n00:01:02.278 --> 00:01:03.896\r\nThey considered them adjectives\r\n\r\n26\r\n00:01:03.896 --> 00:01:06.711\r\nand the adverbial use to be a mistake.\r\n\r\n27\r\n00:01:06.711 --> 00:01:08.452\r\nIt's these grammarians we have to thank\r\n\r\n28\r\n00:01:08.452 --> 00:01:12.600\r\nfor the still-repeated injunction that adverbs end in -ly\r\n\r\n29\r\n00:01:12.600 --> 00:01:15.913\r\nand for the sad lack of flat adverbs today.\r\n\r\n30\r\n00:01:15.913 --> 00:01:18.180\r\nWe still have some, but most of them compete\r\n\r\n31\r\n00:01:18.180 --> 00:01:21.060\r\nwith an -ly form, there's slow and slowly,\r\n\r\n32\r\n00:01:21.060 --> 00:01:23.590\r\nsafe and safely, bright and brightly,\r\n\r\n33\r\n00:01:23.590 --> 00:01:26.372\r\nbut then we have tight and tightly, with tight used\r\n\r\n34\r\n00:01:26.372 --> 00:01:30.148\r\nin a few places tightly is not, sit tight, sleep tight.\r\n\r\n35\r\n00:01:30.148 --> 00:01:32.870\r\nNear and nearly also do different jobs.\r\n\r\n36\r\n00:01:32.870 --> 00:01:36.484\r\nThe day is drawing near, versus it's nearly over.\r\n\r\n37\r\n00:01:36.484 --> 00:01:38.788\r\nA few flat adverbs survive without any competition\r\n\r\n38\r\n00:01:38.788 --> 00:01:41.444\r\nfrom an -ly version, fast is one,\r\n\r\n39\r\n00:01:41.444 --> 00:01:44.104\r\ntime goes so fast, fast asleep.\r\n\r\n40\r\n00:01:44.104 --> 00:01:47.174\r\nSo is soon, as in, \u201cwe'll be there soon.\u201d\r\n\r\n41\r\n00:01:47.174 --> 00:01:49.399\r\nI admit, I like flat adverbs.\r\n\r\n42\r\n00:01:49.399 --> 00:01:53.673\r\nMaybe I'll start ignoring the competing -ly versions entire.\r\n\r\n43\r\n00:01:53.673 --> 00:01:55.388\r\nTune in again soon for future installments\r\n\r\n44\r\n00:01:55.388 --> 00:01:58.251\r\nof Ask the Editor here at merriam-webster.com,\r\n\r\n45\r\n00:01:58.251 --> 00:01:59.983\r\nand in the meanwhile, surf safe.\r\n\r\n","body":"","fb_legacy_url":"\/video\/0030-flatadverbs.htm","is_editor_choice":0,"is_archived":0,"is_published":1,"published_at":"2011-06-20 09:18:00","last_published_at":"2011-06-20 09:18:00","created_at":"2011-06-20 21:18:30","updated_at":"2022-05-17 15:36:18","tldr":null,"jw_id":"PokHcz3f","promo_date":null,"promo_type":"None","promo_index":1,"promo_bucket":"none","promo_category_type":"None","promo_category_index":0,"wap_category_path":"grammar","vc":"114,151","aName":"Emily Brewster","aUrl":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/eabrewster","aPublic":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/eabrewster","vid-video-play-lg":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-16-9\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"video drive safe ly\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-video-play-lg\" data-ret-pref=\"video-drive-safe-ly-1152\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"1154\" image-id=\"1152\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","vid-home-featured-carousel":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"video drive safe ly\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-home-featured-carousel\" data-ret-pref=\"video-drive-safe-ly-1152\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"1154\" image-id=\"1152\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","meta":{"canonical":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/drive-safe-in-praise-of-flat-adverbs","title":"Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs (Video) | Merriam-Webster","description":"You don't have to end all your adverbs in -ly to talk right. Featuring Emily Brewster","keywords":"Adverbs, Grammar, adverb, Emily Brewster, video, merriam-webster, ask the editor","og":{"og:title":"Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs (Video)","og:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@1x.jpg","og:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/drive-safe-in-praise-of-flat-adverbs","og:description":"You don't have to end all your adverbs in -ly to talk right.","og:type":"article"},"twitter":{"twitter:title":"Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs (Video)","twitter:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/video-drive-safe-ly-1152@1x.jpg","twitter:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/drive-safe-in-praise-of-flat-adverbs","twitter:description":"You don't have to end all your adverbs in -ly to talk right.","twitter:share-text":"Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs","twitter:card":"summary_large_image","twitter:site":"@MerriamWebster"}},"rubric":"Usage Notes"},{"id":34,"image_pair_id":1156,"rubric_id":4,"feature_id":3,"app_id":"mw","name":"How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary","page_title":"How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary","slug":"ghost-word","meta_tags":null,"meta_description":"The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors.","dek":"The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors","teaser":"An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary","youtube_video":null,"hosted_video":"\/mw\/video\/0027-ghostword.mp4","sub_file":"34.vtt","vtt":"WEBVTT\r\n\r\n1\r\n00:00:00.687 --> 00:00:03.014\r\n<v ->Welcome to Ask the Editor, I'm Emily Brewster,<\/v>\r\n\r\n2\r\n00:00:03.014 --> 00:00:05.820\r\nan associate editor at Merriam-Webster.\r\n\r\n3\r\n00:00:05.820 --> 00:00:07.824\r\nSometimes people ask if it would be possible\r\n\r\n4\r\n00:00:07.824 --> 00:00:09.626\r\nfor a Merriam-Webster editor to sneak\r\n\r\n5\r\n00:00:09.626 --> 00:00:12.298\r\nsome made-up word into the dictionary.\r\n\r\n6\r\n00:00:12.298 --> 00:00:14.368\r\nThe answer is no, not really.\r\n\r\n7\r\n00:00:14.368 --> 00:00:16.514\r\nA definition is seen by many sets of eyes\r\n\r\n8\r\n00:00:16.514 --> 00:00:18.993\r\nafter it's drafted by the original definer.\r\n\r\n9\r\n00:00:18.993 --> 00:00:21.069\r\nThe words that make it in are all real words\r\n\r\n10\r\n00:00:21.069 --> 00:00:24.215\r\nbacked by real usage, but for a few years,\r\n\r\n11\r\n00:00:24.215 --> 00:00:28.532\r\nthere was a fake word in one of our dictionaries.\r\n\r\n12\r\n00:00:28.532 --> 00:00:31.542\r\nWhen Webster's New International Dictionary, Second Edition,\r\n\r\n13\r\n00:00:31.542 --> 00:00:35.432\r\nor W2 as we call it, was released in 1934,\r\n\r\n14\r\n00:00:35.432 --> 00:00:38.152\r\nit included this entry: no etymology,\r\n\r\n15\r\n00:00:38.152 --> 00:00:40.395\r\nno examples of the word in use,\r\n\r\n16\r\n00:00:40.395 --> 00:00:43.151\r\nand there were no examples in our files either.\r\n\r\n17\r\n00:00:43.151 --> 00:00:47.010\r\nDord was what's sometimes called a ghost word.\r\n\r\n18\r\n00:00:47.010 --> 00:00:48.814\r\nHow did this happen?\r\n\r\n19\r\n00:00:48.814 --> 00:00:50.292\r\nWell it all started with a three-by-five\r\n\r\n20\r\n00:00:50.292 --> 00:00:53.828\r\nslip of paper dated July 31st, 1931,\r\n\r\n21\r\n00:00:53.828 --> 00:00:56.344\r\narrived from one of our chemistry consultants,\r\n\r\n22\r\n00:00:56.344 --> 00:00:58.130\r\nintended to be one of several slips\r\n\r\n23\r\n00:00:58.130 --> 00:01:00.524\r\nfor the letter D as an abbreviation.\r\n\r\n24\r\n00:01:00.524 --> 00:01:02.550\r\nIn this case, for density.\r\n\r\n25\r\n00:01:02.550 --> 00:01:05.474\r\nAs you can see, there are spaces between the O-R\r\n\r\n26\r\n00:01:05.474 --> 00:01:07.242\r\nand the Ds on either side.\r\n\r\n27\r\n00:01:07.242 --> 00:01:10.148\r\nLooks obvious that it's the word or, right?\r\n\r\n28\r\n00:01:10.148 --> 00:01:11.591\r\nWell not in this case.\r\n\r\n29\r\n00:01:11.591 --> 00:01:13.530\r\nWhenever such a slip was made for an entry,\r\n\r\n30\r\n00:01:13.530 --> 00:01:15.520\r\nspaces were required between all the letters\r\n\r\n31\r\n00:01:15.520 --> 00:01:17.882\r\nof the term being defined, so that there would be room\r\n\r\n32\r\n00:01:17.882 --> 00:01:20.756\r\nto add marks showing stress and syllable breaks.\r\n\r\n33\r\n00:01:20.756 --> 00:01:22.778\r\nTo the person who handled the slip,\r\n\r\n34\r\n00:01:22.778 --> 00:01:23.978\r\nit looked like there was simply\r\n\r\n35\r\n00:01:23.978 --> 00:01:27.011\r\na space missing between the O and the R.\r\n\r\n36\r\n00:01:27.011 --> 00:01:29.935\r\nThis person added a wavy line under all four letters\r\n\r\n37\r\n00:01:29.935 --> 00:01:32.433\r\nto show that they should all be in bold face.\r\n\r\n38\r\n00:01:32.433 --> 00:01:35.592\r\nThe pronunciation editor penned a simple pronunciation.\r\n\r\n39\r\n00:01:35.592 --> 00:01:38.775\r\nHow it got by the etymologist, we'll never know.\r\n\r\n40\r\n00:01:38.775 --> 00:01:41.780\r\nIn 1939, an editor discovered the error\r\n\r\n41\r\n00:01:41.780 --> 00:01:44.840\r\nand wrote this slip marked, \"Imperative, urgent!\"\r\n\r\n42\r\n00:01:44.840 --> 00:01:47.393\r\ncalling for a correction in the next printing.\r\n\r\n43\r\n00:01:47.393 --> 00:01:48.411\r\nBut for some reason,\r\n\r\n44\r\n00:01:48.411 --> 00:01:52.066\r\nthe change wasn't actually made until 1947.\r\n\r\n45\r\n00:01:52.066 --> 00:01:54.088\r\nAnd that marked the end of dord,\r\n\r\n46\r\n00:01:54.088 --> 00:01:56.795\r\nMerriam-Webster's only ghost word.\r\n\r\n47\r\n00:01:56.795 --> 00:01:58.749\r\nFor more from our Ask the Editor series,\r\n\r\n48\r\n00:01:58.749 --> 00:02:00.916\r\nvisit merriam-webster.com.\r\n\r\n","body":"<br\/><\/p>\n\n<h2>TRANSCRIPT<\/h2>\n\n<p><br\/>\n<font size=\"2\"><\/p>\n\n<p>Welcome to Ask the Editor, I'm Emily Brewster, an associate editor at Merriam-Webster.<\/p>\n\n<p><br\/><\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes people ask if it would be possible for a Merriam-Webster editor to sneak some made-up word into the dictionary. The answer is no, not really.<\/p>\n\n<p><br\/><\/p>\n\n<p>A definition is seen by many sets of eyes after it's drafted by the original definer. The words that make it in are all real words backed by real usage. But for a few years, there was a fake word in one of our dictionaries.<\/p>\n\n<p><br\/><\/p>\n\n<p>When Webster's New International Dictionary, Second Edition, or W2 as we call it, was released in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/time-traveler\/1934\">1934<\/a>, it included this entry: no etymology, no examples of the word in use, and there were no examples in our files either.<\/p>\n\n<p><br\/><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Dord<\/b> was what's sometimes called a ghost word.<\/p>\n\n<p><br\/><\/p>\n\n<p>How did this happen?<\/p>\n\n<p><br\/><\/p>\n\n<p>Well it all started with a three-by-five slip of paper dated July 31st, 1931, arrived from one of our chemistry consultants, intended to be one of several slips for the letter D as an abbreviation. In this case, for density. As you can see, there are spaces between the O-R and the Ds on either side. Looks obvious that it's the word or, right? Well not in this case.<\/p>\n\n<p><br\/><\/p>\n\n<p>Whenever such a slip was made for an entry, spaces were required between all the letters of the term being defined, so that there would be room to add marks showing stress and syllable breaks.<\/p>\n\n<p><br\/><\/p>\n\n<p>To the person who handled the slip, it looked like there was simply a space missing between the O and the R. This person added a wavy line under all four letters to show that they should all be in bold face. The pronunciation editor penned a simple pronunciation.<\/p>\n\n<p><br\/><\/p>\n\n<p>How it got by the etymologist, we'll never know.<\/p>\n\n<p><br\/><\/p>\n\n<p>In 1939, an editor discovered the error and wrote this slip marked, \"Imperative, urgent!\" calling for a correction in the next printing. But for some reason, the change wasn't actually made until <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/time-traveler\/1947\">1947<\/a>. And that marked the end of dord, Merriam-Webster's only ghost word.<\/p>\n\n<p><br\/>\n<p>For more Ask the Editor videos, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\">merriam-webster.com<\/a>.<\/p><\/font>","fb_legacy_url":"\/video\/0027-ghostword.htm","is_editor_choice":0,"is_archived":0,"is_published":1,"published_at":"2018-05-10 02:45:00","last_published_at":"2018-05-10 02:45:00","created_at":"2011-05-06 14:45:22","updated_at":"2022-05-17 16:00:27","tldr":null,"jw_id":"AfnXt8JF","promo_date":null,"promo_type":"None","promo_index":1,"promo_bucket":"none","promo_category_type":"None","promo_category_index":0,"wap_category_path":"wordplay","vc":"305,785","aName":"Emily Brewster","aUrl":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/eabrewster","aPublic":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/eabrewster","vid-video-play-lg":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-16-9\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"video ghost words\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-ghost-words-1154@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-video-play-lg\" data-ret-pref=\"video-ghost-words-1154\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-ghost-words-1154@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-ghost-words-1154@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"1156\" image-id=\"1154\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-ghost-words-1154@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/video-ghost-words-1154@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","vid-home-featured-carousel":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"video ghost words\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-ghost-words-1154@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-home-featured-carousel\" data-ret-pref=\"video-ghost-words-1154\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-ghost-words-1154@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-ghost-words-1154@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"1156\" image-id=\"1154\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-ghost-words-1154@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/video-ghost-words-1154@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","meta":{"canonical":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/ghost-word","title":"How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary (Video) | Merriam-Webster","description":"The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors.","keywords":"Lexicography, ghost word, Emily Brewster, video, merriam-webster, ask the editor","og":{"og:title":"How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary (Video)","og:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/video-ghost-words-1154@1x.jpg","og:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/ghost-word","og:description":"An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary","og:type":"article"},"twitter":{"twitter:title":"How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary (Video)","twitter:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/video-ghost-words-1154@1x.jpg","twitter:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/ghost-word","twitter:description":"An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary","twitter:share-text":"How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary","twitter:card":"summary_large_image","twitter:site":"@MerriamWebster"}},"rubric":"Words Matter"},{"id":408,"image_pair_id":7374,"rubric_id":2,"feature_id":72,"app_id":"mw","name":"Why Did Yankee Doodle Call a Feather 'Macaroni'?","page_title":"Why Did Yankee Doodle Call a Feather 'Macaroni'?","slug":"why-did-yankee-doodle-call-a-feather-macaroni","meta_tags":null,"meta_description":"Ever wonder why Yankee Doodle called the feather macaroni? Well, when macaroni was a new and exotic food, the term was also used to demonstrate how stylish an Englishman could be.","dek":"What's with his feathered cap?","teaser":"What's with his feathered cap?","youtube_video":null,"hosted_video":"\/mw\/video\/f821d0830182f23058437058d79d961b.mp4","sub_file":"408.vtt","vtt":"1\n00:00:00.782 --> 00:00:02.730\n(music)\n\n2\n00:00:02.730 --> 00:00:03.960\n<v ->Have you ever wondered why<\/v>\n\n3\n00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:06.230\nin the old Yankee Doodle song he puts a feather\n\n4\n00:00:06.230 --> 00:00:08.800\nin his cap and calls it 'macaroni'?\n\n5\n00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:12.240\nIn the 1760s, a group of young well-traveled English men\n\n6\n00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:14.460\nwho prided themselves in their appearance,\n\n7\n00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:17.810\nsense of style and manners founded a club in London.\n\n8\n00:00:17.810 --> 00:00:21.210\nAt the time, macaroni was a new and exotic food in England\n\n9\n00:00:21.210 --> 00:00:24.460\nand so the young men named their club the Macaroni Club\n\n10\n00:00:24.460 --> 00:00:27.360\nto demonstrate how stylish its members were.\n\n11\n00:00:27.360 --> 00:00:30.120\nThe members themselves were called macaronis.\n\n12\n00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:32.600\nAnd eventually the word macaroni came to mean\n\n13\n00:00:32.600 --> 00:00:34.710\nthe same thing as dandy or\n\n14\n00:00:34.710 --> 00:00:36.770\na man who gives exaggerated attention\n\n15\n00:00:36.770 --> 00:00:38.560\nto personal appearance.\n\n16\n00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:40.403\nLike one who wears feathered caps.","body":"Editor Serenity Carr breaks down the sartorial origins of the famous song \"Yankee Doodle\" and why it references macaroni. \n<br>\n<br><\/p>\n\n<h3>Transcript:<\/h3>\n\n<p><br>\nHave you ever wondered why in the old Yankee Doodle song he puts a feather in his cap and calls it 'macaroni'? In the 1760s, a group of young well-traveled English men who prided themselves in their appearance, sense of style, and manners founded a club in London. At the time, macaroni was a new and exotic food in England and so the young men named their club the Macaroni Club to demonstrate how stylish its members were. The members themselves were called macaronis. And eventually the word <em>macaroni<\/em> came to mean the same thing as dandy, or \"a man who gives exaggerated attention to personal appearance.\" Like one who wears feathered caps.","fb_legacy_url":null,"is_editor_choice":1,"is_archived":0,"is_published":1,"published_at":"2020-04-29 10:07:00","last_published_at":"2020-04-29 10:07:00","created_at":"2020-04-08 16:31:48","updated_at":"2022-06-07 15:32:11","tldr":null,"jw_id":"UB7PR8ae","promo_date":"2025-02-17","promo_type":"Filler","promo_index":7,"promo_bucket":"random","promo_category_type":"None","promo_category_index":0,"wap_category_path":"wordplay","vc":"102,445","aName":"Serenity Carr","aUrl":"","aPublic":"","vid-home-featured-carousel":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"cartoon-of-british-nobility\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-home-featured-carousel\" data-ret-pref=\"cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"7374\" image-id=\"7372\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-862bd08a2fedae224499343a846ffeed@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","vid-video-play-lg":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-16-9\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"cartoon-of-british-nobility\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-9815eaa0972d29d000e04a827659be8f@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-video-play-lg\" data-ret-pref=\"cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-9815eaa0972d29d000e04a827659be8f\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-9815eaa0972d29d000e04a827659be8f@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-9815eaa0972d29d000e04a827659be8f@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"7374\" image-id=\"7372\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-9815eaa0972d29d000e04a827659be8f@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-9815eaa0972d29d000e04a827659be8f@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","meta":{"canonical":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/why-did-yankee-doodle-call-a-feather-macaroni","title":"Why Did Yankee Doodle Call a Feather 'Macaroni'? (Video) | Merriam-Webster","description":"Ever wonder why Yankee Doodle called the feather macaroni? Well, when macaroni was a new and exotic food, the term was also used to demonstrate how stylish an Englishman could be.","keywords":"Yankee, Yankee corn, Yankee machine, Yankee-Doodle, Yankeefy, Yankeeize, Yankeeland, Yankee\u2013Doodle, macaroni, Serenity Carr, video, merriam-webster, ask the editor","og":{"og:title":"Why Did Yankee Doodle Call a Feather 'Macaroni'? (Video)","og:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-373e8ae5018fa3898b02e2e0db813d8b@1x.jpg","og:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/why-did-yankee-doodle-call-a-feather-macaroni","og:description":"What's with his feathered cap?","og:type":"article"},"twitter":{"twitter:title":"Why Did Yankee Doodle Call a Feather 'Macaroni'? (Video)","twitter:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/cartoon-of-british-nobility-7372-373e8ae5018fa3898b02e2e0db813d8b@1x.jpg","twitter:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/why-did-yankee-doodle-call-a-feather-macaroni","twitter:description":"What's with his feathered cap?","twitter:share-text":"Why Did Yankee Doodle Call a Feather 'Macaroni'?","twitter:card":"summary_large_image","twitter:site":"@MerriamWebster"}},"rubric":"Word History"},{"id":107,"image_pair_id":6175,"rubric_id":3,"feature_id":2,"app_id":"mw","name":"When Body Parts Are Also Verbs","page_title":"Body Parts That Are Also Verbs","slug":"body-parts-that-are-also-verbs-head-shoulder-muscle","meta_tags":null,"meta_description":"Many parts of the body can be used as verbs in either a physical or a metaphorical sense. From 'heading' a company to 'stomaching' a thought to 'toeing' a line, editor Peter Sokolowski discusses how the body gives us many useful everyday verbs.","dek":"Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes","teaser":"Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes","youtube_video":null,"hosted_video":"\/mw\/video\/dba170366aa92d08d703e1e9cfc879a7.mp4","sub_file":"107.vtt","vtt":"WEBVTT\n\n1\n00:00:00.531 --> 00:00:03.300\n(music)\n\n2\n00:00:03.300 --> 00:00:05.900\n<v ->Many parts of the body can be used as verbs<\/v>\n\n3\n00:00:05.900 --> 00:00:08.750\nin either a physical or a metaphorical sense.\n\n4\n00:00:08.750 --> 00:00:10.380\nYou can head a company,\n\n5\n00:00:10.380 --> 00:00:11.500\nbut if things go wrong you'll have\n\n6\n00:00:11.500 --> 00:00:15.080\nto shoulder the blame, or face your investors.\n\n7\n00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:16.980\nA good leader backs their employees,\n\n8\n00:00:16.980 --> 00:00:19.830\nbut if you don't toe the line you might get skinned.\n\n9\n00:00:19.830 --> 00:00:22.380\nDid you muscle your way into that job?\n\n10\n00:00:22.380 --> 00:00:24.780 line:15% \nYou might eye someone suspiciously,\n\n11\n00:00:24.780 --> 00:00:27.370 line:15% \nor wait for the police to finger a suspect.\n\n12\n00:00:27.370 --> 00:00:30.170 line:15% \nBut if you need to get out of town, try thumbing a ride.\n\n13\n00:00:31.010 --> 00:00:33.440\nYou can ride with me if you can stomach the thought.\n\n14\n00:00:33.440 --> 00:00:35.510\nI don't always sing along to the radio,\n\n15\n00:00:35.510 --> 00:00:37.510\nbut you might see me mouthing the words.","body":"Editor Peter Sokolowski breaks down a number of body parts with metaphorical uses as verbs, from <em>head<\/em> to <em>toe<\/em>. \n<br>\n<br><\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Transcript:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>Many parts of the body can be used as verbs in either a physical or a metaphorical sense. You can head a company, but if things go wrong you'll have to shoulder the blame, or face your investors. A good leader backs their employees, but if you don't toe the line you might get skinned. Did you muscle your way into that job? You might eye someone suspiciously, or wait for the police to finger a suspect. But if you need to get out of town, try thumbing a ride. You can ride with me if you can stomach the thought. I don't always sing along to the radio, but you might see me mouthing the words.","fb_legacy_url":null,"is_editor_choice":1,"is_archived":0,"is_published":1,"published_at":"2019-02-26 13:19:00","last_published_at":"2019-02-26 13:19:00","created_at":"2019-02-25 13:19:37","updated_at":"2022-05-17 16:03:21","tldr":null,"jw_id":"1QQElJRD","promo_date":"2025-02-17","promo_type":"Filler","promo_index":5,"promo_bucket":"random","promo_category_type":"None","promo_category_index":0,"wap_category_path":"wordplay","vc":"70,838","aName":"Peter Sokolowski","aUrl":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeterSokolowski\/","aPublic":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeterSokolowski\/","vid-home-featured-carousel":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-3-2 overflow-hidden\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"body parts video\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-home-featured-carousel\" data-ret-pref=\"body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"6175\" image-id=\"6173\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-featured-carousel\/body-parts-video-6173-212582cf044d015a5798dc564ce13ba0@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","vid-video-play-lg":"<span class=\"lazyload-container ratio-16-9\"><img data-sizes=\"auto\" alt=\"body parts video\" is_retina=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/body-parts-video-6173-3d6b4494af7ecedc3bffbb4acd5242da@1x.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" data-credit=\"\" data-type=\"video\" data-dim=\"vid-video-play-lg\" data-ret-pref=\"body-parts-video-6173-3d6b4494af7ecedc3bffbb4acd5242da\" data-ret-x=\"1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/body-parts-video-6173-3d6b4494af7ecedc3bffbb4acd5242da@1x.jpg 1x, https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/body-parts-video-6173-3d6b4494af7ecedc3bffbb4acd5242da@2x.jpg 2x\" pair-id=\"6175\" image-id=\"6173\" srcset-img-1x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/body-parts-video-6173-3d6b4494af7ecedc3bffbb4acd5242da@1x.jpg\" srcset-img-2x=\"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-video-play-lg\/body-parts-video-6173-3d6b4494af7ecedc3bffbb4acd5242da@2x.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/span>","meta":{"canonical":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/body-parts-that-are-also-verbs-head-shoulder-muscle","title":"Body Parts That Are Also Verbs (Video) | Merriam-Webster","description":"Many parts of the body can be used as verbs in either a physical or a metaphorical sense. From 'heading' a company to 'stomaching' a thought to 'toeing' a line, editor Peter Sokolowski discusses how the body gives us many useful everyday verbs.","keywords":"Humor, back, body, eye, face, finger, head, metaphor, mouth, muscle, shoulder, skin, stomach, thumb, toe, verb, Peter Sokolowski, video, merriam-webster, ask the editor","og":{"og:title":"Body Parts That Are Also Verbs (Video)","og:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/body-parts-video-6173-a4c3600c46039a0a50290bb6f2e6df85@1x.jpg","og:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/body-parts-that-are-also-verbs-head-shoulder-muscle","og:description":"Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes","og:type":"article"},"twitter":{"twitter:title":"Body Parts That Are Also Verbs (Video)","twitter:image":"https:\/\/merriam-webster.com\/assets\/mw\/images\/video\/vid-home-edpick-lg\/body-parts-video-6173-a4c3600c46039a0a50290bb6f2e6df85@1x.jpg","twitter:url":"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/video\/body-parts-that-are-also-verbs-head-shoulder-muscle","twitter:description":"Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes","twitter:share-text":"When Body Parts Are Also Verbs","twitter:card":"summary_large_image","twitter:site":"@MerriamWebster"}},"rubric":"Usage Notes"}]; </script>  <footer class="global-footer "> <div class="footer-mast clearfix"> <div class="mw-logo-section lazyload"> <a href="/" class="footer-logo">Merriam Webster</a> </div> <div class="footer-mast-content clearfix"> <div class="footer-subscribe-block"> <div class="footer-subscribe-msg"> <p>Learn a new word every day. 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