Sunday, April 19, 2015

Word FrequencyTrivia

Writers enjoy words, individually or strung together in phrases and sentences. Words paint images, draw on memories, and transport us to different places and times. Recently, a fellow writer sent me a word frequency list based on commonly used words in American English texts and pointed out interesting characteristics.

Number 1 on the list is the. Not surprising, but the following might be:
He (#15) is used more often than she (#31) or me (#61).
I (#11) ranks higher than you (#14) or we (#24).
Can (#37) leads will (#48).
Know (#47); think (#56)
In (#6); out (#64)
            Just for fun here is more trivia.
The two longest one-syllable words in English are screeched and strengths.
Longest word with no repeated letters is uncopyrightable.
Synonyms which are antonyms: flammable and inflammable.
Often considered the longest word in English (45 letters), pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis refers to a lung disease.
Therein contains only seven letters, but it contains 10 words that can be formed using consecutive letters: the, there, I, he, in, rein, her, here, ere, herein.
            Play with words. Have fun writing.
Call for Submissions for Young Writers:
Rattle seeks submissions from poets age 15 or younger for our annual RYPA anthology. Our goal is to produce a book every year that both children and adults can learn from and enjoy. Young people are natural poets, and have important stories to share—they deserve a voice! Submitting is free, and all poets chosen receive two copies of the print anthology. Parents or teachers must submit on the child’s behalf.
Submission guidelines at www.rattle.com/children.
Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:
Fairy Tale Review seeks contemporary tales, realist to fabulist. Submissions are now being accepted for our twelfth annual issue, The Ochre Issue, of Fairy Tale Review, which will be published in 2016. The Ochre Issue has no particular theme—simply send your best fairy-tale work along the spectrum of mainstream to experimental, fabulist to realist. For fiction or nonfiction, send up to 8,000 words or three flash pieces less than 1,000 words each, and for poetry, send up to 5 poems totaling no more than 10 pages. Visit for more information—we will close for submissions in early summer.
Deadline info Deadline: May 15, 2015
Submission guidelines at fairytalereview.submittable.com/submit

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