Uploaded October 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Let's explore the spooky phenomenon of 👻GHOST WORDS👻. They're the words that made it into the dictionary despite not actually existing. Remember to head to squarespace.com/robwords to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code "robwords".
Some ghost words, like foupe, dord and kimes were quickly weeded out. Others remain in use to this day: like tweed, syllabus and gravy.
Be they accidental inventions or deliberate deceptions, you'll enjoy exploring the weird world of ghost words.
#etymology #english #halloween
==SOCIALS==
Check me out on Twitter & TikTok:
twitter.com/robwordsYT
tiktok.com/@robwords
==SOURCES==
grammarly.com/blog/ghost-words
quickanddirtytips.com/articles/ghost-words
newyorker.com/magazine/2005/08/29/not-a-word
theconversation.com/the-story-of-tweed-27013
==CHAPTERS==
0:00 Introduction
0:46 What are ghost words?
1:22 FOUPE - Samuel Johnson's error
2:47 ADVENTINE - Johnson's second mistake
3:16 The origin of "ghost words"
3:40 ABACOT - The wrong hat
4:14 KIMES - A misreading
4:47 MORSE - Walter Scott misunderstanding
5:35 SQUARESPACE
6:35 DORD - Density confusion
7:49 PHANTOMNATION - Alexander Pope error
9:27 GRAVY - A delicious mistake
10:22 TWEED - Wrong about the river
11:17 SYLLABUS - Cicero slip-up
12:09 ESQUIVALIENCE - A deliberate ruse
13:46 BEWARE!
14:00 Goodbye
Let's explore the spooky phenomenon of 👻GHOST WORDS👻. They're the words that made it into the dictionary despite not actually existing. Remember to head to squarespace.com/robwords to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code "robwords".
Some ghost words, like foupe, dord and kimes were quickly weeded out. Others remain in use to this day: like tweed, syllabus and gravy.
Be they accidental inventions or deliberate deceptions, you'll enjoy exploring the weird world of ghost words.
#etymology #english #halloween
==SOCIALS==
Check me out on Twitter & TikTok:
twitter.com/robwordsYT
tiktok.com/@robwords
==SOURCES==
grammarly.com/blog/ghost-words
quickanddirtytips.com/articles/ghost-words
newyorker.com/magazine/2005/08/29/not-a-word
theconversation.com/the-story-of-tweed-27013
==CHAPTERS==
0:00 Introduction
0:46 What are ghost words?
1:22 FOUPE - Samuel Johnson's error
2:47 ADVENTINE - Johnson's second mistake
3:16 The origin of "ghost words"
3:40 ABACOT - The wrong hat
4:14 KIMES - A misreading
4:47 MORSE - Walter Scott misunderstanding
5:35 SQUARESPACE
6:35 DORD - Density confusion
7:49 PHANTOMNATION - Alexander Pope error
9:27 GRAVY - A delicious mistake
10:22 TWEED - Wrong about the river
11:17 SYLLABUS - Cicero slip-up
12:09 ESQUIVALIENCE - A deliberate ruse
13:46 BEWARE!
14:00 Goodbye
