Unquestionably, the English language is insane. It is so insane that there is even a poem dedicated to its insanity. We have devoted numerous articles on this site to English and its quirks. If you need further evidence that the language makes no sense, consider that dissimilar words such as laughter and rafter rhyme, but similar words such as ally, Wally, and tally each have a distinct pronunciation.

The phenomenon of words that are spelled similarly but pronounced differently is called “eye rhyme.” It can also be known as “visual rhyme” or “sight rhyme.”

Consider the following lengthy but by no means exhaustive list of eye rhyme examples:

The Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form

Here at Commonplace Fun Facts, we love words. We also love limericks. When we stumbled across The OEDILF, we thought someone had been taking a peek at our Christmas gift wish list.

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James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher

If you have figured out how to derive the meaning of a sentence containing nothing other than eight uses of the word “buffalo,” then roll up your sleeves and tackle this beauty: “James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher.”

March 18, 2023March 18, 2023

The Quest to Add Orbisculate to the Dictionary

What is the difference between a real word and a made-up word? OK, admittedly all words are made-up. We should probably ask what it takes to transform a newly manufactured word into one that shows up in dictionaries. The answer is usage. Once upon a time, someone reacted to some disgusting thing (we suspect it…

December 22, 2022December 22, 2022