WORD WONDERS

Which is the most used letter in the English language? 8 fun word facts

Image: Brett Jordan

Language enriches the world. Different languages and their diversity not only offer us the possibility to communicate but also to have fun. From the origins of peculiar words to the singularities of grammatical structures, here you have some linguistic fun facts to surprise your friends the next time you see them, with a mysterious treat left for the end.

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There are no speeding fines in Japan. Well, there are if you're driving, but when it comes to speaking, Japanese people break all speed records.

You've probably had the opportunity to hear someone speak Japanese. Did it sound too fast? You'll be glad to know that it is not just your perception.

In fact –buckle up!– Japanese is the fastest language in the world, and its speakers can produce 7.84 syllables per second. Its accelerated rhythm is due to the compactness of its words and its unique syllabic structure.

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No, there are no mistakes in the title. You read it right; those astonishing 45 characters make up the longest word in the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Can you pronounce the whole thing? You'd better get a good breath of fresh air before you try.

If you want to know what it means, this may give you a clue: "pneumo-" refers to the lungs, and the suffix "-osis" indicates a condition, state, or disease. This incredible word refers to a type of lung disorder caused by inhaling silica dust, usually used in the manufacture of glass, pottery, ceramics, bricks, and artificial stone.

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The United States is a diverse and multicultural nation. English and Spanish are the first and second most spoken languages, but they are only two among many.

Although English is the official language of a few different countries around the world, such as Australia, Canada, and Botswana; it is not the official language of the United States. In fact, the country has no declared official language.

Despite this fact, some states –like Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and many others– have declared English the official state language.

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The English alphabet has 26 letters. While that may seem like a lot, it doesn't compare to the number of letters in the alphabet you'll see below.

With 74 letters (33 consonants and 41 vowels), Khmer is the longest alphabet in the world. Even the Guinness World Records recognizes this alphabet for its length!

Also known as Cambodian, Khmer is the official language of Cambodia, spoken by some 15 million native speakers. What makes it even more complex is the fact that words in the same sentence are usually written without spaces between them.

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Sign languages are important tools for communication and inclusion, so it is always good to learn how to use them. According to the United Nations, there are about 300 different sign languages worldwide. Approximately 70 million people use sign languages every day around the world.

Different parts of the world have different sign languages with their distinctive structure and characteristics. There is also an international sign language to facilitate global communication.

The UN General Assembly designated 23 September as the International Day of Sign Languages to promote awareness of its value.

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Unless It's Raining Men, as in the famous song by the Weather Girls, rain is usually the same, right? Well, it seems it's not always like that, at least not in Hawaii.

The Hawaiian language has about 200 words for rain. This impressive number can be attributed to Hawaiians' deep connection to nature, which also demonstrates the intricate relationship between a language and its environment.

Each of those 200 words defines rain by different characteristics, including its intensity or duration.

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According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the most used letter in English is E. Which means that many words in our language have it. Do you dare to count how many times E shows up in this article?

Its frequency in our language probably explains why it is worth only 1 point in Scrabble. On the other hand, the least common letters in English, J, X, Q, and Z, are worth 8 and 10 points.

The frequency of the letter E is not a coincidence, it is explained by the fact that it appears in a very used word: the. We also find it in pronouns such as he, she, me, we, and they, and in plurals ending in -es.

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One of the most intriguing languages in the world is one of the oldest living European languages, too. Euskera, also known as the Basque language, has a long history, and its origins have not yet been established with certainty.

Basque remains a cultural symbol for native speakers and continues to thrive. Although there have been many hypotheses about its origin, specialists stated that Euskera is not an Indo-European language. That is to say that, apparently, it doesn't share roots with any other European language.

Euskera’s unknown bases have led to the craziest theories. Some ancient linguists have even attributed its existence to extraterrestrial beings!

MERGING MEANING

Wordbuilding: 10 portmanteaus that fly under the radar

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First of all, what exactly is a portmanteau? Portmanteaus, also known as blend words, are formed by combining both the sounds and meanings of two or more words. More often than not, portmanteaus are intentionally created to introduce new ideas or concepts into the English language in a natural and intuitive way. Some blend in so seamlessly that we might even forget they're made from two other words! From "smog" to "motel" or even "brunch," portmanteaus are everywhere. Dive with us into the strange and surprising world of word blends.

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A combination of "smoke" and "fog," the term "smog" was coined in London during the early 20th century to describe the dense, fog-like air pollution resulting from industrial smoke mixing with atmospheric moisture. This phenomenon became particularly severe during the winter months, as cold, damp conditions trapped pollutants close to the ground.

The Great Smog of 1952 in London, a tragic event that caused thousands of deaths, cemented the concept into popular language and served as a wake-up call about the risks of heavily polluted air in modern cities.

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Although many English speakers assume that "helicopter" is composed of "heli-" and "-copter," leading to terms like "helipad" and "quadcopter," it is actually a portmanteau of the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing).

While the first practical helicopters did not become widespread until World War II, the concept is much older, and the term itself was coined by French inventor Gustave de Ponton d'Amécourt in 1861. He created a small steam-powered prototype that followed the same aerodynamic principles used in contemporary helicopter designs.

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Curiously, the word saw some use before the advent of computing, and it was used as early as 1849, to describe something interconnected or interwoven, most likely fabrics. Today, the terms "Internet" and "World Wide Web" are often used interchangeably, though they do not mean the same thing.

The World Wide Web, or the Web, is actually just one of a large number of Internet services that currently exist, alongside others like email and file-sharing.

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In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last fifty years, pixels are the tiny dots that form the images you see on screens, making up the building blocks of digital displays. Each pixel represents a single point of color, and together, pixels create the complete image on a screen.

Although "pixel" might seem like a tiny word for an even tinier concept, did you know that it actually combines two words? The term is short for "picture element," with the word "pix" being derived from "picture" and "el" from "element."

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"Motel" combines "motor" and "hotel" to describe a type of roadside lodging designed specifically for motorists. But even if you already knew that—admittedly, it is fairly obvious—did you know the name actually originated from a specific hotel? The now-defunct Milestone Mo-Tel, located in San Luis Obispo, California, built in 1925, was the first to coin the term. In fact, it was later renamed the "Motel Inn."

This type of roadside lodging became very popular as modern highway systems developed throughout the 20th century, peaking around the 1960s. Today, motels have largely been displaced by chain hotels near highway interchanges. However, for those feeling nostalgic, some motels have been preserved as historic sites, offering a glimpse into mid-century travel culture.

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"Chortle," a blend of "chuckle" and "snort," has a surprisingly literary origin. The word was coined by Lewis Carroll in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, to describe a laugh that perfectly combines the elements of chuckling and snorting.

Carroll was quite fond of portmanteaus, and in fact, he actually coined the term "portmanteau" itself to describe these blend words—which may or may not be a portmanteau itself, depending on who you ask. The word originally referred to a suitcase that opened on a hinge into two equal parts, which Carroll used as a metaphor for words that blend two meanings into one.

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"Ginormous" merges "gigantic" and "enormous" to describe something that is exceptionally large. The term, which emerged during World War II as slang among British soldiers, gained popularity in part due to its exaggerated and humorous tone.

While one might argue that it's an unusual portmanteau, given that both words carry nearly identical meanings, the combination creates a reinforcing effect that emphasizes the absurdity of the size it describes. Eventually, the widespread use of "ginormous" led to its formal recognition in dictionaries, becoming an accepted part of standard English vocabulary.

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A portmanteau of "iPod" and "broadcast," the word "Podcast" was coined in the early 2000s, as digital audio content began to gain traction. While the term was initially limited to media produced for Apple’s iPod, the term evolved beyond its original context to refer to any type of spoken content, regardless of the device used for listening.

Podcasts peaked in popularity during the pandemic, and have since become a major platform for delivering spoken content, from news to entertainment, to global audiences.

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Another obvious example, "email" is a blend of "electronic" and "mail," yet we often become so accustomed to the word that we forget its original meaning. Developed in the 1970s, email revolutionized communication, marking a significant shift away from traditional postal services.

By the 1980s and 1990s, email use had spread across businesses, government, universities, and defense industries. With the rise of webmail and email clients in the mid-1990s, it quickly extended to the general public. By the 2000s, email had achieved ubiquitous status, becoming a primary mode of communication worldwide.

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"Brunch" is a blend of "breakfast" and "lunch," first appearing in Britain in the late 19th century as a mid-morning Sunday meal or hunt breakfast. It was introduced as a more relaxed dining option that bridges the gap between breakfast and lunch, often enjoyed on weekends or holidays.

At the time, the concept reflected a shift toward more leisurely dining experiences. Over the years, brunch has become a cultural phenomenon, with dedicated menus and establishments catering to the growing popularity of this mid-morning meal. It traditionally offers a variety of foods and beverages suited to both breakfast and lunch preferences, making it a versatile dining option.