The Secret Rule That Shapes Every Language
keep in mind: to think about or remember something important when making a decision or doing something
The word “the” is everywhere! It’s the most common word in the English language and makes up 6 percent of everything we say or write. But here’s a surprising fact: the second most common word, “of,” is used only half as much as “the.” The third most common word, “and,” is used one-third as much. “A”, the fourth most common word, is used about one-fourth as much. “In” is the fifth most common word and is used about one-fifth as much.
This strange pattern is called Zipf’s Law. It shows how a small number of words dominate communication. The top 25 words make up one-third of all the words we use, and the top 100 account for nearly half!
Zipf’s law is true for almost all languages. Scientists don’t fully understand why this happens. Some believe language naturally develops in a way that requires the least effort. Using simple words makes communication easier for both the speaker and the listener. Keep this in mind next time you speak or write—those small words are doing all the heavy lifting!
Sample sentences
When you’re planning your arrival time at the airport, keep in mind that it’s a holiday weekend so traffic might be bad.
It’s important to keep in mind that good things take time to happen.
Before buying a car, keep in mind how much it will cost to maintain.
Read More:
Almost All Languages Appear To Follow Zipf’s Law, And We Have No Idea Why