Words in the dictionary are sometimes weird. Linguistically speaking, many of them shouldn’t be in it. Words such as “cheerer-upper” and “amazeballs” are in it. Some are in our dictionaries as well. Common expressions like, “Yolo”, “Adorbs,” or “Selfie” are in it, but some words are strange.
One word in the dictionary (according to yourdictionary.com) is stranger than any word. It is the word, “funner”. When looked up on Google, it states, “Funner is a regular comparative of the adjective fun.” Still a hot debate, funner is, well, a funny word. It doesn’t sound grammatically correct.
When comparing two different things, sometimes it’s easier to combine two words. Like when you say, “I gotta go,” you’re combining the words, “got to.” Although words like funner can help conversations move more smoothly, it isn’t technically correct. Sometimes, you need some help to correct how you talk. For instance, when you say, “Can I go to the bathroom?” and your teacher corrects it to “May I?”, your grammar is changed. For us humans, communication is essential. Even if it’s not correct, should grammar really stop us from us from expanding our vocabulary? What about all of the other incorrect words?
If we can’t invent new words, how do we give our sentences some spice? All we need to do is use more words like funner. So, next time you need to add some fancy words in your conversations, don’t be afraid to use uncommon words to your heart’s desire. It’s fun and easy to show what vocabulary knowledge you have.
By: Avey Schulz
Photo Credits: http://www.merriam-webster.com
