Language

Heather Quinlan searched for New York accents around the city for her documentary If These Knishes Could Talk. She holds up a sign at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan.

National

Fuhgeddaboudit: New York Accent On Its Way Out, Linguists Say

7:26pm June 01, 2015

by Hansi Lo Wang

New York City is home to more than 700 languages, including distinct "New Yorker" accents. A new exhibit examines how changes in the city's population are contributing to their decline.

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Does A Foreign Accent Mess Up Our Memory Of What's Said?

5:28pm May 19, 2015

by Nancy Shute

It can be hard to decipher what a non-native speaker is saying. But that might not always be a bad thing when it comes to understanding or remembering, scientists say.

Near Valletta, Malta, on Thursday there was a funeral service for 24 of the hundreds of migrants who died earlier in the week when the ship they were on capsized and sank.

There's A Sad Reason 'Migrants,' Not 'Immigrants,' Is The Word Being Used

2:55pm April 26, 2015

by Mark Memmott

Hundreds of people died this month when an overloaded ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea. They were on the move, but never reached their destinations.

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People gather at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium in 2013 to show support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community of Russia.

World News

He, She Or Hen? Sweden's New Gender-Neutral Pronoun

4:03pm March 27, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The latest edition of the official dictionary of the Swedish language contains a new pronoun among its 13,000 new words — hen, to go along with he (han) and she (hon).

Fighters from the self-declared Islamic State parade through Raqqa, Syria, in June 2014.

There's A Reason We Say 'Self-Declared Islamic State'

2:14pm February 23, 2015

by Mark Memmott

When NPR correspondents report about that group, they try to make it clear that it is not a "state" in the standard sense of that word. This month's "Word Matters" conversation explains why.

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Miss Idaho, Sierra Sandison, shown here in her hometown of Twin Falls, Idaho, decided not to hide the insulin pump she wears to treat Type 1 diabetes during the pageant.

Health & Safety

A Look Back At The Top 5 Shots Posts In 2014

10:03am January 05, 2015

by Scott Hensley

In a year filled with gripping health stories, here are the ones that were the most popular with Shots readers. Think beauty pageant queens, pronouns and Ebola.

Does it bother you if the sign says "or less?" Or do you think the fans of "or fewer" are fussbudgets?

'Fewer' Or 'Less?' The Express Lane Language Debate

7:29pm December 06, 2014

by Mark Memmott

It's a divisive topic. Were you taught that it should be "10 items or fewer?" That would make "10 items or less" a glaring grammatical error.

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Siatta Scott Johnson (at right), who has guided NPR journalists through Liberia and its lingo, advises two girls on how best to carry bananas and bread.

World News

From 'Big Jues' To 'Tay-Tay Water,' A Quick Guide To Liberian English

3:12pm November 07, 2014

by Michaeleen Doucleff

An NPR reporter found that Liberian English is ... kind of like English and kind of like nothing you've heard before. Just stick an "o" at the end of a phrase if you're happy, and you're on your way.

Why Saying Is Believing — The Science Of Self-Talk

2:07pm October 30, 2014

by Laura Starecheski

Self-help videos tell women to learn to love their bodies by saying nice things to themselves in the mirror. Can shushing your harshest critic actually rewire the brain?

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The letters compiled in the book Letters of Note range from funny to sweet to tragic.

Books
Arts

Email Just Can't Compete With Heartfelt 'Letters Of Note'

10:02pm October 17, 2014

by NPR Staff

The art of letter writing is also an act of preserving history. The correspondences gathered in the book Letters Of Note tell stories of delight, hope and loss — and the nature of human connection.