The English language is a treasure trove of words that not only sound beautiful but also convey complex, nuanced meanings. You may never have heard of them, let alone be able to pronounce them but ...

My 11-year-old student sighs. How can the same letters make so many different sounds? We are looking at the letter combination “ough”, which can be read in seven different ways: “through”, “thorough”, ...

Whether it's a job or being with friends, big words aren't always meant to be used in everyday conversation. Even if smart people can throw in complex words to show off their intellect, it's not ...

The big thinkers at Aperture analyze the most complex words in the English language and their meanings.

On a recent trip to Williamsburg, I found an old language book in a bookstore. “An A.B.C. of English Usage” by H.A. Treble and G.H. Vallins was published in 1937 by Oxford University Press. The word ...