Communication

Sinhala language: overview, writing, grammar, history and use Sinhala language Sinhala (Sinhalese) is an Indo-Aryan language of the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, with its own Brahmi-derived script, a long literary tradition and distinct spoken and written re…

Sinhala script (Sinhalese akshara mālāva) Sinhala script An abugida used to write Sinhala and to record Pali and Sanskrit in Sri Lanka; descended from Brahmi and adapted for modern printing, digital encoding and liturgical use.

Sino‑Japanese vocabulary (kango): Chinese‑derived words in Japanese Sino-Japanese vocabulary Sino‑Japanese vocabulary (kango) are words in Japanese borrowed from Chinese. This article explains their origin, pronunciation patterns, writing uses, examples, and how they diffe…

Sino‑Korean vocabulary (hanja‑eo): Chinese‑derived words in Korean Sino-Korean vocabulary Sino‑Korean vocabulary (hanja‑eo) denotes Chinese‑derived morphemes and compounds in Korean. This article explains origins, formation, writing, usage, differences from native Korea…

Sino-Tibetan (Trans‑Himalayan) languages Sino-Tibetan languages Major language family of East, Southeast and parts of South Asia including the Chinese (Sinitic) branch and Tibeto‑Burman languages; diverse in structure, history, and writing trad…

Sino‑Vietnamese characters (Hán Nôm): history, structure, and modern encoding Sino-Vietnamese characters Overview of Sino‑Vietnamese characters (Hán Nôm): their form, role in Vietnamese writing, historical development, the Nôm script, and modern efforts to standardize and encode the r…

Siouan languages A neutral overview of the Siouan (Siouan proper/Western Siouan) language group: classification, geographic range, linguistic features, history, current status and revitalization ef…

Slash (punctuation) — forward slash, solidus, virgule Slash (punctuation) The slash (/) is a versatile punctuation mark used for division, alternatives, dates, fractions, ratios, per‑units, and file paths; also called solidus or virgule and contrasted wi…

Slavic languages: overview, history and classification Slavic languages An accessible overview of the Slavic language family: its branches, historical development, characteristic features, geographic distribution, scripts and examples of major language…

Slovak language West Slavic language of Slovakia, spoken by over five million people; closely related to Czech, written in Latin script with diacritics, with several dialects and a long literary t…

Small Seal Script (xiaozhuan): Qin Standardization of Chinese Writing Small seal script Small seal script (xiaozhuan) is the standardized form of Chinese characters created under the Qin dynasty to unify writing across the empire; it influenced later scripts and is st…

Smile: expression, meaning, biology and social roles Smile A smile is a facial expression that signals emotion and social intent. This article explains its anatomy, types (including the Duchenne smile), cultural variation, evolutionary bac…

Smile (disambiguation) Different meanings of “smile”: the facial expression and social signal, plus notable songs, albums, films, bands, emoticons, and other cultural or technical uses.

Smiley: origins, forms, and cultural role of the smiling face symbol Smiley Overview of the smiley — its visual forms (buttons, emoticons, emoji), history, uses in communication, and distinctions between emoticons, kaomoji, and emoji.

SMS (Short Message Service): overview, history, technology, and uses SMS SMS (short message service), commonly called text messaging, is a mobile-phone service for sending short text messages. This article covers its technology, history, uses, limits an…

SNAFU — military slang for 'Situation Normal: All Fouled Up' SNAFU SNAFU is a colloquial acronym that originated in U.S. military slang to describe a situation that is routinely chaotic or has gone unexpectedly wrong; it later entered civilian use…

Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication SWIFT is a global cooperative that provides secure messaging standards and network services enabling financial institutions to exchange transaction information and identification c…

Somali language: overview, features, history, and regional use Somali language Somali is an Afroasiatic Cushitic language spoken across the Horn of Africa and worldwide. This article summarizes its classification, sound and grammar traits, history of writing…

SOS — the international Morse code distress signal SOS SOS is the internationally recognized Morse-code distress prosign (...---...) adopted in the early 20th century; commonly used for maritime and other emergencies and widely referen…

Sesotho (Southern Sotho) — language of Lesotho and South African Sotho speakers Sotho language Sesotho, or Southern Sotho, is a Bantu language of the Sotho–Tswana group spoken mainly in Lesotho and South Africa; it serves as an official language and has a rich oral and writt…

Sound: physical phenomenon, perception, and geographic meaning Sound A concise, neutral overview of sound: its physical nature, how it travels and is perceived, practical uses, and the separate geographic meaning of ‘sound’ as a body of water.

Sound change: causes, types, and effects in language history Sound change An introduction to sound change: what it is, common types and mechanisms, notable historical examples, methods used to study it, and effects on writing systems and dialects.

Southern Bantoid languages Branch of the Bantoid (Niger–Congo) family that includes Narrow Bantu and several smaller groups, concentrated in Nigeria and Cameroon with Bantu branches spread across much of Afr…

Spamming (unsolicited electronic messaging) Spamming Unsolicited bulk electronic messages sent to recipients without consent — overview, common methods, history, harms, legal responses, and prevention tips.

Spanish alphabet (abecedario) Spanish alphabet Overview of the 27-letter Spanish alphabet, its letters, diacritics, alphabetical order, pronunciation notes, regional variation and orthographic rules.

Spanish (Castilian): Overview, History, Features and Global Presence Spanish language Spanish (español or Castilian) is a major Romance language that began in the Iberian Peninsula and is now widely spoken across Spain, Latin America, the United States and other reg…

Speaker: loudspeaker device, public speaker, and parliamentary speaker Speaker An overview of the term "speaker" covering loudspeaker technology, public speaking, parliamentary speakers, and modern smart speakers — functions, parts, history, and common uses.

Special English — simplified broadcast English developed by Voice of America Special English Special English is a simplified form of English used in radio broadcasts to aid international listeners. It uses limited vocabulary, slower delivery and clear grammar to improve co…

Specialized English: a simplified spoken form for international broadcasting Specialized English Specialized English is a controlled, easy-to-follow form of English used in international radio features and teaching. It draws on Voice of America’s Special English and is used by…

Speech (spoken language): production, characteristics and disorders Speech Concise overview of human speech: how spoken language is produced, its components and features, developmental and clinical aspects, and how it differs from other animal communicati…

Spoken language Spoken language: the use of vocalized sounds and prosody to convey words and meaning, distinct from written and signed systems; its features, development, uses, and sociolinguistic…

Spokesperson: role, responsibilities, history and types Spokesperson A spokesperson speaks for an organization, person, or cause, managing media relations, public statements and crisis communication; roles range from press secretaries to celebrity a…

Spread spectrum: principles, types, history and applications Spread spectrum Spread spectrum is a transmission technique that spreads a signal across a wider bandwidth to resist interference, support multiple access, and reduce the chance of interception.

Sranan Tongo — the English-based creole of Suriname Sranan Tongo Sranan Tongo is an English-lexified creole spoken in Suriname. It developed as a plantation lingua franca and remains a vital everyday and cultural language alongside Dutch.

Standard Chinese (Standard Mandarin) Standard Chinese Standard Chinese, often called Standard Mandarin, is the standardized spoken form of Chinese used for national administration, education, and media across several East Asian states…

Standard German (Standard High German) Standard German Standard German is the codified, supraregional form of German used in formal writing, education and media. It includes German, Austrian and Swiss regional standards and coexists wi…

State of the Union Address Annual presidential speech to Congress reporting on the nation's condition, outlining priorities and legislative proposals; grounded in Article II, Section 3 and shaped by constitu…

Stop consonant (plosive) Stop consonant A stop or plosive is a consonant made by completely blocking the airflow then releasing it, producing a burst. Discusses articulation, voicing, places of articulation, language exa…

Stuttering (Stammering): Overview, Characteristics, Causes, and Management Stuttering Stuttering (stammering) is a speech fluency disorder marked by repetitions, prolongations, and blocks. This article explains features, onset, causes, assessment, treatments, and pr…

Style (form of address) A form of address—also called a style or honorific—is the conventional way people are addressed in speech and writing according to rank, office, gender, profession, or courtesy.

Substitution cipher: classical method of letter replacement in cryptography Substitution cipher A substitution cipher replaces each unit of plaintext with another symbol according to a fixed rule. Overview, types (monoalphabetic, homophonic, polygraphic), history, cryptanalys…

Subtitle (captioning) Written text that represents spoken audio in film, television and video; used for translation, accessibility and clarity. Covers types, technical aspects, history, uses and best pr…

Suggestion: definition, types, uses, and how they influence decisions Suggestion A suggestion is a proposed idea or recommendation offered for others to consider. This article explains forms, features, uses in groups and organizations, psychological aspects, an…

Survey: methods of measurement and data collection Survey A survey is a systematic way to collect information or measure features, ranging from opinion polls and questionnaires to land surveying and scientific sampling. Overview, types, m…

Sveriges Radio: Sweden’s Public Radio Broadcaster Sveriges Radio Sveriges Radio (SR) is Sweden’s public-service radio organization, founded in 1925. SR produces national and local radio, minority-language programming, news, culture and digital s…

Swahili (Kiswahili): The East African Bantu lingua franca Swahili language Swahili (Kiswahili) is a Bantu language serving as a lingua franca across East Africa. This article covers its features, origins, history of contact, official status, varieties, an…

Swahili Wikipedia: scope, development, and significance Swahili Wikipedia An overview of the Swahili-language edition of Wikipedia: its scope, history, community, uses in East Africa, and notable features of content and development.

Swearing (profanity and expletives) Swearing Swearing covers taboo words and exclamations used to express emotion, insult, bond socially, or emphasize speech; studied across linguistics, psychology, law, and sociology.