'Like' is one of those words we hear everywhere. It slips into sentences almost unnoticed, appearing in all kinds of informal conversations. The question is, why is it used so often? https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/why-we-say-like-so-much-when-we-speak/ #linguistics #language #like #funfact

The word 'whiskey' comes from a Gaelic phrase, 'uisce beatha', which means 'water of life'.  https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/36-interesting-word-origins-that-will-surprise-you/ #linguistics #etymology

Some examples of when phonetics shows up in your daily life: - When you ask Siri or Alexa a question - When you mishear lyrics - When you read the subtitles because you didn't quite catch what the character said https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/8-reasons-why-phonetics-matters/ #linguistics

The word 'parasite' is of Greek origin, 'parasitos', formed by 'para-' ('beside') and 'sitos' ('grain' or 'food'), means 'one who eats at another's table'.  https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/36-interesting-word-origins-that-will-surprise-you/ #linguistics #etymology

The way you talk to yourself is within your control, and it can literally rewire how you feel, think, and show up in the world. #linguistics #language #mindfulness #journal #psychology #psycholinguistics

Did you know that in English the glottal stop can be used for emphasis? For example: 'It was [ʔ]awful.' https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-a-glottal-stop/ #phonetics #linguistics #language

The Bible has been translated into 700+ languages, making it the most translated text ever. Interestingly, its translations sometimes constitute the first written instance of a language. #Linguistics #LanguageFacts #Translation

'Tulip' comes from the Ottoman Turkish 'tülbend' or 'dülbend', meaning 'turban', because the shape of the flower resembles a turban. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/36-interesting-word-origins-that-will-surprise-you/ #linguistics #etymology

And note that we also have over 100 episodes for free on all the podcast platforms, if you want some linguistics in your brain

Why do we say 'cute little old house', not 'old little cute house'? Because English speakers follow a hidden adjective order without realising it: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose, and then the noun. #English #Languages #Linguistics

Glottal stops do more than interrupt airflow. They can create differences in meaning, change rhythm, and even make everyday speech easier. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-a-glottal-stop/ #linguistics #phonetics #language

Did you know that babies can hear all the sounds from every language at birth? By 6-8 months, they start focusing only on the sounds of their native tongue, tuning out others to learn their language better. #languagelearning #linguistics #didyouknow

⭐ https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/why-we-say-like-so-much-when-we-speak/ #linguistics #language #like #english

The word 'like' performs a series of pretty important functions that make speech more flexible and expressive. Some people wonder why we use it so much, though! https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/why-we-say-like-so-much-when-we-speak/ #linguistics #funfact #language #like

Shinrin-yoku (森林浴) Forest bathing. The act of immersing oneself in the atmosphere of a forest, breathing it in slowly, and letting it heal the senses.

The glottal stop is probably one of the simplest, yet interesting, sounds in language. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-a-glottal-stop/ #linguistics #language #phonetics #glottalstop

The word 'sarcasm' comes from the Greek 'sarkasmos', meaning 'a sneer' or 'mockery', which derives from the verb 'sarkzein', 'to tear flesh' or 'to bite the lips in rage.' https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/36-interesting-word-origins-that-will-surprise-you/ #linguistics #etymology

Psycholinguistics helps us communicate more effectively, learn languages faster, support speech therapy, and create better technology for communication. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-psycholinguistics/ #linguistics #psycholinguistics

⭐ What is a glottal stop? https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-a-glottal-stop/ #linguistics #phonetics

Studying how we process and use language gives us insight into our thoughts, emotions, and how we perceive the world around us. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-psycholinguistics/ #linguistics #psycholinguistics

Technologies like Siri and Alexa use phonetics to catch what you’re saying. They do it by breaking your speech into phonemes and matching them to a pronunciation dictionary. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/8-reasons-why-phonetics-matters/ #linguistics #phonetics

cat → [kæʔ] what? → [wɒʔ] that → [ðæʔ] football → [ˈfʊʔbɔːl] bottle → [ˈbɒʔl̩] little → [ˈlɪʔl̩] Learn everything about the glottal stop :)  https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-a-glottal-stop/ #phonetics #linguistics #language

⭐ https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/why-we-say-like-so-much-when-we-speak/ #linguistics #language #like #english

The human mind is truly fascinating, just the fact that you are reading this, processing the words, and understanding them, is nothing short of extraordinary. Psycholinguistics studies how this is possible. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-psycholinguistics/ #linguistics

The Japanese word 'komorebi' means: ‘the sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees’ ✨

Imagine reading text with no spaces, no punctuation, and all caps!  That was ancient Greek scriptio continua (‘continuous script’). Words weren’t visually separated because reading was mostly aloud. Spaces appeared by the 8th–9th century. #linguistics #greek #reading

'Awkward' comes from the Middle English term 'awk', meaning 'perverse,' or 'clumsy,' which derives from the Old Norse 'afugr', meaning 'turned the wrong way' or 'backwards.' https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/36-interesting-word-origins-that-will-surprise-you/ #linguistics #etymology

The language we use (both in our internal monologue and aloud) influences where our attention goes, how we process emotions and how we make decisions. https://aboutlinguistics.com/language-thought-guide/ #linguistics #psycholinguistics

Take it here: https://aboutlinguistics.com/psycholinguistics-test/ #linguistics #selfhelp #psychology #personaldevelopment #mindfulness #GrowthMindset #LifelongLearning

Your language might shape how you see colour. Russian has separate words for light blue (goluboy) and dark blue (siniy). These aren’t just shades, they’re distinct colours, like red and pink in English. Russians can identify these colours quicker than English speakers. #linguistics #language

Even when your accent, speed, or intonation varies, voice assistants can still recognise you. This is thanks to phonetics turning raw audio into meaning. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/8-reasons-why-phonetics-matters/ #linguistics #phonetics

New paper just published with @evelinaleivada.bsky.social @garymarcus.bsky.social, Vittoria Dentella, Raquel Montero and Fritz Günther Fundamental Principles of Linguistic Structure Are Not Represented by ChatGPT bioling.psychopen.eu/index.php/bi...

"What part of the brain controls language?", "Why do I mix up languages when I'm tired?" https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-psycholinguistics/ #linguistics #psycholinguistics

⭐ https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/why-we-say-like-so-much-when-we-speak/ #linguistics #language #like #english

Psycholinguistics also supports technology. Voice assistants, translation tools, and chatbots rely on insights into how humans interpret and produce language. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-psycholinguistics/ #linguistics #psycholinguistics

⭐ https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/why-we-say-like-so-much-when-we-speak/ #linguistics #language #like #english

"Psycholinguistics is a big part of our daily lives and its findings have a tremendous power to improve society in many ways." https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-psycholinguistics/ #linguistics #psycholinguistics

The Language & Thought Guide is a practical, science-backed guide to help you recognise negative language patterns, reframe them, and think more clearly. It's completely free, you can download it here: https://aboutlinguistics.com/language-thought-guide/ #linguistics #psychology #psycholinguistics

The word 'shampoo' comes from the Hindi 'chāmpo', meaning 'to press' or 'to knead,' derived from the Sanskrit root 'chapati', meaning 'to press' or 'to massage.' https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/36-interesting-word-origins-that-will-surprise-you/ #linguistics #etymology

💜🧡 Language & Thought Mindfulness Journal 🧡💜 A guided journey into understanding how your internal dialogue influences the way you feel. https://aboutlinguistics.com/mindfulness-journal #linguistics #mindfulness #language #psycholinguistics #psychology

⭐ https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/why-we-say-like-so-much-when-we-speak/ #linguistics #language #english

Why do we say the word 'like' so much when we speak?  There's an explanation for it :)  https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/why-we-say-like-so-much-when-we-speak/ #linguistics #language #speech #funfact

I've seen this shared online, it's a collection of resources to learn 20+ languages. I'll share it on here in case anyone finds it useful 🙂 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vtGHKm4CuwVXMkppkEsOcdQwHkD8_ZHo?usp=sharing #languages #linguistics

When you listen to someone speak, your brain is not just waiting for the next word. It's actually predicting what might come next based on context and grammar. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/what-is-psycholinguistics/ #linguistics #psycholinguistics

Seen online: "The first Polish language dictionary (published in 1746) included definitions such as 'Horse: Everyone knows what a horse is.'" 😂 #linguistics #dictionary #polish #definition

Even sounds that don’t exist in other languages can be documented through phonetics, which is a lifeline for endangered languages. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/8-reasons-why-phonetics-matters/ #linguistics #phonetics

Take a look inside the Language & Thought Guide: A practical, science-backed guide to help you recognise negative language patterns, reframe them, and think more clearly, in just a few minutes a day. Get it for free! https://aboutlinguistics.com/language-thought-guide/ #linguistics #mindfulness

More phonetics moments: - When actors switch accents for a film - When you hear your name pronounced differently abroad - When you enjoy the rhythm of poetry - When you recognise a friend's voice in a crowded place https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/8-reasons-why-phonetics-matters/ #linguistics

LAST DAY to grab this 🌼 50% off Black Friday Offer 🌼 🧡 Language & Thought Mindfulness Journal 🧡 A guided journey into understanding how your internal dialogue influences the way you feel. https://aboutlinguistics.com/mindfulness-journal #linguistics #mindfulness #language #psycholinguistics

The Latin word 'genius' means 'guardian spirit' or 'innate quality', and it comes from the Proto-Indo-European word 'ǵenh-' (meaning 'to generate') and the verb 'gignere', which means 'to beget'. https://aboutlinguistics.com/explore/36-interesting-word-origins-that-will-surprise-you/ #linguistics