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Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts

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'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine

'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.

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How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

What our editors are looking for when they enter words in Merriam-Webster.

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Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs

You don't have to end all your adverbs in -ly to talk right.

video soup vs soop
An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

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Hopefully

Contrary to what your teachers may have said, we believe the popular usage of this word is correct. Hopefully you agree.

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Ending a Sentence with a Preposition

An old-fashioned rule we can no longer put up with.

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Who vs. Whom

Good news for those who feel stuffy saying 'whom.'

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Affect vs. Effect

Here's the lowdown on what may be the most confusing pair of words in the English language.

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Mariah Carey & 'Christmastime'

Legendary figures and the words that define them

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