Moist. Mucus. Cyst. These are just a few examples of words people hate to hear. They make your skin crawl not only because of the gross visuals that come to mind, but also because of the way they ...

Effective communication lies at the heart of human connection. It helps us collaborate with each other, solve problems and ...

Do you think you have a good vocabulary? We can guarantee you've probably never heard some of these funny words before. Are you one of those people who still giggle when someone says “duty”? Wait ...

These four sounds are missing from some of the seven words you can never say on television, and the pattern prevails in other languages too, researchers say. By Elizabeth Preston “Holy motherforking ...

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their ...

The wind is up; a dry wind. Between four walls, we're only aware of its presence by the sounds it makes. Whistling, hissing, sometimes howling. The effect on the building is noticeable: creaks in the ...

The English language is full of oddities, but some words sound so absurd you’d swear someone made them up after one too many pints. However, they’re real, many with histories stretching back centuries ...

Linguists have noticed that many swear words share the same sharp, punchy sounds—hard consonants like “k,” “t,” and “g” that burst out of the mouth rather than flow. When a study examined those sound ...