Merriam-Webster’s Word for the Wise is all about word fun.
Where else can one find daily ruminations on language topics ranging from “Middle Name Pride Day”
to the I Ching, from grits to Ray Bradbury, and from daffynitions to The Communist Manifesto?
Read, listen, or submit your own questions for examination.
The Word for the Wisearchive extends back one full
year, and exploring it is a fantastic way to kill time at work or school. If your boss or teacher asks, we
didn’t tell you that!
Join the swarm at Merriam-Webster’sSpelling Bee Hive—the
online home for spellers of all ages. See past winning words, learn about Noah Webster’s
spelling reforms, and take the daily Spelling Quiz to sharpen your skills.
It’s that special time of year again—an occasion for sweaty palms, anxious moments, and interminable
anticipation. No, we are not referring to the prom. We’re talking about the annual Scripps National
Spelling Bee, sponsored by Merriam-Webster. Spelling Bee season is prime time for
poring over dictionaries and cramming as much word knowledge into your brain as humanly possible. For help
visit Spell It! for guides on language of origin, spelling and pronunciation
tips, practical study exercises and much more.
Merriam-Webster Unabridged houses the
perfect set of language tools for educators, writers, librarians, lawyers, academics and word fanatics from
around the globe. Subscription grants full access to the entire gamut of Merriam-Webster premium
online content, oodles of interactive games, and the always entertaining and enlightening
online newsletter that offers a sneak peek into the minds of our lexicographers. Take it for a
free two week test drive!
Noah Webster published the nation’s first speller, grammar and reader 225 years ago. The book became known as
the Blue-Back Speller and sold a million copies a year at a time when the entire U.S.
population was only 23 million! The speller’s success helped Webster fund work on the larger reference works we
all use today. See the eventual fruits and offspring of those lexicographical labors—both traditional and
technological—on full display in the Merriam-Websteronline bookstore.
Look up words instantly while browsing anywhere on the web.
