Language Trivia

Name:

Date:

Instructions: Fun and surprising facts about the English language

1.
What is the longest word in English that can be typed using only the top row of a keyboard?
A
Quarterly
B
Prototype
C
Territory
D
Typewriter
2.
What is the most commonly used letter in the English language?
A
S
B
E
C
A
D
T
3.
A word that reads the same backwards and forwards (like 'racecar') is called a what?
A
Palindrome
B
Acronym
C
Homophone
D
Anagram
4.
The dot over the letters 'i' and 'j' has a special name. What is it?
A
A tittle
B
A jot
C
A pip
D
A speck
5.
What is the shortest complete sentence in English?
A
Go!
B
Do.
C
I go.
D
I am.
6.
The '#' symbol is commonly called a hashtag today, but what is its traditional name?
A
All of these
B
Number sign
C
Octothorpe
D
Pound sign
7.
What is the only English word that ends in the letters '-mt'?
A
Exempt
B
Dreamt
C
Warmth
D
Attempt
8.
The English word 'set' is notable for having the most what in the Oxford English Dictionary?
A
Letters
B
Definitions
C
Synonyms
D
Syllables
9.
Which of these words contains all five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) exactly once?
A
Automobile
B
Education
C
Sequential
D
Beautiful
10.
What is the name for a word that imitates a sound, like 'buzz' or 'hiss'?
A
Antonym
B
Homonym
C
Onomatopoeia
D
Synonym
11.
The '&' symbol (ampersand) was once considered the 27th letter of the English alphabet. What phrase gave it its name?
A
Amper stand
B
And per se and
C
Ample sand
D
And person and
12.
Which common English word has no true rhyme?
A
Purple
B
All of these
C
Silver
D
Orange
13.
What is the term for two words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, like 'bat' (animal) and 'bat' (cricket)?
A
Homophones
B
Antonyms
C
Homonyms
D
Synonyms
14.
The sentence 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog' is special because it is a what?
A
Anagram
B
Tongue twister
C
Pangram
D
Palindrome
15.
Approximately how many words does the average educated adult English speaker know?
A
5,000-10,000
B
10,000-20,000
C
50,000-100,000
D
20,000-35,000

Answer Key

Question 1

D. Typewriter

Question 2

B. E

Question 3

A. Palindrome

Question 4

A. A tittle

Question 5

A. Go!

Question 6

A. All of these

Question 7

B. Dreamt

Question 8

B. Definitions

Question 9

B. Education

Question 10

C. Onomatopoeia

Question 11

B. And per se and

Question 12

B. All of these

Question 13

C. Homonyms

Question 14

C. Pangram

Question 15

D. 20,000-35,000

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