Funniest not a word

• #1

What is the correct word? Funniest or Funnest? Thanks for your help?

• #2

What is the correct word? Funniest or

Funnest

? Thanks for your help?

• #4

Regardless of the grammar debate behind the word «funnest», I think that «funniest» and «funnest» would have different meanings. This might be something to be careful about.

Funniest comes from funny. If something is funny, it makes you laugh or it is strange.

Funnest comes from fun = If something is fun, it is enjoyable.

• #5

I would never use «funnest.» If I wanted to make a superlative out of «fun» as an adjective (which I probably wouldn’t in any case, at least often) I would use «most fun.»

We tried to find things for the children that would be the most fun to do.

As Andryuu points out, «most fun / funnest» and «funniest» wouldn’t be true synonyms in any case.

• #6

These are definitely two different words, which, in my opinion are both completely legitimate.

Funniest = most funny
Funnest = most fun (I see no problem with this word)

• #7

Generally, one-syllable words add «-er/-est,» and three-syllable words have «more/most» in front.
With two-syllable words, it is a case of either/or or both/and. You just have to memorize which ones work and which don’t.

But, as the last few people have said, «Funnest» and «Funniest» are two different words.

I would use funnest for «most fun» because it is a one-syllable word.
I would also use funniest, as «most funny» is incorrect for sure. (This is a case of either/or.)

• #8

In my own experience, I have

never

heard anyone use the word «funnest» except a small child.

• #9

Actually, «fun» was only supposed to be a noun; it has only recently (Last 50 years or so) been used as an adjective. For this reason both «more fun» and «funner» are very informal and non-standard. As the language evolves, it will eventually become more «normal» to hear it, because it will (should) take on the rules that other comparative adjectives have.

this is a quote from «grammar.quickanddirtytips.com»

«Fun,» the Inflected Adjective

And here’s where it gets really contentious. This is where I got stuck looking up reference after reference trying to find a convincing answer. If people accept that “fun” is an adjective, they should accept that “fun” can be inflected like other adjectives. If “crazy” becomes “crazier” and “craziest,” and “silly” becomes “sillier” and “silliest,” why can’t “fun” become “funner” and “funnest”?

We told you in Episode 124 that «One-syllable adjectives use the suffixes ‘-er’ or ‘-est’ on the end of the adjective. For example, ‘tall’ has one syllable, so, if you wanted to compare the height of your family members, you might say, ‘I am taller than my sister, but I’m not the tallest in the family.’” If you accept that «fun» is an adjective, the way to make the comparative and superlative forms would be «funner» and «funnest.»

Yet, even people who accept that «fun» is an adjective are unlikely to embrace «funner» and «funnest.» It seems as if language mavens haven’t truly gotten over their irritation that “fun” has become an adjective, and they’ve decided to dig in their heels against “funner” and “funnest.” In their minds, if “fun” as an adjective is still informal, then the inflected forms are still “nonstandard,” or to use less fussy words—“funnest” is grating and horrifying. And the language mavens still have enough influence to hold the line for now.

• #10

These are definitely two different words, which, in my opinion are both completely legitimate.

Funniest = most funny
Funnest = most fun (I see no problem with this word)

I agree with Dangermoose on this one. As stated by others, don’t confuse fun (i.e., yea! yippee!) with funny (i.e., haha!). The word ‘funnest’ might raise a few eyebrows but is perfectly acceptable in informal speech.

• #11

Do people actually say funner and funnest? I don’t think I have ever heard either from anyone over the age of 7.

Last edited: Jul 2, 2011

• #12

personally, I use funnest. I don’t hear funner very often…

And lots of people go:
«That was the…..funnest? most fun? which one is it?» People rarely find themselves comparing the level of fun, so it is awkward to try to do so. =P

• #13

Do people actually say funner and funnest? I don’t think I have ever heard either from anyone over the age of 7.

I’m with you, ribran.

I hear—and perhaps have said—‘that’s a fun thing to do’. I have never used ‘funner’ or ‘funnest’. I hope I’m never guilty of saying anything like—‘doing x-activity was funner than I thought it would be. In fact, it’s the funnest thing I’ve ever done’.

obz

Senior Member

• #14

Do people actually say funner and funnest? I don’t think I have ever heard either from anyone over the age of 7.

People say the damnedest things… Ever heard «quicklier»?

«funner» and «funnest» are indeed valid according to Merriam-Webster, but indeed (and inexplicably so in grammatical terms as an adjective) «akward» at best.

Oxford even recognizes them…

Usage

The use of fun as an adjective meaning ‘enjoyable,’ as in we had a fun evening, is now established in informal use, although not accepted in standard English. The comparative and superlative forms funner and funnest, formed as if fun were a standard adjective, should only be used in very informal contexts, typically speech

• #15

I’m with you, ribran.

I hear—and perhaps have said—‘that’s a fun thing to do’. I have never used ‘funner’ or ‘funnest’. I hope I’m never guilty of saying anything like—‘doing x-activity was funner than I thought it would be. In fact, it’s the funnest thing I’ve ever done’.

Things that make sense should gradually be accepted in everyday language. It’s part of the evolution of language and, in my opinion, makes it both better.

Things that I would never accept as part of the language are things like:
Your so great.
Sence when did that happen?
and things of that nature =)

I try to be open to language evolution and nazi-esque about grammatical errors that are just plain wrong.

• #16

Things that make sense should gradually be accepted in everyday language. It’s part of the evolution of language and, in my opinion, makes it both better.

Things that I would never accept as part of the language are things like:
Your so great.
Sence when did that happen?
and things of that nature =)

I try to be open to language evolution and nazi-esque about grammatical errors that are just plain wrong.

You’re right that languages evolve constantly. But it’s also true that the change is

relatively

slow. I don’t like the sound of ‘funner’ and ‘funnest’, but I don’t consider them incorrect.

• #17

You’re right that languages evolve constantly. But it’s also true that the change is

relatively

slow. I don’t like the sound of ‘funner’ and ‘funnest’, but I don’t consider them incorrect.

On my death bed, I hope to be able to say to my grandchildren, «I have lived a long and fruitful life. I have managed to avoid being corrupted by those linguistic liberals who perpetrate such atrocities on the English language as the introduction of a comparative and a superlative for the word fun.»

• #18

Do people actually say funner and funnest? I don’t think I have ever heard either from anyone over the age of 7.

Neither do I. We can argue about seven as the cut-off point, but I have never heard «funner» or «funnest» from an adult. I get the impression that neither word will be in general use until my generation is dead and buried. If I don’t adopt these words, it is not because I am a «maven». It is simply because I never heard them in my youth, have never used them and see no point in taking them up now, because I already possess other ways of expressing the notions conveyed by them. If others wish to use them, that’s their prerogative.

Last edited: Jul 3, 2011

• #19

I think a lot more people would be excepting to «more fun» and «most fun.»
…which is how we get «there is an exception to every rule.»

If one-syllable words add «er» and «est,» it should apply to all of them, not just the old words

• #20

Don’t use ‘Funnest’ — sounds childish.
Funniest is fine but has a different meaning.

That was the funniest thing I ever heard.
That was great fun.

Both are fine but used differently. If you do want to say ‘funnest’ then think of a different was to say the same thing.

• #21

And funner is definitely wrong!!!

• #23

el superlativo de fun is funniest

• #24

No Tuvir, El superlativo de funny es funniest…

As is the case with most English and grammar related topics, people tend to have strong opinions one way or the other. Today’s topic is no different, and I expect this post to elicit some strong opinions between the two primary camps.

On the one side, you have those who say that fun can never take the comparative and superlative endings that are typical of adjectives, i.e., funner, funnest.

On the other side, you have those who say that fun is well established as an adjective in writing and speech, and, therefore, must be allowed to inflect like one.

Is Funner a Real Word: How about Funnest?

In this post, I hope to reach some type of middle ground between these two camps and advise the average writer on how to proceed with the word fun. Is funner a word? Is funnest a word?

Let’s find out.

Is Fun a Noun?

What everyone agrees on is the fact that fun is a noun. It emerged as such in the late 17th century as a “cant” or slang word.

• We had fun at the party last night.
• Riding a motorcycle is great fun.
• Seibert also brings in the matter of personality—charisma and charm, which are crucial matters in tap—and he has some fun with people who were short on it. –The New Yorker

The phrase “we had fun” is the grammatical equivalent of “we had pizza.”

• We had fun at the party last night.
• We had pizza at the party last night.

Yes, fun is more of an abstract idea than a physical pizza, but they both function as nouns in such a sentence.

Is Fun an Adjective?

The differences in opinion only arise when the following question is asked, “Can fun be an adjective?”

• That was a fun movie.
• We had a fun time.
• The beach is a fun place.

In all of the above sentences, fun is being used as if it were an adjective. Is this acceptable? That depends, largely, on whom you ask and their age.

As I mentioned above, everyone agrees that fun is a noun, and for more than 200 years, it functioned almost exclusively as a noun.

Sometime in the early-to-mid 1900s its use began to drift, probably as a result of its quasi-adjective/ambiguous use in phrases like “a fun fair” or sentences like “It is fun to ski.” It’s still being used as a noun in these two examples, but it looks as if it could be an adjective. This ambiguity probably led to its misuse.

Traditionalists hold that fun can only function as an noun, while others claim it can be an adjective too.

The Oxford English Dictionary states that the use of fun as an attributive adjective (a fun trip) is now established in informal use but is not accepted in Standard English. The American Heritage Dictionary advises writers to avoid it in formal writing.

This would be my advice as well. If you want your writing to appear authoritative, I would advise you not to use fun as an adjective. If you are writing a research paper, job cover letter, resume, college application, etc., you should avoid this use and hold to the traditional rule:

• Fun is a noun, not an adjective.

While the use of fun as an attributive adjective (a fun time) is common to hear in informal speech, the comparative and superlative forms funner and funnest, as if fun were a standard adjective, is another matter altogether.

Outside of direct quotations, usually those of small children, the use of funner is almost universally rejected and almost never appears in printed sources.

The above graph charts funner vs. more fun in books since 1800. In the past 200 years, funner has barely even registered in these print sources across American and British English.

The same goes for funnest; you can hardly make out the line of its printed use.

This should be expected, of course. These types of nonstandard words are usually only found in speech and not in edited prose.

What’s the Bottom Line?

When asked the question, “Should I write funner or more fun?” I answer unequivocally more fun. I say this for a few reasons.

First, I am among the group of writers who find funner and funnest to be particularly grating, so, on some level, it is a personal preference.

Second, I think this is the majority consensus of readers and writers. With the popular use of these two forms, more fun or funner / most fun or funnest, so incredibly lopsided, it is clear to see what is acceptable and what is unacceptable.

More fun is accepted; funner is not.

Most fun is accepted; funnest is not.

If you want to be taken seriously as a writer or you are an ESL student learning the language, do not use funner or funnest or your writing.

Summary

Fun is increasingly being used as an attributive adjective in informal contexts.

If one were doing a piece of formal writing, research paper, resume, cover letter, dissertation, etc., I would advise the writer to steer clear of fun as an adjective.

Avoid completely the words funner and funnest.

Is “Funnier” A Word? 

Comparative diction in English can be a very challenging thing. Some words have comparatives built-in, while others need to be paired with “more” or “less” to be correct. Funny, however, has its own unique rules and can change depending on how you are using it. 

In short, “funnier” is technically a word; however it has its specific usage rules and cannot be substituted in for “more/less funny.” to clear things up, “funnier” is a word that can be used in specific comparative situations. In contrast “less funny” is more apt for talking about situations that lack humor. In addition, “more funny” is also a correct term technically. However, it can be clunky and has lost popularity over the years. 

How To Use “Funnier” And “Less Funny” 

First, “funnier” is a correct term that can be used to compare situations with a lot of humor. This works because the comparison “-ier” is built-in grammatically correct. For example, you could use this word in a sentence like, “I think that Mark’s presentation was funnier than Dan’s.” 

You should probably avoid using “more funny” in these situations, as most think it’s clunky. Although it is correct to use, “funnier” is more widely accepted in today’s day and age. 

Lastly, you should use “less funny” to describe situations that aren’t funny. This works best because there isn’t a built-in comparative to say “less funny,” and it simply sounds better in the end. For instance, you could say something along the lines of, “I think that Dan’s presentation was a lot less funny than Mark’s.” 

Using “More” And “Less” With Funny

You can technically use “more” and “less” with funny, and in some cases, it is even suggested. However, there are some situations where “more” and “less” become very important. If you find something moderately funny or feel apathetic about it, you can use “more/less funny” to describe your feelings. 

For instance, you could say, “I found the book more or less funny,” or “I found it more funny than not.” Statements such as these allow your reader to know that you thought something was mildly funny.

Examples Of Using “Funnier” And “Less Funny” 

Here are some basic examples of correctly using “funnier” and “less funny.”  

• I didn’t enjoy my night. I was expecting the board game to be more fun. 
• After careful deliberation, we think that Ramon’s presentation was funnier than everyone else’s. 
• That amusement park was a lot less fun than I had hoped for.

Related: A lesson on “Fewer” and “Less”

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Funny Words starting with A:

1. Abibliophobia: The fear of running out of reading materials to read.

Sentence: I have so many reading materials in my house, anyone would think that I have Abibliophobia or something!

1. Abozzo: A rough sketch of a drawing or a draft poem.

Sentence: I’m almost finished with my abozzo of the Eiffel tower.

1. Ama: Japanese diver who dives for pearls or food.
2.  

Sentence: Amas have been diving for pearls in the Japan region for many years. 

1. Araba: A carriage or coach used in Turkey.

Sentence: I’m taking the araba through the city today.

1. Argle-bargle:  A lot of commotion or a row happening.

Sentence: What’s all this argie-bargie about?

1. Aye-aye: A type of lemur which can be found in Madagascar. 

Sentence: The aye-ayes are such cute little creatures.

Starting with B:

1. Bamboozled: To trick or confuse someone. 

Sentence: I have been bamboozled again by you. 

1. Blubber: This word has two meanings: It can mean to cry very loudly or could refer to excess body fat.

Blubber Sentence: Please, stop your blubbering.

1. Brouhaha: An event which involves great excitement or loud confusion.

Brouhaha in a sentence: Last night’s event was such a brouhaha and nothing was achieved.

1. Bumbershoot: A Bumbershoot is an old-fashioned word for an umbrella.

Bumbershoot in a sentence: Don’t forget your Bumbershoot, dear.

1. Bumfuzzle: This refers to being confused.

Bumfuzzle in a Sentence: I’m completely bumfuzzled!

Starting with C:

1. Cantankerous: Someone who is very grumpy.

Sentence: Our neighbour is such a Cantankerous.

1. Catawampus: Something positioned diagonally. 

Sentence: To get to the school, you need to walk catawampus across that park over there.

1. Collywobbles (kol-ee-wob-uh lz): This is the feeling when you have a stomach ache or when you feel really nervous or scared.

Collywobbles in a sentence: This place gives me the collywobbles, let’s go!

Hilarious Words Starting with D:

1. Dingy: Something that is dark and dull.

Sentence: This house looks a little dingy to me. 

1. Donnybrook: This refers to a fight, riot or a big brawl.

Donnybrook in a sentence: A Donnybrook broke out last night when the police when to arrest the leader of the operation.

1. Doozy: Something that is really great.

Sentence: I’m having a doozy of a time at this party.

1. Dweeb: This is not a nice word to call someone. It means that you think the person is boring and uninteresting.

Sentence: No-one wants to be a dweeb. 

Funny Words That Start With E: 

1. Egad: Used as an expression of shock or amazement.

Sentence: Egad! I never thought of that! 

1. Eep: Another expression of surprise or fear.

Sentence: Eep! That was scary!

1. Epos: Could refer to an epic poem or something that is epic.  

Sentence: That poem was just epos!

Starting with F:

1. Filibuster: Somone who refusing to give up the floor in a debate to prevent a vote.

Sentence: Someone get that silly filibuster out of here now!

1. Flibbertigibbet (flib·ber·ti·gib·bet): Is a word used to describe someone who talks a lot or is very gossipy.

Flibbertigibbet in a sentence: Imagine sitting on a 12-hour flight with a flibbertigibbet next to you.

1. Flabbergasted: To be surprised or shocked by something.

Sentence: I’m just flabbergasted to hear that.

1. Formication: The feeling that ants are crawling on your skin.

Sentence: Her constant shivering could be described as a formication.

1. Fuddy-duddy: Someone who is a mild-mannered person.

Sentence: He can be such a fuddy-duddy sometimes.

Starting with G:

1. Gaberlunzie: A beggar that walks around town to town.

Sentence: He didn’t really have a profession, some may even call him a gaberlunzie.

1. Gardyloo (gahr-dee-loo): This is a disgusting one. It refers to the cry people use to shout when they would throw their slops or droppings out of the window.

Gardyloo in a Sentence: Watch out, Gardyloo coming!

1. Gazump: This word really has a specific meaning. It means to refuse to sell your house to someone who you previously agreed to sell your house to.

Sentence: I’m so happy my offer to buy the house next door was accepted, but what if I get gazumped?

1. Gobbledygook: Speaking Nonsense.

Sentence: Why do you always have to speak such Gobbledygook?

1. Goombah: An older friend who protects you.

Sentence: Jamie didn’t have many friends, but was glad that his grandpa could be his protector – His Goombah.

1. Gubbins: These are objects of very little value like rubbish or litter.

Gubbins in a sentence: No one’s going to buy your gubbins.

Starting with H:

1. Hairball: A ball of hair that a cat normally chokes out.

Sentence: Cats are cute, but I hate it when they throw-up hairballs everywhere.

1. Hocus-pocus: A trick or magical spell.

Sentence: What’s all this hocus-pocus about?

1. Hokey: Something is is silly or old-fashioned.

Sentence: Now that was hokey old movie to watch!

1. Hootenanny: A country music party or get-together.

Sentence: I’m going to an old-fashioned Hootenanny on Saturday, would you like to come?

1. Heckler: Someone who interrupts a public performance with offensive comments.

Sentence: Those footballers are always having to deal with hecklers at their matches. 

Starting with I:

1. Itty-Bitty: Something that is really small or tiny.

Sentence: That ladybird is so itty-bitty.

1.  Ickle: Something that is small and normally cute

Sentence: Look at that ickle baby dolphin!

1. izzat:  This relates to your personal respect and dignity.

Sentence: I’m afraid of saying that in public, as it’ll be against my izzat. 

Starting with J:

1. Jabberwock: Something that is complete nonsense or gibberish

Sentence: Everything he just said was complete Jabberwock.

1. Jazzetry: The reading of poetry which is accompanied by jazz. 

Sentence: I love reading poems, but I’ve never tried jazzetry.

1. Jink: The sudden change in direction.

Sentence: He jinked out of the way, as the ball came towards him.

Fun Words Starting with K:

1. Kagu: An blueish-greyish type of bird which is now an endangered species. 

Sentence: The rare Kagu can be found in the Pacific island of New Caledonia.

1. Kaka: A breed of parrot that can be found in New-Zealand.

Sentence: The kaka parrots are so cool!

1. Kebbie: A Scottish term relating to a walking stick with a hooked end.

Sentence: Pass the old man his keebie.

1. Kibble: Ground meal or gains used as animal feed. 

Sentence: The chickens love this new brand of kibble.

1. Kraken: A mythical sea creature.

Sentence: Just like the loch ness monster, the Kraken is a myth. 

Starting with L:

1. La-di-da: If you described someone as “La-di-da”, you are suggesting that they are upper-class or behaving unnaturally only to impress other people.

La-di-da in a sentence: She thinks she is all La-di-da, but I know what she’s really like.

1. Lol: Short for laughing out loud. Mosting used on social media and in text messages. 

Sentence: Lol – That’s so funny!

1. Lollygagger: Someone who walks around with no aim or goal.

Sentence: They spent their summer lying about, eating and general lollygagging.

1. Lickety-split: When something moves really fast.

Sentence: He was out of the door lickety-split.

Starting with M:

1. Malarkey: An informal word for talking about meaningless things or nonsense.

Malarkey in a sentence: This is all malarkey, I tell ya!

1. Moist: Something that is slightly wet.

Sentence: This blanket seems a little moist to sit on. 

1. Mollycoddle: To be extra nice to someone or to overprotect them.

Sentence: Sometimes what a child needs is some tough love and not mollycoddling all the time.

Starting with N:

1. Nacket: A light lunch or snack.

Sentence: I’m going to have a quick nacket before dinner. 

1. Namby-pamby: Someone who is weak, with no backbone.

Sentence: I don’t want to be some namby-pamby little girl!

1. Napoo: The end of something. A term mostly used by soldiers.

Sentence: Napooh! That’s the end of that story.

1. Niff: Something that smells bad.

Sentence: It’s got that horrible fishy niff. 

1. Nincompoop: This refers to someone who is not intelligent or a fool.

Nincompoop sentence: You act like such a nincompoop sometimes.

Starting with O:

1. Obi: A sash worn around the waist of a kimono.

Sentence: That pink obi would look nice with this kimono. 

1. Oozy: Something that is slimy and wet

Sentence: That table is dripping in ooze. 

1. Oompah: The sound of deep brass instruments in a band.

Sentence: The oompah music in the background really set the tone.

Starting with P:

1. Panjandrum: Someone who thinks that they are superior to others.

Sentence: She’s no queen, but she saw acts like a panjandrum.

1. Patroon: The captain of a ship

Sentence: Look sharp, the patroon will be here soon.

1. Pettifogger: A pettifogger is someone who deals with small or petty businesses. It can also be to argue over small, unimportant matters.

Pettifogger in a sentence: Why do you look up to such a pettifogger?

Starting with Q:

1. Quab: Something that is incomplete or immature

Sentence: That baby bird is still just a quab.

1. Quark: Scientific term used to describe atoms which are made up of smaller particles. 

Sentence: Understanding quarks of fundamental to the world of physics.

1. Quoz: Something that is strange.

Sentence: That’s so quoz! No-one wants to eat cheese and ice-cream together!

Silly Words Starting with R:

1. Ratoon: This refers to the small root that sprouts from a plant, especially during the springtime.

Sentence: I heard somewhere that ratooned plants grow taller and healthier.

1. Rugrat: Refers to a young child or toddler

Sentences: Those rugrats don’t know what’s coming to them!

1. Ruddy: The term sometimes can be used to suggest good health in a person.

Sentence: That ruddy-faced girl was someone I never seen before. 

Starting with S:

1. Sialoquent: Somone who splits while talking.

Sentence: My old science teacher was Sialoquent. I was always scared to go near him!

1. Skedaddle: To ask some to leave or run away very quickly

Skedaddle in a sentence: This is no place to play your silly games, now skedaddle before I get you!

1. Skullduggery Refers to dodgy dealings and some no good business.

Sentence: We need to put a stop to all this skullduggery around this town.

1. Shenanigan: This is when someone is causing a lot of mischiefs or playing tricks.

Shenanigans in a sentence: What’re all the shenanigans about?

1. Snollygoster (snol·ly·gos·ter): This refers to an unethical politician who is guided by personal advantage.

Snollygoster in a sentence: I don’t want any help from a snollygoster.

1. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: Something that is really good. And the longest word in the English dictionary.

Sentence: Your cake is simply supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Starting with T:

1. Tatterdemalion:  A poor child wearing rags.

Sentence: I grew up like a tatterdemalion on the streets and now I’m a billionaire!

1. Taradiddle (tar-uh-did-l): this is a small lie or when someone is speaking nonsense.

Taradiddle in a sentence: That’s such taradiddle –  I don’t trust you at all!

1. Thingamajig. A thing for which you have forgotten the name of. 

Sentence: Can you pass that thingamajig over?

1. Troglodyte: Someone that lives in a cave.

Sentence: All my life I’ve been living like Troglodyte cooped up in this house!

Starting with U:

1. Uber: Something that is really great.

Sentence: That’s a really uber-looking coat you got there!

1. Ube: Type of yam which is coloured purple

Sentence: You can make really nice curry using ube.  

1. Upsy-daisy: Lifting up a small child. 

Sentence: Upsy daisy! It’s time for your nap. 

1. Urubu: A blank vulture found in South American.

Sentence: The Urubu is a rare species of bird found in America.

Starting with V:

1. Vamp: To make something brand-new.

Sentence:  Let’s vamp-up your car. 

1. Vexed: Something that is really annoying or frustrating. 

Sentence: This puzzle has really got me vexed. 

1. veepstakes: A competition to find a party-s vice president. 

Sentence: Have you prepared for the upcoming veepstakes?

Starting with W: 

1. Wabbit: A Scottish word referring to feeling exhausted or a little unwell.

Sentence: I’m feeling wabbit today.

1. Widdershins (with -er-shinz): This refers to going in the opposite direction or going down the wrong path.

Widdershins in a sentence: Only widdershins going down that road.

Starting with X:

All words beginning with X are funny ones!

1. Xanthoderm: A person with yellowish skin. 

Sentence:  This make-up makes my skin look a little Xanthoderm. 

1. Xebec: A small sailing-ship with square sails.

Sentence: Let’s take a ride on my new Xebec. 

Starting with Y:

1. Yabby: Refers to any Australian crayfishes used for food. 

Sentence: These yabbies are going to taste delicious. 

1. Yachty: Relates to yachts.

Sentence: I have a yachty-looking T-shirt. 

1. Yaff: A type of bark.

Sentence: The dog yaffed at the mailman.

1. Yawny: When you yawn or when something is boring

Sentence: That movie was a little yawny. 

1. Yahoo:  A rube, a country bumpkin.

Sentence: What’s that yahoo doing here!

1. Yerk: Pull or push something with a sudden movement.

Sentence; She yerked at the rope, as they tried to pull the bucket up from the well.

1. yips: When a golfer misses an easy putt due to nervousness. 

Sentence: Looks like he has the yips today. 

Funniest Words starting with Z:

1. Zaftig: Having a full-rounded figure.

Sentence:  Her zaftig figure was admired by all. 

1. Zappy: Something that is lively and energetic.

Sentence: She looks very zappy today. 

1. Zazzy:  Something that is shiny and flashy

Sentence: Jenny brought herself a new zazzy handbag to match her shoes.

1. Zeze: A string instrument from South Africa. 

Sentence: The sound of the zeze is unique in South Africa.

1. Zizz: To take a short nap or sleep.

Sentence: James likes to take a 2-hour zizz every afternoon at 2 pm.

1. Zoanthropy (zoh-an-thruh-pee): This is when someone believes that they are an animal.

Zoanthropy in a sentence:  I think she suffers from a mild case of Zoanthropy.

«Funnest» has good English morphology. For instance, it doesn’t begin with the glottal «ng» sound, which doesn’t occur in English at the start of a word. That kind of thing would tend to spoil all chances of an utterance from becoming an English word.

It is derived from «fun», which is already an English adjective, and it is derived according to a rule that derives many existing superlatives. So you have here a good candidate for a word which could easily pass into usage among a group of English-speaking people, and evidently it has.

The only problem is that it’s not widely used.

The human brain probably handles language not simply with with rigid rules, but through the memorization of a large number of special cases and exceptions based on examples and correction during language acquisition.

This is why numerous irregularities can happily exist.

Examples that are not heard are sometimes ruled out by native speakers as ungrammatical.

«Funnest» sounds strange simply because it’s rarely heard, other than from children (who are usually going to be corrected to say «most fun» instead, thereby ensuring that they too will come to regard «funnest» as strange, when they will have long forgotten that they uttered it when they were small.)

On the other hand, «funner» and «funnest» are not so unheard of that it has not made its way into some dictionaries, such as Merriam-Webster.

If a word is in at least one major dictionary, it’s safe to regard it as a word.

Some dictionaries may be more conservative than others, but, on the absolute scale, they are maintained by some pretty darn conservative people who will not too casually lend their support to a new word. If some of them think something is a word, that’s probably good enough for the rest of us.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An inherently funny word is a word that is humorous without context, often more for its phonetic structure than for its meaning.

Vaudeville tradition holds that words with the letter k are funny. A 2015 study at the University of Alberta suggested that the humor of certain nonsense words can be explained by whether they seem rude, and by the property of entropy; the improbability of certain letters being used together in a word. The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer posited that humor is a product of one’s expectations being violated.

Funny words in English[edit]

Vaudeville words can be found in Neil Simon’s 1972 play The Sunshine Boys, in which an aging comedian gives a lesson to his nephew on comedy, saying that words with k sounds are funny:^[1]

Fifty-seven years in this business, you learn a few things. You know what words are funny and which words are not funny. Alka Seltzer is funny. You say ‘Alka Seltzer’ you get a laugh … Words with ‘k’ in them are funny. Casey Stengel, that’s a funny name. Robert Taylor is not funny. Cupcake is funny. Tomato is not funny. Cookie is funny. Cucumber is funny. Car keys. Cleveland … Cleveland is funny. Maryland is not funny. Then, there’s chicken. Chicken is funny. Pickle is funny. Cab is funny. Cockroach is funny – not if you get ’em, only if you say ’em.^[2][3]

Richard Wiseman, a professor of the public understanding of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, conducted a small experiment to determine whether words with a k sound were actually considered funnier than others for English speakers.^[4] His LaughLab tested the degree of funniness among a family of jokes based on animal sounds; the joke rated the funniest was also the one with the most k sounds:

Two ducks were sitting in a pond. One of the ducks said: «Quack». The other duck said: «I was going to say that!»^[5]

Robert Beard, a professor emeritus of linguistics at Bucknell University, told an interviewer that «The first thing people always write in [to his website] about is funny words».^[6] Beard’s first book was The 100 Funniest Words in English,^[6] and among his own selected words are «absquatulate», «bowyangs», «collywobbles», «fartlek», «filibuster», «gongoozle», «hemidemisemiquaver», and «snollygoster».^[7]

Rudeness and entropy[edit]

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Memory and Language examined the humor of nonsense words.^[8][9] The study used a computer program to generate pronounceable nonsense words that followed typical English spelling conventions and tested them for their perceived comedic value to human test subjects.^[10]

The funniest nonsense words tended to be those that reminded people of real words that are considered rude or offensive.^[10][11] This category included four of the top-six nonsense words that were rated the funniest in the experiment: «whong», «dongl», «shart» (now slang, not a nonsense word^[12]), and «focky».^[10] To explain why these words seemed funny, the study’s author said «The expectation that you’ve read or uttered a rude word is raised – and then violated, because in fact it’s harmless nonsense. There’s a sense of relief – of getting away with it.»^[11]

After removing from consideration the words that seemed rude, another factor was suggested to also be significant. The study’s lead author, Chris Westbury from the University of Alberta, suggests that the humor of certain invented words can be explained by the property of entropy.^[8] Entropy (specifically Shannon entropy) here expresses how unlikely the letter combinations in certain nonsense words are: the more unlikely the letters are to be used together in English, the more funny the combination is likely to be found. Nonsense words such as «rumbus», «skritz», and «yuzz-a-ma-tuzz», which were created by children’s book author and illustrator Dr. Seuss, were found to have less probable letter combinations and to seem funnier than most ordinary English words.^[13][11] According to Westbury, «there’s actually a consistent relationship between how funny [non‑words] are and how weird they are».^[9]

The entropy explanation also supports the notion that words with a ‘k’ in them tend to be more funny, as the letter ‘k’ is one of the least frequently used letters in the English language.^[10]

The idea that humor can be predicted by a word’s entropy corresponds to the work of 19th-century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, who posited that humor is a product of one’s expectations being violated.^[9][11] According to Westbury, «One reason puns are funny is that they violate our expectation that a word has one meaning».^[8] Violating expectations corresponds mathematically to having a low probability combination of letters, which also makes the word seem particularly funny, according to Westbury.^[11]

To provide a possible evolutionary explanation of these phenomena, the authors of the study said that unusual occurrences may be experienced as indicating the presence of potential threats, and that humor may be a way of signalling to others that one has realized that a perceived threat is actually harmless. Westbury said «Strange as it may seem, that same mechanism may be activated when you see an unlikely looking word or a highly taboo one – you experience relief as you recognize that it’s completely harmless – just a joke.»^[11]

See also[edit]

• Anti-humor – a form of ironic humor involving saying something that is meaningless or not funny when the audience expects it to be funny.
• Cellar door (phrase) – a phrase mentioned as an example of a word or phrase that is beautiful purely in terms of its sound without regard for its semantics
• Ideophone – words that evoke an idea in sound
• Malapropism – the use of an incorrect word in place of a word that sounds similar
• Mondegreen – mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of near-homophony
• Nonsense verse – the poetic use of nonsensical words or phrases
• Onomatopoeia – a word that suggests a sound that it describes
• Place names considered unusual – includes names which seem offensive, inadvertently humorous, or highly charged
• Sound symbolism – the idea that vocal sounds or phonemes carry meaning by themselves

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• Barry, Dave (1991), Dave Barry Talks Back, 1st edn., New York: Crown. ISBN 0-517-58546-4.
• Shibles, Warren, Humor Reference Guide: A Comprehensive Classification and Analysis (Hardcover) 1998 ISBN 0-8093-2097-5
• Westbury, C.; Shaoul, C.; Moroschan, G.; Ramscar, M. (January 2016). «Telling the world’s least funny jokes: On the quantification of humor as entropy». Journal of Memory and Language. 86: 141–156. doi:10.1016/j.jml.2015.09.001.

External links[edit]

• Cummings, Kevin; Fogarty, Mignon. «Grammar Girl: Words that sound funny». Quick and Dirty Tips. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
• «Bumfuzzle, Cattywampus, Gardyloo & More: Top 10 Funny-Sounding & Interesting Words». Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 20 June 2017.

Some folk find it fun to use the word fun as an adjective. Others find it funner to inform this group that fun is properly a noun, not an adjective, and even if it is used in this way the comparative form of funner is an abomination. And sometimes the first group finds it funnest of all to tell the anti-fun brigade to go stick it in their hats. In the spirit of fun let’s have a look at both sides of this debate.

Early Use of Fun as an Adjective

The earliest uses of fun were either slang or regionalisms, appearing at the end of the 17th century as a verb (“to cheat a person”) or a noun (“a case of cheating or deception”). The noun sense of “enjoyment” came up in the early 18th century, and for the next hundred years or so the word was blissfully free of adjectival impurities, and all was well with the world.

However, in the beginning of the 19th century things started to fall apart, as certain miscreants began using fun in ways that looked decidedly adjectival. While it is common to blame such linguistic excesses on speakers of American English, in this case it appears that it came about on both sides of the Atlantic at about the same time.

We have transmitted the communication to the proprietors, only reserving the following query:—“Was it fun, after promising to put the passengers on shore, from the Dublin seeam-packet (sic), to take them round the Floating Light.”
— Liverpool Mercury (Liverpool, Eng.), 16 Sept. 1825

This practice, continues the editor, may be fun to the officer—it may satiate a malignant heart; but it is what a Turk would be ashamed to do in his own country.
— American and Commercial Daily Advertiser (Baltimore, MD), 12 Apr. 1826

When eight o’clock struck, a pack of cards was accidentally observed over the mantle-piece and they were, half earnest, half fun, opened and tossed upon the table.
— The Observer (London, Eng.), 29 Oct. 1826

Few, if any, usage guides or commentators weighed in on the matter until the middle of the 20th century, possibly because the adjectival use of fun was limited, or was considered so uncouth as to not merit consideration. However, by 1960 the issue was being addressed, and the feeling was very much against allowing this particular form of functional shift.

Question: Can fun be used as an adjective, as in “We had a fun time?” G.J.

Answer: Not in my hearing without inducing severe nausea.
— Bergen Evans, The Austin Statesman (Austin, TX), 6 Oct. 1960

When I was in college I tried to get some standards for my life. I resolved never to be friends with those who used “fun” as an adjective.
— Judith Martin, The Austin Statesman (Austin, Tex.), 13 May 1971

Despite what the dictionary says, fun is not an adjective among articulate adults.
— Ronald Kohl, Machine Design (Cleveland, OH), 24 Jul. 1997

Emergence of Funner and Funnest

As is so often the case, however, common use rudely elbowed the naysayers out of the way, and fun is now defined as an adjective in every modern dictionary. It is still quite common to see usage notes appended to these entries, cautioning that adjectival fun is informal, and to be avoided in formal speech or writing. Once it became clear that fun was in fact an adjective people began to wonder about how to use the word in its comparative and superlative form. Can something be funner than something else? If you have reached the apogee of fun can you rightfully say that it was the funnest thing ever? Both forms have been in use for well over a hundred years, although neither one is found in what we might call elevated prose.

This new production is said to be of a bigger standard, both as to its literary and artistic merits. It is to be crowded with pictures of the funnest descriptions.
— The Boston Globe, 30 Oct. 1881

Harry Robinson, in his slight of hand burlesque is immense, and on the trapeze is the funnest act that was ever put on a programme, The audience couldn’t laugh, they screamed and howled with mirth.
— The Atchinson Daily Champion (Atchison, KS), 30 Sept. 1877

But what funnest of hall I never discovered it till I got ome wen I gott hin my house my wife urled the caucepan at my edd an wery nie nocked my branes out of my old carcuss….
— The Star (Saint Peter Port, Eng.), 13 Jul. 1876

”Open House,” the last comedy by H. T. Byron, is to be brought out at the Vaudeville in London. It is said to be funner than “Our Boys.”
— Evening Star (Washington, DC), 9 May 1885

A Rag Baby!—With—Mr. Frank Daniels, The Inimitable Comedian, in his Great Creation, Old Sport! Everything New and Funner Than Ever.
— (Advt.) Salt Lake Evening Democrat (Salt Lake City, UT), 3 May 1887

The comedy has been freshened up, but it is no funner than the first version.
— The Buffalo Commercial (Buffalo, NY), 9 Oct. 1894

Funner and Funnest are (Sometimes) Real

Our entry for adjectival fun states “sometimes funner; sometimes funnest.” This is because there are many people who do indeed use these words, and there are many others who, while they may allow that fun is an adjective, strongly prefer that things be ‘more fun,’ or ‘most fun.’

Comparative and superlative forms of English adjectives can be tricky things. There are some which prefer to be modified with —er or —est, some which work better with more or most, and still others (such as good and bad) which take entirely different words. It is not difficult to find exceptions to any rule regarding these words. For instance, bad usually becomes worse and worst, although there are hundreds of uses of badder and baddest ranging across a wide variety of eras and registers.

And euen so, the baddest people may, 

became good folke, if they will bide the stampe.
— Thomas Churchyard, A Sparke of Friendship, 1588

The baddest dude since ‘Shaft’!
— (Advt.) Chicago Defender, 12 Aug. 1972

The fact that funner and funnest exist does not mean that you should use them without expecting that it will strike some people as peculiar. If you write them in a term paper expect to receive disappointed sighs and underlined corrections in equal measure from your teacher. But words which disappoint people are still words — if they truly didn’t exist there would be nothing to be disappointed about.