How to Create a Made Up Word

Reviewed by Gerald Posner

Last Updated: June 11, 2024 Approved

For fans of the game Balderdash, a board game that combines fibbing and the formation of new words, creating a new word of your own may seem like a breeze. For others, making your mark on the English language probably feels a bit daunting or downright challicult (challenging + difficult). However, you will be surprised to learn that with a bit of inspiration and a lot of fun, you will be on your way to creating a brifect (brilliant + perfect) word in no time!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Borrowing a Word

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1
Start with a portmanteau. If you’ve tried your hand at creating a word from scratch but haven’t had much luck, you may want to consider a portmanteau. A portmanteau is a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms (as smog from smoke and fog) ^{[1]
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- Write down some of your favorite words on a piece of paper. Spend some time mixing and matching the words together. You’ll be surprised by all of the wonderful words you come up with.
2
Borrow from other languages. There are a plenty of words to choose from when you expand your search to those found in other languages. Loanwords, or borrowings, are words that are adopted into a native language from a different source language. Such borrowings have shaped the English language almost from its beginnings ^{[2]
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- Buy or borrow a Spanish, French, German or Italian dictionary. Highlight some of your favorite words and then write them down on a sheet of paper. You’ll want to modify the words slightly, as the intention isn’t to use the same word but to create your own.
- Rent a movie in a different language. Don’t use the captions and listen as the actors speak. Have a pen and paper on hand and write down what you think the words are that are being spoken.
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Turn an object into a verb. "Google (it)" has quite literally been transformed from a company name, into a verb. There is no shortage of objects or nouns that can also be repurposed with a bit of imagination. ^{[3]
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- To start, try spotting objects around your house and use them in a sentence as a verb. Don't expect everything to catch on, but over time, you may find one that will be a hit.
4
Take suggestions from a small child. Inspiration for new words can be found in surprising places. One such place is in your own family. Young children, who are learning how to speak, often don’t get it right on the first try. They create their own language as they navigate the English language.
- Ask your young child what their favorite word is. If they are able to write, have them write it down. Otherwise, do your best to spell out what they are saying.
- Listen to the babbling of your baby. You’ll be surprised how many words you come up with in a short amount of time.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Creating Your Own Word

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Understand how words are created. This will give you a basis for making up your own word. English words are formed in several ways. Although one way is to create them from scratch, other words have been formed by imitating sounds. Similarly, there are many more words, often in quite common use, that have arisen over time because someone has not heard the word correctly. ^{[4]
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- Next time you don't understand someone correctly, turn a potentially embarrassing situation, into a learning opportunity by creating a new word.
- Find inspiration at home. Listen to sounds naturally found around your home. You may be surprised by how many words you can come up with just by turning off the TV and listening to the environment. Open up your window and let in the sounds from outside.
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Hyphenate two word phrases (think of "see you," which became, "cya!" ). You may need to do a bit of tweaking to the spelling, as was done with "cya," but try to think of phrases you can combine in to one word. ^{[5]
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- Write down some of your favorite two or even three word phrases. See if you can create one word.
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Have fun brainstorming! More than anything, creating a made up word is supposed to be fun. Don’t worry about taking yourself too seriously. If you discover a great new word, share it with your friends and family and have fun using the word together.
- To spread the word (pun intended), try using the word in a sentence, but be consistent.
- Your new word will also need a definition, so have one on hand in case others ask you about it. This will help them understand how to use the word as it was intended.

Word Help

Sample Ideas for Making Up Words

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Question

Is it easy to make a new word?

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It's easy to make up a word if you want, but it's not going to be easy to get it into the dictionary.

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How many words can you make?

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As many as your heart desires.

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Where can you submit it?

Greenycric

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You could send it to Oxford Dictionary or another dictionary. They will tell you if it's suitable.

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Tips

Once your word has been created, don't use it too much. Use it when it makes sense, and explain it if someone asks what it means. The more you use it in the right scenario, the more you will notice your friends using it!

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Use your imagination.

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If you are going to create many monikers, then make up your own dictionary of made-up words. You never know, one of your words may appear in a real one one day!

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Warnings

Don't worry about skipping steps; the point is just to have fun.

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Most scholarly dictionaries consider words to be neologisms or protologisms unless they are in widespread use over some period of time. Don't submit made-up words where they're not wanted.

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How to Create a Made Up Word

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Borrowing a Word

Creating Your Own Word

Word Help

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