The famous ‘th’ sound in Castilian Spanish is often attributed to a lisping king whose court mimicked his speech. This…
The vowel trapezoid chart is a familiar sight to any linguistics student, but its simple shape hides a fascinating story…
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is the gold standard for writing down sounds, but its origins are surprisingly humble. Discover…
The Welsh 'll' is more than just a tricky sound for language learners; it's a voiceless fricative with a deep…
Ever wonder how a single word can have multiple meanings based only on its melody? This post explores "tone spreading",…
Go inside your smart speaker and discover how it turns sound into text through the lens of linguistics. Explore the…
Why does Italian have 'pala' (shovel) but also 'palla' (ball)? This phenomenon, known as gemination or consonant doubling, isn't just…
Forget the weathered notebook and tape recorder. Modern linguists are deploying a high-tech toolkit to document endangered languages, using portable…
Your tongue performs incredible feats of precision for speech, all without a single bone. Discover the fascinating science of the…
Ever wonder why a rising and falling wail universally signals an emergency? This post breaks down the semiotics of warning…
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