Effective communication lies at the heart of human connection. It helps us collaborate with each other, solve problems and ...

Why are some sounds easier to remember than others? A study on made-up words points to the harsh consonants that also dominate profanity.

A swear word is like a linguistic punch in the nose. Virtually every language and culture has them—and virtually every language and culture formally disapproves of them. But that doesn’t stop them ...

Moist. Mucus. Cyst. These are just a few examples of words people hate to hear. They make your skin crawl not only because of the gross visuals that come to mind, but also because of the way they ...

Do you think you have a good vocabulary? We can guarantee you've probably never heard some of these funny words before. Are you one of those people who still giggle when someone says “duty”? Wait ...

Big words, business jargon, and hyperbole intended to pump up your language only have the opposite affect. Check yourself before using any of these. There’s no such word as “irregardless.” The word ...

Which words do we find beautiful? And do beautifully sounding words stick better in memory? A new study led by linguist Theresa Matzinger from the University of Vienna suggests that the phonemic ...

These four sounds are missing from some of the seven words you can never say on television, and the pattern prevails in other languages too, researchers say. By Elizabeth Preston “Holy motherforking ...

What makes some words easier to learn than others? Researchers found that ideophones — words that sound like what they mean — are easier to learn than regular words. This suggests that some of our ...