Wendalyn Nichols, editor of the Copyediting newsletter, offers useful tips to copy editors and anyone else who prizes clear and orderly writing. Here she takes an extended look at the troublesome issue of when to hyphenate compounds.
Continue reading...
Wendalyn Nichols, editor of the Copyediting newsletter, offers useful tips to copy editors and anyone else who prizes clear and orderly writing. Here she takes an extended look at the troublesome issue of when to hyphenate compounds.
Continue reading...
Teachers at Work
A column about teaching
Probing Questions to "Right" Your Students' Writing (and Your Own) 
February 8, 2010
By Shannon Reed
Shannon Reed offers tips for how to encourage students to edit and revise their written work.
Continue reading...
Article Topics:
On OUPblog, the official blog of Oxford University Press, sociolinguist Alexandra D'Arcy has kicked off a new column by penning an ode to her grandmother, "a firm advocate of correctness" who "in the proud tradition of language purists... found anything other than 'the standard' objectionable."
Continue reading...
Article Topics:
Word Routes
Exploring the pathways of our lexicon
The Legend of Cary Grant's Telegram
February 4, 2010
By Ben Zimmer
A witty telegram that might be too witty to be true.
Continue reading...
Article Topics:
Automatically create lists of vocabulary from any text
using the Visual Thesaurus VocabGrabber.
The passing of the great J.D. Salinger has been met with an outpouring of online memorials.
Newsweek: The Gospel According to Holden
Combine sweet tooth with tooth fairy and you get sweet tooth fairy. That's the premise for The Illustrated Sweet Tooth Fairy, a website that seeks to collect such whimsical fusions as magnetic personality disorder, periodic table manners, and emotional baggage carousel. Erin McKean describes the project in the Boston Globe here.
Article Topics:
Crash Blossoms Keep on Blossoming
February 2, 2010
- 4 Comments
Spelling Whiz, Part Two: Tony Incorvati of Canton Country Day
January 27, 2010
Googling vs. Bing-ing
January 22, 2010
- 7 Comments
"Sleeping Beauties" in English and Dutch
January 20, 2010
- 2 Comments
When Grammar Rules Get Confusing, Use Your Head
January 19, 2010
- 26 Comments
"Team Conan": The Latest Pop-Culture Posse
January 13, 2010
- 2 Comments
Knowing Write from Wrong: How I Get My Classes to Write
Click here to browse all the articles in our archive by date.
January 11, 2010
- 6 Comments
- Indicates content available exclusively to Visual Thesaurus subscribers.Click here to subscribe today.
- Word RoutesExploring the pathways of our lexicon
- Language LoungeA Monthly Column for Word Lovers
- Word CountWriters Talk About Writing
- Behind the DictionaryLexicographers Talk About Language
- CandlepowerAd and marketing creatives
- Teachers at WorkA column about teaching
- BackstoryAuthors tell you what inspired their work
- Evasive ManeuversEuphemisms old and new
- WordshopVocab activities for your classroom
- Dog EaredBooks we love
- EdulinksUseful sites for educators
- Blog Excerpts
- Blog Du Jour
- Dept. of Word Lists
- Book NookGood reads for educators
- WordmastersLanguage Arts Classroom Competition
- WunderkindA column for scrappy students
Featured Word Lists
- incinerate
- dismember
- calligraphy
- incriminate
- embroider
- ostracize
- reversible
- recuperate
- nonchalant
- rile
- root canal
- scorekeeper
- Islamic Republic of Iran
- work shift
- take office
More Top Rated Word Lists:
Eclectic Words(92 words)
The End of Faith(118 words)
/sl-/ words(16 words)
Crossword words(377 words)
Declaration of Independence (VocabGrabber)(245 words)
The Top 60 Most Common Academic Words(60 words)
Evolution(51 words)
Death of a Salesman(39 words)
OVERHEARD
RECENT COMMENTS FROM OUR SUBSCRIBERS
Right Back Atcha, Mr. Hyphenator
David D.
said,
"Dictionaries do not all agree but what is worse are the built-in dictionaries usually called "spell checkers" in word processing programs. My program..."
- Today, 12:53 PM
Don H.
said,
"That was great! Clarified some things that I've been wondering about for years (decades)."
- Today, 10:55 AM
Frank C.
said,
"I always enjoy reading this "writers talk" column. I recognize my own writing defects while reading it.
If I write an email to someone, and reread..."
- Today, 10:53 AM
Richard A.
said,
"Enjoyed the lucid discussion. My watchword "in the service of clarity on behalf of the reader" seems well served here.
Thanks."
- Today, 10:03 AM
Probing Questions to "Right" Your Students' Writing (and Your Own)
JOHN E.
said,
"Shannon,
Regarding editing -- some good suggestions in your article that I intend to use in my work in the techno-management-marketing world.
Most..."
- Today, 12:36 AM
WordMasters: Grade 5 Gold Division Jan-Feb '10
Teresa G.
said,
"My kids have been doing Word Masters for years, I have a hard time helping them study though and we set out all of the index cards they have worked on..."
- Yesterday, 9:07 PM
What a Composer Can Teach You about Writing
Daphne Gray-Grant
said,
"Thanks for the terrific comments, everyone. The interview was supposed to be aired in January (and then made available by podcast) but it doesn't seem..."
- Yesterday, 5:47 PM
POPULAR TOPICS
Lesson Plans
Put the VT to work in your classroom
Salinger and the Vocabulary of the Vernacular
February 5, 2010
How can students map the meanings of some of Holden Caulfield's slang words and expressions?
Continue reading...
Recent Lesson Plans:
A Victorian Vocabulary Challenge
January 4, 2010
Vocabulary Bursting with Energy
November 11, 2009
- 2 Comments
Mind Your Pints and Quarts: Making Sense of Liquid Measurement
October 2, 2009
- 1 Comment
The weather outside might be frightful, but you can cozy up by the fire with our winter-themed crossword puzzle. Solve it and you could win a Visual Thesaurus T-shirt!
Continue reading...
For the past few years, the Visual Thesaurus has been a proud partner of The New York Times Learning Network, helping students boost their reading, writing and communications skills. We've been working together to develop innovative lesson plans that integrate the Visual Thesaurus with engaging articles from the pages of The New York Times. Now, as the Learning Network gets a new look, re-launched as a Times blog, we're working even more closely to provide new resources for teaching and learning.
Continue reading...
Article Topics:
Recent Announcements:
Introducing... Community Spelling Bees
September 23, 2009
- 8 Comments
Grab Hold of Your Vocabulary with VocabGrabber!
May 5, 2009
- 10 Comments
Word Lists: Sharing the Lexical Love
March 24, 2009
- 1 Comment
Give your favorite somebody your favorite word map! Now you can order a Visual Thesaurus word map on a t-shirt, mug, even a postage stamp. Simply search for a word, click on the "Share" button on top right hand of the Visual Thesaurus window, and follow the easy steps. We can't think of a better gift -- or a gift to yourself, for that matter! (Hey, we're biased!)
Incorporate the Visual Thesaurus into your blog or website, add it to your
home page, or use it from Microsoft Word. Learn all the ways that we offer
to make the Visual Thesaurus more convenient to use and easier to share
with your friends, family, and colleagues:
- Add a shortcut to your desktop
- Add the Visual Thesaurus to your browser's toolbar
- Embed the Visual Thesaurus into your blog or web page
- Add the Word of the Day to your blog or web page
- Link to the Visual Thesaurus
- Use the Visual Thesaurus from Microsoft Word
