11 definitions for lengthy words

This week, I set out to answer a simple question: What are the longest words in the English language? That led to a not-so-simple question: What do the longest words in the English language mean? Because many of these words are technical and have little practical use, their definitions do not appear in standard dictionaries. After a little digging, though, I now know what “pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism” means—and so can you. Below is a list of the longest words in English, along with their definitions. If you can pronounce any of these, treat yourself to a new pair...

Great writers on writing

Most of my favorite authors have not written anything new in hundreds of years. The Brontes, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, George Eliot—who all wrote in the 19th to early 20th century—have a combined body of work. Because nothing new will be added to that body of work, I must be content with reading their works over and over again. On Oct. 19, something wondrous is happening. My favorite living author, Philip Pullman, is releasing “The Book of Dust,” a new installment in the His Dark Materials series. A new book from an author I adore—this...

Should you use an “a” or ...

Determining whether to use “a” versus “an” should not be confusing, but it is. This week, I had a prolonged discussion with a co-worker about why “an MRI” is correct and “a MRI” is not. It turns out that many of us were taught the wrong rules for use of these indefinite articles. I remember being told to use “an” when the word preceding it starts with a vowel and to use “a” when the word preceding it starts with a consonant. The rules actually say to use “an” before any word beginning with a vowel sound and to use “a” before any word...

World’s most challenging writing t...

One reason I work in corporate communications is that it offers a broad range of writing assignments. From writing the CEO’s blog to email subject lines to medical case studies to advertising copy — I am continually challenged. But . . . there are always those assignments that you dread. Those tedious, soul-crushing projects that leave you staring at the screen, wondering where you went wrong in life. Or the impossibly difficult assignments that leave you staring at the screen, wondering at what point in your career you became a hack. Below are a few assignments that...

16 email marketing terms PR professional...

Though many PR professionals are fluent in marketing speak, some terms might be unfamiliar. Confusion can especially occur when PR pros’ marketing colleagues use terms related to email and digital marketing or employ abbreviations: “We need to re-think the CTA on that drip campaign because the CTR was abysmal.” Decipher your marketing department’s lingo with this quick guide to common email marketing terms: Inbound marketing — A strategy using content marketing, blogs, events, search engine optimization and social media to create brand awareness and attract new...

13 annoying verbs

Maybe you overhear someone use them on the train or while you’re waiting in line to buy coffee. Or you see them in a pop-up ad that you can’t close fast enough. Or perhaps your kids use them to purposefully annoy you. No matter how you try to avoid them, they’re out there . . . annoying verbs. Here are a few of most crazy-making verbs that corporate communications has to offer. 1. Conversate — I have no idea where “conversate”came from, but I have seen it in a few corporate emails. Is there something wrong with “talk” or...