(AP) Dan the baboon sits in front of a computer screen. The letters BRRU pop up. With a quick and almost dismissive tap, the monkey signals it is not a word. Correct. Next comes, ITCS. Again, not a ...

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

When repeating four-letter words, participants held a challenging physical task for longer than when they said neutral words.

Most people walk around believing they have a pretty good sense of how English works. We learn the alphabet, pick up some spelling rules, and memorize how to pronounce tricky words, feeling confident ...

Made-up words like "clisious" and "smanious" are easier to remember when they sound beautiful. Could the feel of a word shape ...

There are legitimate explanations for why words like pterodactyl and tsunami exist. The rogue knight doubted that the asthmatic knave in knickers could climb the castle columns, but when their wrangle ...

Of course, it's impossible to provide an exact number of words in English, since new words are being added to the dictionary, and falling out of use, pretty much constantly. But what's an approximate ...

As many educators and researchers will attest, there’s no exact science to choosing vocabulary words—no inherent reason the word “detest” is more important to teach than “despise,” or why “compassion” ...

Sophia Skoufaki does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond ...

Corrected: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the tiers associated with challenging words. Children who enter kindergarten with a small vocabulary don’t get taught enough ...