spelling - Linguistic Discovery

Current Linguistics

Men speak with vocal fry just as much as women

Also in the news this week: Merriam-Webster chooses “slop” as the 2025 Word of the Year; Gaelic and Scots now recognized as official languages in the UK; and Canada’s prime minister called out for using British spellings

Newsletter

Where does the alphabet come from? And why does English use it so strangely?

A new book takes us on a linguistic odyssey through the history of the alphabet

Current Linguistics

An experiment with the Aboriginal language Murrinhpatha suggests language influences perception

Also this week: Why all languages have words for ‘this’ and ‘that’ + Antarctic leopard seal ‘songs’ are surprisingly similar to nursey rhymes. Here’s what happened this week in language and linguistics.

Newsletter

Why is “February” spelled with two ⟨r⟩’s?

Why is “February” spelled with two ⟨r⟩'s even though most people only pronounce one of them?

Newsletter

Why do the British pronounce “herb” with an /h/?

Why don’t Americans pronounce herb with an /h/?