Skip to content

The word for today is…

epenthesis (noun) -

: the insertion or development of a sound or letter in the body of a word

Source : Merriam-Webster

Etymology : If you say film as "FIL-um," with two syllables, you've committed epenthesis. It isn't a punishable offense-in fact, it's not an offense at all. It is simply a natural way to break up an awkward cluster of consonants. It's easier for some people to say film as two syllables instead of one, just as it's easier for some to insert a "b" sound into cummerbund, pronouncing that word as "CUM-ber-bund."

If you enjoyed this Good Oil word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest

An Attack on the Open Society

An Attack on the Open Society

When a prime minister treats the defence of female private space as planetary eccentricity, the open society is already yielding ground. The cost is paid by the very girls and women the liberal order was supposed to protect.

Members Public