Oxford Dictionaries' 2015 'Word Of The Year' Isn't A Word
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Oxford Dictionaries 2015 word of the year is impossible to pronounce… because it's not actually a word.
It's an emoji, specifically the "face with tears of joy" emoji, which is usually used as a substitute for "LOL."
Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2015 is… ????! https://t.co/LjJyxO8cvv #OxfordWOTY pic.twitter.com/Ced28y3I6F
— Oxford Dictionaries (@OxfordWords) November 16, 2015
Every year, Oxford Dictionaries picks a word that they think captures the year's biggest trends or changes in the English language.
Several other words that were considered included: "dark web," the part of the internet that allows users to remain anonymous, and "on fleek," meaning good, attractive or stylish.
Oxford Dictionaries says on its website, "This year Oxford University Press have partnered with leading mobile technology business SwiftKey to explore frequency and usage statistics for some of the most popular emoji across the world, and 
was chosen because it was the most used emoji globally in 2015."
