retronym list

Photo credit: Canva – A landline phone and an acoustic guitar are examples of retronyms.

Communication, Skills

From ‘acoustic guitar’ to ‘landline phone’: 18 retronyms that reveal how English evolves across eras

Emily Shiffer

5/15/2026
An Operation Smile volunteer reverses an oxygen mask so a child with a cleft condition can blow a bubble for the first time in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Operation Smile Photos)

In Partnership With Operation Smile →

Family, Science

How Bubbles Help Kids with Cleft Conditions

Sarah Watts

5/11/2026