Vocabulary.com Blog
Articles from 2012
Word CountWriters Talk About Writing
Word Tasting Note: "Hubbub"
Is a hubbub simply general hullaballoo, or is it something more threatening?
"What's the hubbub, Bub?" said Bugs Bunny. But, buddy, what is a hubbub? Is it simply general hullaballoo? Or is it something more threatening?
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Topics:
Word Origins
Tips & Tricks
Real-Life Examples Make Words Stick in Your Brain
Thank the Greeks you'll never forget "austerity"
Next time you play the Challenge, click "Look Up" when you guess wrong on a word and we'll show you that word's definition, including Usage Examples, without taking you off the Challenge page. The extra few minutes you spend reading will pay dividends later.
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Word RoutesExploring the pathways of our lexicon
"Meh"? "Fail"? GOP Debate Elicits Words of Disappointment
Last night's debate among the four remaining Republican presidential candidates in Arizona was clearly underwhelming for some political pundits. On the website BuzzFeed, Zeke Miller gave out grades to the candidates in the form of trendy online lingo favored by the site. Rick Santorum earned a "FAIL," while Mitt Romney, despite being declared the winner, nonetheless was awarded a "MEH."
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Now that any Vocabulary List can be played as a spelling bee on Vocabulary.com, we thought we'd highlight a particularly good list to learn. Commonly Misspelled Words contains nearly 200 words that are known for being tricky, including twelfth, recommend, accommodate, license, and succeed.
We're particularly thrilled to note that this list was created by a site user. Thank you, Betz. And keep them coming, Vocabularians!
Word CountWriters Talk About Writing
The Story Behind "Fulsome"
Some words are better for writers to leave alone.
Some words travel a winding path to their meanings, causing language users confusion over what they actually mean. A word whose definition or usage is so hotly contested that it never fails to draw attention to itself is called a skunked term. It may be that language users will resolve the problem over time, but until then, what's a writer to do? Today, the story behind fulsome and what to do with this stinky term.
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Under the HoodThe science of vocabulary building
Vocabulary Begets Vocabulary: The More You Know, the More You Learn
Research on vocabulary building shows why
Ever notice that the more you play the Challenge, the faster you start learning the new words you see and hear in everyday life? Don’t chalk this up to that recent uptick in your coffee consumption. Scientific research on vocabulary building suggests that the more vocabulary you know, the more you learn.
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Announcements
Spelling Bees Come to Vocabulary.com!
Now, any Vocabulary List can be played as a spelling bee
We’re excited to announce that as of today, any Vocabulary List on Vocabulary.com can be played as a spelling bee. Now, you can use Vocabulary.com to practice your spelling as well build your vocabulary.
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