A swear word is like a linguistic punch in the nose. Virtually every language and culture has them—and virtually every language and culture formally disapproves of them. But that doesn’t stop them ...

These four sounds are missing from some of the seven words you can never say on television, and the pattern prevails in other languages too, researchers say. By Elizabeth Preston “Holy motherforking ...

Why are some sounds easier to remember than others? A study on made-up words points to the harsh consonants that also dominate profanity.

The English language is full of oddities, but some words sound so absurd you’d swear someone made them up after one too many pints. However, they’re real, many with histories stretching back centuries ...