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Valerie M. Fridland

Despite all the likes, literallys and dropped g’s, English isn’t decaying before our eyes

Despite all the likes, literallys and dropped g’s, English isn’t decaying before our eyes

As a linguistics professor, I’m often asked why English is decaying before our eyes, whether it’s “like” being used promiscuously, t’s being dropped deleteriously or “literally” being deployed nonliterally. While these common gripes point to eccentric speech patterns, they don’t point to grammatical annihilation. English has
Valerie M. Fridland, University of Nevada 21 Apr 2026
Is it ‘Ih-ran’ or ‘E-ron’? Inside the politics of pronunciation

Is it ‘Ih-ran’ or ‘E-ron’? Inside the politics of pronunciation

With the war in Iran a topic on everyone’s lips, you might have noticed an inconsistency in the way that nation’s name is said, varying between a more native-like “Ih-ron” pronunciation and a more Americanized “Ih-ran” one. An everyday listener might just chalk this up
Valerie M. Fridland, University of Nevada 24 Mar 2026

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