Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.
Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.

Why 'Tonka' sounds big and 'bitty' sounds small. Why you CAN start a sentence with 'because.'

Feb 24, 2026 · 13m

<p>1162. This week, we look at why some names just "feel right" while others don't and how vowels like "ee" create associations with smallness and sweetness while back vowels like "ah" sound bigger and more serious. Then, we look at dependent clauses and when it's OK to start a sentence with "because."</p><p>The baby names segment was written by <a href="http://valeriefridland.com/" target="_blank">Valerie Fridland</a>. </p><p>🔗 <a href="https://www.patreon.com/cw/grammargirl" target="_blank">Join the Grammar Girl Patreon.</a></p><p>🔗 <strong>Share your familect recording in </strong><a href="https://www.speakpipe.com/GrammarGirl" target="_blank"><strong>Speakpipe</strong></a><strong> </strong>or by …

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