Lexicology and general language experts state that the average English speaker knows around 25,000 to 35,000 words, which is a considerable amount for the brain to keep track of. It’s impressive to think that we can learn so many words and such a wide range of vocabulary daily, but there are so many more words we just don’t know, and so many little objects and items in daily life that we never even knew had a name at all. Read on to discover some new words that will definitely make you sound smart when you use them.
Eggcorn
Language is complicated, and we can all make a few mistakes when speaking or writing. It’s easy to mishear certain phrases and repeat them incorrectly. Examples include “all over sudden” instead of “all of a sudden” or “intensive purposes” instead of “intents and purposes.”
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These little mistaken words and expressions are known as eggcorns. Essentially, eggcorns are when we substitute certain words or phrases because they sound similar or precisely the same. The word was invented in 2003 by Geoffrey Pullum, a linguist.