Thank you! Dealing with some wifi issues here so I posted my comment while still editing it because I feared “losing it”. LOL..”the adventures of writing in the internet” LOL. Nevertheless, yours is excellent point and observation, which I truly appreciated!

I actually trust Mari-Lou A has a good point. The question goes beyond the definition of “word”. Communicating in writing gives so much room for error (I think the gap is far larger than when we misunderstand each in verbally, which is a scary thought to me, to say the least...lol..) that it gives room for much confusion and questions...it’s good to raises, not so good to be confused. Lol. To state that a word is not a word when it’s already being used - even if it’s used outside grammar standards within a language isn’t a very good way of putting it within sound written communication.

Therefore, I trust I could’ve written “boringest is not yet a word accepted as grammatically correct”. HOWEVER, there are various discussions in this same topic, which refer to the frequent statement we make while referring to “made up words” or incorrect terms with a language. The frequent statement I’m referring to is “That’s not a real word”

How many times have you said or heard someone saying such thing? How can we say “that’s not a real word” or “that’s not a word” about something that hasn’t already been used as such?

Therefore, when even scholars and university professors state “That’s not a word”, what they’re actually saying is exactly what I mean when I wrote that “Boringest” is not a word. As far as dictionaries go, plenty dictionaries omit real words while including rather incorrect words. When we say “that’s not a word”, it’s largely understood that we mean “that’s not the way we write or say or use this”. One can make a case of “it’s word but it’s grammatically wrong to use it” of actual words within English. For example “more” is a word that can be used incorrectly.

If I write or say “More greater” (yikes...it hurts just writing it...lol...), I have used two words that exist and are accepted with English grammar standards but I used such words to formulate a rather incorrect term and superlative form that DOESN’T EXIST except as “incorrect use or form”.

Does “boringest” exist? Sure, it exists...but it’s not a word by any standard other than the ones that have adapted incorrect words in order to use it outside the standards of grammar.

So Mari Lou A isn’t completely wrong...because it’s true that many dictionaries include words that aren’t by English grammar standards defined as AN ACTUAL WORD used within such standards. Anything that we put together and construct by using the letters within a language alphabet can be CONSIDERED as a “word” but it doesn’t mean it’s a word within the language standards of grammar. If it’s not within grammar standards, it’s limited to the accepted WRONG USE OF it.

Ironically, we’ve been using words that don’t exist for a very long time...I’m GUILTY AS CHARGED! LOL

In fact, my family and many of my friends would truthfully testify to you on one of my “top hobbies”, which is my tendency to not only make up words but to adapt and adhere to it to the point of using it as real words, whether I communicate verbally or in writing!

Mari-Lou A, I don’t have a habit of making life about me, let alone making words about me...though I can definitely fail while trying to express myself clearly and effectively...and I’m not going to mention conciseness because as you can well observe, I’m terrible at writing concisely...though I try...

If I may add, in many different areas of life and within different means of communication, we can easily observe the use of words that aren’t actual words by anyone’s standards, including the folks using it! Music and poetry being “at the front” of such incorrect yet largely practiced use of language.

And Mari-Lou A, I sincerely apologize because I didn’t mean to imply that you’re wrong by writing and stating that you aren’t “completely wrong”. YIKES! It’s gross understatement to say that communication is an extremely important and necessary, vital part of life! Our very survival depends on our ability to communicate well. Equally important and vital is the type of messages we care to communicate, HOW we communicate it - how we express ourselves as the message senders and whether recipients are able to effectively receive and accurately transcribe messages as we intend to convey it.

Thank you, Shoe. I completely agree. By all means, I’m no expert in English grammar but take interest in learning the correct use of English, whether in written or oral communication. I didn’t think I’d “make enemies” (LOL) just by expressing a highly contradictory statement and simply because I don’t know any other way of putting it in English. Since you are a teacher, perhaps you can tell me whether there’s a better way of saying “a word that’s not a word because it hasn’t been officially established, entered, or recognized by its “linguistic” authorities.

Shoe, to give you an example, I just read this in an article: “song writers who write wordless lyrics”. What does the writer mean by “wordless”? 1.it’s possible to write song lyrics without using words. 2. Using words in song lyrics that fail to convey actual meanings; 3. The use of words which haven’t yet been recognized as words within the standards of grammar in English; 4. All of the above because #4 makes #1 possible by definition though not possible as a matter of fact. 5.”Wordless” doesn’t apply to the intended message thus the writer should’ve used (an)other word(s) or term(s)

And yes, I formulated and wrote the question and the proposed “multiple choice answers”.

To give you a better idea about that article, in which the writer outlines some songs by “Song writers who write wordless song lyrics”. Among others, the writer includes songs such as “Da Doo Ron Ron” by The Crystals and “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” by The Police. By the definition, we observe no use of English words in these 2 song tittles but does such make true the absence of words or “written text” in these song titles? I’d say “Nope...not from where and what my eyes can see”.

This is the first time I’m here so I don’t quite know how to move this discussion to chat...sorry.

I’m confused...what do you mean by “non-established could itself be non-established”???? I personally feel there’s plenty misuse of words and that “wordless” isn’t applicable within the context of that article.