9 Best Articles in 2021
Aeon+Psyche
Why is English so weirdly different from other languages? by John McWhorter — Aeon
Aeon+Psyche
~16 min read · From 2015 · No, English isn’t uniquely vibrant or mighty or adaptable. But it really is weirder than pretty much every other language
The Verge
OpenAI can translate English into code with its new machine learning software Codex
The Verge
6 min read · Aug 10th · Translated English into code with AI.
Aeon+Psyche
Why is the English spelling system so weird and inconsistent?
Aeon+Psyche
~13 min read · Jul 26th · Why is English spelling so weird and unpredictable? Don’t blame the mix of languages; look to quirks of timing and technology
Open Culture
Umberto Eco’s 36 Rules for Writing Well (in English or Italian)
Open Culture
3 min read · Jun 18th · Creative Commons image by Rob Bogaerts, via the National Archives in Holland Umberto Eco knew a great many things. Indeed too many things, at least according to his critics:
Guardian Books
Oxford English Dictionary adds new entries: chuddies, jibbons and fantoosh
Guardian Books
2 min read · From 2019 · An Indian English word for underpants joins a host of Scottish insults after the dictionary crowdsourced regional terms
The Guardian
Behemoth, bully, thief: how the English language is taking over the planet
The Guardian
~20 min read · From 2018 · The long read: No language in history has dominated the world quite like English does today. Is there any point in resisting?
Mashable
Millennials destroyed the rules of written English
Mashable
4 min read · From 2018 · The spelling and grammar rules do not apply on the Millennial Internet™.
WIRED
Coding Is for Everyone—as Long as You Speak English
WIRED
6 min read · From 2019 · Code depends on English—for reasons that are entirely unnecessary at a technical level.
articulatemarketing.com
American English vs British English: what should your company use?
articulatemarketing.com
3 min read · From 2017 · If you write for a multinational, choosing American English vs British English is an important decision. Our checklist explores the issues.
Trending
Guardian Books
Why translators should be named on book covers
Guardian Books
3 min read · Sep 10th · Publishers avoid highlighting the people who choose every word of the books they bring to English readers. This lack of transparency is misguided and unfair
Big Think
How to understand Einstein's equation for general relativity
Big Think
10 min read · Sep 15th · Mathematically, it is a monster, but we can understand it in plain English.
bylinetimes.com
Past Imperfect – Part One: Astroturfing History
bylinetimes.com
6 min read · Sep 2nd · As the battles of Brexit morph into a culture war, Otto English detects a pattern among the ‘concerned citizens’ demanding Britain ‘takes back control’ of its past
The School of Life
The Eyes of Love
The School of Life
3 min read · Aug 21st · In 1821, the 45-year-old English painter John Constable went out on to Hampstead Heath and did something very loving. He set up his easel and looked closely at an elm tree. He observed the weathering…
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Literary Hub
43 of the Most Iconic Short Stories in the English Language
Literary Hub
10 min read · 2020-08-13 · Last year, I put together this list of the most iconic poems in the English language; it’s high time to do the same for short stories. But before we go any further, you may be asking: What do…
plainenglish.co.uk
How to write in plain English
plainenglish.co.uk
10 min read · 2020-08-25 · Plain English Campaign owns the copyright to this guide. You are welcome to print out any of our guides or save them to disk for your own use. You may not photocopy any guide or pass on electronic…
Nautilus Magazine
The English Word That Hasn’t Changed in Sound or Meaning in 8,000 Years
Nautilus Magazine
5 min read · From 2019 · The word lox was one of the clues that eventually led linguists to discover who the Proto-Indo-Europeans were, and where they lived.Photograph…
Guardian Books
The 100 best novels written in English: the full list
Guardian Books
~14 min read · From 2016 · Robert McCrum has reached a verdict on his selection of the 100 greatest novels written in English. Take a look at his list
Aeon+Psyche
English Is Not Normal
Aeon+Psyche
~12 min read · From 2019 · No, English isn’t uniquely vibrant or mighty or adaptable. But it really is weirder than pretty much every other language.
thepoke.co.uk
English Pronunciation
thepoke.co.uk
2 min read · From 2012 · If you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world.
After t
TNW
The ultimate, 3500-word, plain English guide to blockchain
TNW
~13 min read · From 2017 · Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard of Bitcoin and blockchain. After all, they are one of the most trending topics these days — the ultimate buzzwords of the year. Even…
orwell.ru
Politics and the English Language
orwell.ru
~20 min read · From 2016 · Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it. Our…
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