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When a new coinage first spreads online, its spellings display a
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04 Oct 2026, 23:39
04 Oct 2026, 23:39
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When a new coinage first spreads online, its spellings display a striking (i) ______: there are as many renderings as early adopters, though all agree on what the word means. Because a writer's chief aim is to be understood, however, people soon start copying whichever variant they encounter most, and as one form circulates more widely, any departure from it grows costlier, until using it becomes (ii) ______ and the rival spellings, once just as common, vanish within a few months. Picturing speakers as uncomplicated agents who heed only a handful of local cues, rather than as rational planners weighing every option, can thus expose (iii) ______ that no grammarian ever decreed.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) | Blank (iii) |
|---|---|---|
| A. ambiguity | D. all but obligatory | G. aberrations |
| B. heterogeneity | E. conspicuously modish | H. convergences |
| C. orthodoxy | F. entirely discretionary | I. stratifications |
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Re: When a new coinage first spreads online, its spellings display a
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11 Oct 2026, 10:45
11 Oct 2026, 10:45
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Explanation
Blank (i): B. heterogeneity
The passage says there are “as many renderings as early adopters,” indicating a diversity of spellings.
- Heterogeneity = diversity or lack of uniformity.
- Ambiguity means uncertainty of meaning, but the passage explicitly says everyone agrees on the word’s meaning.
- Orthodoxy means conformity to accepted conventions.
Blank (ii): D. all but obligatory
As one spelling becomes more widespread, deviating from it becomes increasingly costly.
- All but obligatory = virtually required or almost compulsory.
- Conspicuously modish means noticeably fashionable.
- Entirely discretionary means completely optional, which contradicts the growing cost of using a different spelling.
Blank (iii): H. convergences
The passage describes different spellings gradually disappearing as people adopt a single, dominant form, even without any grammarian imposing a rule.
- Convergences = processes in which different things gradually become more alike.
- Aberrations are deviations from a norm.
- Stratifications are divisions into layers or levels.
Answer: B,D,H
Blank (i): B. heterogeneity
The passage says there are “as many renderings as early adopters,” indicating a diversity of spellings.
- Heterogeneity = diversity or lack of uniformity.
- Ambiguity means uncertainty of meaning, but the passage explicitly says everyone agrees on the word’s meaning.
- Orthodoxy means conformity to accepted conventions.
Blank (ii): D. all but obligatory
As one spelling becomes more widespread, deviating from it becomes increasingly costly.
- All but obligatory = virtually required or almost compulsory.
- Conspicuously modish means noticeably fashionable.
- Entirely discretionary means completely optional, which contradicts the growing cost of using a different spelling.
Blank (iii): H. convergences
The passage describes different spellings gradually disappearing as people adopt a single, dominant form, even without any grammarian imposing a rule.
- Convergences = processes in which different things gradually become more alike.
- Aberrations are deviations from a norm.
- Stratifications are divisions into layers or levels.
Answer: B,D,H
gmatclubot
Re: When a new coinage first spreads online, its spellings display a [#permalink]
11 Oct 2026, 10:45
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