News

Slay. Sigma. Skibidi. Do you understand the slang words of the year?

The children’s word and slang word of the year for 2024 have been revealed.
Word of the Year: 'Kindness' was voted the word of the year for 2024, while the slang word of the year was 'slay' - Adobe Stock

More than 6,000 children aged 6 to 14 took part in selection and voting in the annual research, which is run by the Oxford University Press.

The word of the year for 2024 is "kindness", having won 61% of the votes in the poll. OUP’s research reveals that concerns about mental health are behind the choice of word for many of the young respondents.

Runner-up was “artificial intelligence”, voted for by 25%, while in third place reflecting the current volatile global context was “conflict”, with 7% of the votes.

The OUP poll also asked children to nominate and vote for the slang word of the year, which for 2024 was selected as “slay” – voted for by 28% of respondents.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here