The Sound of 1776: What the Language in Our Founding Documents Reveals
The following is a guest blog post written by Dr. Anne Curzan. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we may take for granted the name…
Indigenous Languages Rising: An Urgent Call to Uphold Language Rights
Languages are more than just words — they carry heritage, identity, and culture, ensuring they’re passed on to future generations. Yet many Indigenous and non-dominant languages face the threat of…
The State of Literacy in the Digital Age
Five years ago, Planet Word opened its doors with a bold mission: to spark a love of words, language, and reading in people of all ages — at a time…
English as Our Official Language — Symbolic or Significant?: Q&A with Dr. Bill Rivers
On March 1, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order designating English — and only English — as the official language of the United States. The move has sparked both…
Choosing the 2023 Word of the Year: Q&A with Ben Zimmer and Kelly Wright
Since 1990, the American Dialect Society has annually unveiled a Word of the Year — a newly prominent word that reflects significant events, societal shifts, and prevailing themes over the…
What Makes a Great Love Song?
“The Love Song is the noise of love itself.” — Nick Cave, Australian musician (from a lecture delivered at the Atelierhaus der Akademie der Bildenden Kunste, Vienna on September 25,…