'Queen' is revealed as the Oxford Children's Word of the Year 2022

  • Published
  • comments
Word of the year mouth shouting illustrationImage source, Getty/BBC

'Queen' has been revealed as the Oxford Children's Word of the Year for 2022.

The other words shortlisted in the top three were 'happy' and 'chaos', while the top slang word of 2022 was 'cool'.

It's the first time children have been involved in selecting the word and more than 4,000 had their say.

Do you agree? What has been your word of 2022? Let us know in the comments below!

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022 just a few months after celebrating her Platinum Jubilee

'Queen' was chosen by nearly half (46%) of the children surveyed by Oxford University Press.

When the children were asked why they chose the word, lots said they were sad about the monarch's passing and were proud of her reign after celebrating her Platinum Jubilee in 2022 too.

Interestingly, girls were more likely to choose 'Queen' compared to boys.

Researchers also found that nearly half of children felt hopeful and more than a quarter were excited for the year ahead.

But around one in 10 children are feeling a bit worried when thinking about 2023.

Top slang words of 2022
  • Cool

  • Sick/sic

  • Slay

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Thousands of children were asked for their word suggestions

How are the words chosen?

Around 4,000 children were asked for their suggestions for the word of 2022.

The most common answers and themes were then used to come up with the shortlist of three words - Queen. happy and chaos.

These were then put to another 1,000 children to vote for their overall word of the year.

Helen Freeman, Director of Oxford Childrens, said: "It comes as no surprise that Queen is Children's Word of the Year for 2022.

"This not only reflects Her Majesty's 70 years of incredible service, but over the past decade our research consistently reveals how attuned children are to the news and the impact current affairs have on their language."

Miranda McKearney OBE, founder of EmpathyLab, said: "The choice of Queen highlights how affected children were by the emotions and sense of community and connection around the Jubilee and the Queen's death."