Phonology

The Word-Eating Glitch: What is Haplology?

Ever wonder why so many people say 'probly' instead of 'probably' or 'libry' instead of 'library'? This common linguistic shortcut…

1 week ago

Cheshirization: The Vanishing Vowel

Named after the Cheshire Cat, Cheshirization is a fascinating phonological process where a vowel vanishes but leaves a ghostly trace…

1 week ago

Metathesis: The Brain’s ‘Waps’ Typo

Ever called a "wasp" a "waps" or heard someone say "aks" instead of "ask"? This common slip of the tongue…

2 weeks ago

The World’s Tonal Atlas: Where Pitch is Meaning

Imagine if saying "horse" with a rising pitch turned it into "mother." For over half the world's population, this isn't…

2 weeks ago

The Case of the Stolen Letter: Compensatory Lengthening

In the history of language, sounds can vanish without a trace. Or can they? This post explores compensatory lengthening, the…

2 weeks ago

Why Does ‘Agua’ Use ‘El’? A Spanish Gender Rule Mystery

If 'agua' ends in -a, why do we say 'el agua'? This common Spanish grammar question isn't an exception to…

2 weeks ago

The Rotuman Language: A Phonetic Puzzle

Deep in the Pacific, the Rotuman language presents a fascinating phonetic puzzle that has captivated linguists for decades. Its words…

2 weeks ago

The Sound That Separates Scottish and Irish Gaelic

They were once a single language spoken across Ireland and Scotland, but a crucial phonetic split sent them down different…

2 weeks ago

Why Is ‘An’ Used Before Vowels?

Why do we say 'an apple' but 'a pear'? This fundamental rule is about more than just grammar; it's a…

2 weeks ago

The Sound of ‘Th’: A Rare Phoneme

The "th" sounds in "think" and "that" feel utterly ordinary to English speakers, but they are linguistic superstars on the…

2 weeks ago

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