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How the Deaf Read Lips: A Feat of Phonetics

Contrary to Hollywood depictions, lip-reading is less like a superpower and more like a high-stakes puzzle with most of the…

6 hours ago

The Sound of a Valley: Dialect Leveling in Isolation

Ever wonder why people in isolated places like an Appalachian hollow develop such a unique way of speaking? It's not…

6 hours ago

The Echo Vowel: Parasitic Vowels in Irish and Japanese

Have you ever heard a vowel that wasn't spelled, like the "a" in the Irish word *uisce* (ish-ka)? This phenomenon,…

1 week ago

The Uralic Enigma: A Lost Siberian Homeland

Ever wondered why Finnish and Hungarian sound nothing like their European neighbors? These languages are part of the Uralic family,…

1 week ago

East vs. West vs. South Slavic: What’s the Difference?

The Slavic languages are a sprawling family, divided into East, West, and South branches. But what does that split actually…

1 week ago

The Balto-Slavic Mystery: Are They Siblings or Cousins?

A Lithuanian and a Pole can't understand each other, so why do linguists insist their languages are close relatives? We…

1 week ago

The Unmoved Lip: Phonetics of Ventriloquism

The magic of ventriloquism isn't just misdirection; it's a masterclass in applied phonetics. Performers overcome the challenge of lip-based sounds…

1 week ago

What Is AAVE? (And Why It’s Not ‘Slang’)

African-American Vernacular English is far more than just 'slang'—it's a complete, rule-governed dialect with a rich history. This post explores…

1 week ago

How to Ace the AP English Language Exam

Feeling overwhelmed by the AP English Language exam? From the synthesis essay to rhetorical analysis, this guide breaks down every…

1 week ago

The 10 Hardest English Words to Pronounce

Ever stumbled over 'Worcestershire' or 'anemone'? This guide breaks down 10 of the hardest English words to pronounce, offering simple…

1 week ago

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