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Words Matter

Webster's Dictionary of 1864

The landmark edition that transformed the way dictionaries are made.


The landmark edition that transformed the way dictionaries are made.

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play video websters video of 1864
Webster's Dictionary of 1864

 

The landmark edition that transformed the way dictionaries are made.

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The Schwa

 

The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.

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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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Is 'none' singular or plural?

 

Or both? Or neither?

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Old-School Grammar

 

Many of today's grammar rules can be traced to the opinions of one 18th century writer.

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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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What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

 

How 'literally' can mean "figuratively"