Word Matters

Merriam-Webster, New England Public Media 106 - The Making of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Twelfth Edition

Word Matters is a show for readers, writers, and anyone who's curious about the English language. Join Merriam-Webster editors as they challenge supposed grammar rules, reveal the surprising origins behind words, tackle common questions, and generally geek out about the beautiful nightmare that is our language.

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Episodes

06 May 2026

15 Jul 2025

11 Jul 2025

10 Jul 2025

03 Aug 2022

27 Jul 2022

20 Jul 2022

13 Jul 2022

06 Jul 2022

29 Jun 2022

22 Jun 2022

15 Jun 2022

08 Jun 2022

01 Jun 2022

25 May 2022

18 May 2022

11 May 2022

04 May 2022

27 Apr 2022

20 Apr 2022

13 Apr 2022

06 Apr 2022

30 Mar 2022

23 Mar 2022

16 Mar 2022

09 Mar 2022

02 Mar 2022

23 Feb 2022

16 Feb 2022

09 Feb 2022

02 Feb 2022

26 Jan 2022

19 Jan 2022

12 Jan 2022

05 Jan 2022

15 Dec 2021

08 Dec 2021

01 Dec 2021

24 Nov 2021

17 Nov 2021

10 Nov 2021

03 Nov 2021

27 Oct 2021

20 Oct 2021

13 Oct 2021

06 Oct 2021

29 Sep 2021

22 Sep 2021

15 Sep 2021

08 Sep 2021

Word Matters

Episodes

The Making of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Twelfth Edition

An Interview with John Morse, Part 3

An Interview with John Morse, Part 2

An Interview with John Morse, Part 1

Episode 100: How did we get here?

Do we repeat ourselves? Very well then, we repeat ourselves.

Hackneyed Phrases, Both Old and New

Tips for Frenchifying Your French

Eggcorns, Mondegreens, and Spoonerisms—Oh My!

Traveling Words: Luggage, Baggage, and the Recombobulation Station

Skunked Words

When Dictionaries Drop Words

Wordle Does Not Make Us Nauseous

The Invention of the Modern Dictionary

An Interview with Jacques Bailly, Official Pronouncer for Scripps National Spelling Bee

Nashe's 8 Types of Drunkards Includes No Octopi

Will 'ect.' become an acceptable spelling of 'etc.'? And if it does, will that be unexplainable or merely inexplicable?

Corrections, Clarifications, and Grave Transgressions

Uncommon Opposites

George Orwell's 'Politics and the English Language'

Linguistic Double Dipping

All About Abbreviations

The History of 'Whistleblower'

What does it mean to be 'at large'?

Dictionary Arcana

A Pair of Suffixes and The History of 'Ditto'

On Secretly Gendered Language

How to Order Adjectives

When Nouns Act Like Adjectives

Dipping Into the Mailbag: 'Yeet,' 'Typeface' vs. 'Font,' and 'Lo and Behold'

The History of the English Language (The Podcast)

Words That Began as Metaphors

Inside Our Citation Files

Getting Philosophical About the Dictionary

The Newest Words in the Dictionary

The Year in Words 2021

Our Word of the Year 2021

Researching Slang (with Ben Zimmer)

Why Is There No 'N' in 'Restaurateur'?

'Decimate': Use It However You Want

What It Means to 'Call an Audible'

'Sneaked' vs. 'Snuck'

The Etymology of Insults

How Words Are Dropped from the Dictionary

Words Named After Real People

Taking an Ax—or Axe?—to the 'Podium' vs. 'Lectern' Debate

What's a folk etymology?

'Possum' or 'Opossum'?

How We Approach Compound Words

How Language Evolves (with Grammar Girl)