July 7, 2026
metathesis
[muh-tath-uh-sis]
noun: the transposing of letters, syllables, or sounds in a word
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Metathesis is what happens when sounds or letters in a word swap places, sometimes through speech habits or language evolution. It's one of the many reasons why historical spellings might not match modern ones, or why everyday pronunciation drifts over time. So if a word sounds a little out of order, you might have metathesis to thank for the switcheroo. |
Example: Children often say "aminal" instead of "animal," which is a common example of metathesis.
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