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Can your writing style give you away?

A writer may leave patterns in ordinary words, not just memorable phrases. Stylometry compares features such as word frequencies across texts. But a resemblance among a known set of authors is different from identifying an unknown person: a short message, a change of genre, or an editor can complicate the comparison.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • Why compare proportions of words rather than their raw counts?
  • What changes if the real author is absent from the candidate set?

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Language

How much can six braille dots say?

A braille cell has only six positions, but its meaning depends on more than which dots are raised. In Unified English Braille, letters, indicators, and context work together to represent written language.

3–5 min

How much can six braille dots say?

Language3–5 minA braille cell has only six positions, but its meaning depends on more than which dots are raised. In Unified English Braille, letters, indicators, and context work together to represent written language.

Language

ASL has its own grammar

American Sign Language is a complete language with grammar of its own. Hands, facial expression, and body movement contribute to meaning, so describing it as English transferred into gestures misses how it works.

3–5 min

ASL has its own grammar

Language3–5 minAmerican Sign Language is a complete language with grammar of its own. Hands, facial expression, and body movement contribute to meaning, so describing it as English transferred into gestures misses how it works.

Why is a newly spotted word not automatically a dictionary entry?

Language3–5 minA new expression can attract attention before there is enough evidence to include it in a dictionary. Cambridge's New Words posts and Merriam-Webster's account of editorial selection show different stages of observing language in use.

Can your writing style give you away? | Speech Topic | speaking.app