The word thesaurus originates from the Greek thēsauros, meaning “treasure” or “chest.” First modernized by Peter Mark Roget, thesauruses provide a wealth of synonyms, helping writers avoid repetition and express ideas with greater clarity and precision.
Continue reading: The Interesting/Intriguing/Riveting History of the Thesaurus
As we face the first weeks of 2022, this is the third year of a global pandemic caused by the coronavirus. Since new situations arise on a nearly daily basis, no wonder that we need to find a way to speak about statistics, rules, and the illness itself. Many new words have originated in English since the international outbreak of COVID-19. We’ll explain the spellings of the medical terminology.
Continue reading: We Love to Speak about News Using New Words
Homophones, homographs, and homonyms share the same prefix, but other than that, they have different meanings. Here’s a quick summary:
Continue reading: What’s the Difference Between Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms?
An antonym is a word that has an opposite definition compared to that of another word. For example, “hot” is an antonym for “cold.”
There are a few different types of antonyms including contronyms (also known as auto-antonyms), graded antonyms, complementary antonyms, and converse antonyms).
Familiarizing yourself with antonyms can help you expand your vocabulary, add variety to your writing, and help you write comparisons that are easier to understand.
Continue reading: What Are Antonyms? Explanation and Examples
A consonant is a letter that represents speech sounds that can only be made when the vocal tract is partially or entirely closed. Consonants require specific positions of the lips, tongue, and cheeks.
While the pronunciation of vowels varies vastly across different English speakers and dialects, the pronunciation of consonants is more defined (although some dialectal variation exists).
Below, we’ll dive deeper into what consonants are by reviewing each one and the sound(s) they make, going over what consonant digraphs are, and explaining the difference between consonants and consonance.
Continue reading: Consonant Sounds—A LanguageTool Guide
On the occasion of the European Day of Languages on September 26, 2021, we tell you the travel story of the English language. Over the course of this article, you will see that every acquaintance and every encounter has left its mark. English was raised with the motto: you must be open to new ideas and innovative concepts.
Continue reading: Let’s Revisit the Linguistic Journey of English
An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning which differs from the literal meanings of the individual words. Idioms are challenging for non-native speakers to learn because their meanings are not always obvious. For example, the expression break a leg means good luck.
Continue reading: Common Idioms in English and What They Mean
A contronym (or auto-antonym) is a word with contradictory meanings. For example, dust is a verb that means “to remove dust from a surface,” but it can also mean “to cover lightly with a powdered substance.”
Continue reading: What Are Contronyms?
Not many things are as beneficial to your brain as learning a new language (also referred to as second language acquisition). Not only does it expand your cultural and cognitive horizons, but learning a language also protects against degenerative neurological conditions.
And despite what you may have heard, anyone at any age can start learning a new language.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know to get started on your language learning journey, from the principles and benefits to tips and tricks.
Let’s get started!
Continue reading: A Beginner’s Guide to Learning a New Language
Juxtaposition is a literary and rhetorical device in which two contrasting elements, ideas, images, or characters are presented in close proximity to create a striking effect.
Picture a family with a relentlessly crying baby on an otherwise peaceful and quiet beach. Now imagine an extraordinarily black bear rolling around in blinding white snow. What do those two scenes have in common?
Both contain juxtaposition.
You may be wondering why writers would want to use juxtapositions in their writing. One would be to highlight differences and therefore evoke emotions, emphasize something, or grasp the audience’s attention. However, juxtaposition may also serve to connect seemingly unrelated themes. It can also help highlight the intricacies of a characteristic or concept that a reader might otherwise overlook.
In short, juxtaposition is a way to encourage readers to compare, contrast, and evaluate particular elements that are relevant to the text.
Continue reading: Juxtaposition: Learn What It Means and How To Use it in Your Writing