Vocabulary.com Blog
Articles from 2014
Under the HoodThe science of vocabulary building
How Many Words Should You Learn in a Day?
The answer's zero, but that's not as depressing as it sounds.
When it comes to word learning, a lot of people will ask, "How many words should you learn in a day?" Setting a daily goal makes any long-term learning or self improvement project less overwhelming. The only problem with this approach? The number of words you can learn in a single day is zero.
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Vocabulary
Dictionary Day comes but once a year, and here at Vocabulary.com we're whooping it up, tweeting our favorite word blurbs all day long.
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It's time once again for the latest in our series of quick tips on usage and style shared by Mignon Fogarty, better known as Grammar Girl. Here Mignon clarifies how to pluralize some nouns derived from Greek (sometimes by way of Latin).
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Word RoutesExploring the pathways of our lexicon
Spoiler Alert! Revealing the Origins of the "Spoiler"
Is there any point in remaining "spoiler-free," steering clear of any crucial plot points of movies or television shows you haven't seen yet? That's the question raised by Netflix in its new "Living with Spoilers" campaign, and it set me off on a search for the roots of the "spoiler" in my latest column for the Wall Street Journal.
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As Americans celebrate Columbus Day, it's worth reflecting on the complicated cultural and linguistic legacy that Christopher Columbus left behind. There's a single word that aptly illustrates this legacy and all of its contradictions: Indians, the mistaken name that Columbus gave to the native peoples of the Americas.
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Announcements
The Second Annual Vocab Video Contest for Students!
It's time for your 15 *seconds* of fame!
For the last five years, we've been partnering with the New York Times Learning Network on a Word of the Day feature, which runs every school day on the Learning Network's blog. Last year, just as the total was about to hit the 1,000 mark, we joined the Learning Network in sponsoring a Vocabulary Video Contest that was so fantastic, we're back with a second year of the challenge!
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Vocabulary.com News
Announcements
TIME Says Vocabulary.com App Will "Bulk Up" Your Brain
A fun flowchart shows how your brain can bulk up on knowledge, all through your phone
In a roundup of six apps that promise to "bulk up" your brain, TIME included Vocabulary.com for anyone looking to "become a wordsmith."
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