ETAOIN SHRDLU
Though not actual words, these two groups of letters form the most common letters in the English language arranged in popularity order. The letters formed the first two rows of keys on a Linotype machine which was invented around 1884. This fascinating piece of printing history is then unearthed all these years later as a useful theme for the Listener crossword. And presumably the letter order of popularity remains the same. But I wonder whether the increase of textspeak and the erosion of vowels may change it oneday?
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