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Tracking The (English) Words We Use

Zugok writes "Wordcount.org has an interactive presentation of the 86,800 most frequently used English words. In addition they have Query Count which is a dynamic database of what are the most queried words on Wword Count. Then there is the conspiracy corner where certain words seems to end up in some sort of eerie order. Cowboy comes 14834 and Neal comes 18928. Bebop comes 70673."

17 of 332 comments (clear)

  1. Love Hate by richardoz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    At least love @384 ranks above hate @3107

    I think the world isn't so bad...

    --
    All the worlds indeed a .sig, and we are mearly players..
    1. Re:Love Hate by KRYnosemg33 · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Sure, but what you fail to realize is that the word is most often used in the following cases:
      "I love Britney Spears"
      "I love M. Jackson"
      "I loved Gigli"
      "I love [insert political candidate] because of [insert extremely dumbass reason]"

      You realize the world isn't the poetic and romantic place you think it is.

    2. Re:Love Hate by gl4ss · · Score: 1, Insightful

      it's just overused in english, so overused that "i love *" has barely any meaning above "at just this second i quite like..".

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    3. Re:Love Hate by DrEldarion · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yet people are still terrified of saying "I love you".

  2. You know this world is in trouble by Lispy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    when the word "money" makes place 227 while "love" is at 384. Or maybe I am just turning into some sort of postmodern hippie. ;-)

  3. no flash, please by latroM · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is so bad. No one should make their information to depend on non-free software. I will not install flash to see this.

  4. 86,800 most frequently used English words??? by ceeam · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Bloody hell, I wonder what other words are _not_ so frequently used then.

    1. Re:86,800 most frequently used English words??? by jonadab · · Score: 3, Insightful

      > I wonder what other words are _not_ so frequently used then.

      Use Google, and try to get the lowest number you can get for the number of
      pages. Yes, this is a variant on GoogleWhacking, but with only one word.

      Some quick attempts: Google finds 76,500 pages using 'rotund' (round),
      31,000 for 'pneumatology' (the study of the [sS]pirit), 13,900 for 'cromulent'
      (valid), 818 for 'pimola' (a stuffed olive), 242 for 'anatopism' (something
      that is out of place), and only 31 for 'propretonic' (preceding the syllable
      before the accent).

      I chose "pimola" because I happen to know that it's not listed in the OED, so
      I figured it was fairly uncommon, but it turns out that a couple of the other
      words I tried are even less common. I was surprised that "propretonic" isn't
      used more often. FWIW, the sites that do use it probably use it numerous
      times each.

      --
      Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
  5. Flash!? by avalys · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It would be nice if the list were available in plaintext form, instead of this slow and miserable Flash presentation.

    This is a prime example of Flash being misused. It's not needed at all, and only serves to slow things down. It also makes it impossible to use the data for anything useful.

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    This space intentionally left blank.
    1. Re:Flash!? by FinestLittleSpace · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I agree that there should be a simple listing of it (although any half-decent programmer could try packet catching and watch what it requests.. its probably very easy to make a bespoke script to go get the data)....

      BUT.. the flash implementation is very clear, easy to use and a good bit of coding. So Ner.

    2. Re:Flash!? by julesh · · Score: 4, Insightful

      BUT.. the flash implementation is very clear, easy to use and a good bit of coding. So Ner.

      Sorry, according to the copy I've just downloaded, there are NaN words in the archive, and the word I've just clicked on (""), is at position NaN.

      I wouldn't say it was exactly the greatest coding in the world.

  6. Re:I have looked up all the rude words: by kaleco · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I don't have Flash. A couple of non-php static html pages generated once a day could have handled a league table, with a PHP search.
    Did the Conspiracy page report a coincidence of the words 'Fu*c' and 'Microsoft'? :)

    --
    Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped. Calvin Coolidge
  7. Reminds me of flaming logos by QuietLagoon · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Nice concept for a web site, but the gratuitous use of technology gets in the way.

  8. Re:Flash? by alatesystems · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I really am sick of sites that require flash to get actual information. It should be part of the usability guidelines of the web that information be required to be in at least format.

    Take these two sites for example. I work in the healthcare profession and we don't run our machines as administrators, and flash isn't installed default on Win2k. When you go to Ochsner's Health Plan website, you can't do anything unless we, as administrators, log in and install flash for them from the activex control, just to log in as a provider.

    Also, Houston RoadRunner is the exact same.

    I hate flash, a lot, and It annoys me because you can't manipulate fonts, you can't use scroll wheel most of the time, all the control is taken AWAY from the user. I love flash when used for hilarious web cartoons, but using it for content is ridiculous.

    Chris

  9. Cool idea by wombatmobile · · Score: 3, Insightful

    That has to be the coolest use of Flash

    It is a cool idea and it has been implemented with Flash.

    I'd like to see it implemented without Flash. What is cool would then be more accessible and available faster. That would be more compelling.

  10. Re:Nice flash by julesh · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yeah, very cool.

    "A script in this movie is causing Macromedia Flash Player 6 to run slowly. If it continues to run your computer may become unresponsive. Do you want to abort this script?"

  11. Re:NSFW! by mykdavies · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Fortunately, the webmaster's decision to use Flash means that that wasn't a problem for anyone with Flash disabled.

    But, using Flash to display a list of words???

    --
    The world has changed and we all have become metal men.