A new linguistic study has found that Americans use the f word more than any other English-speaking country. The research, conducted by scientists at the University of Eastern Finland and published in the journal Lingua, analyzed how often and creatively people in the U.S., U.K., and Australia used the notorious four-letter expletive on social media.
The study examined 7.8 billion words posted on X (formerly Twitter) by over 435,000 users from 2006 to 2023. Researchers focused specifically on the f word, citing it as the most commonly used profanity and the most likely to cause offense in polite conversation.
According to the findings, U.S. users were the most frequent users of the f word, followed by British users, with Australians using it the least. This outcome surprised the research team, who noted that Australians are often stereotyped as heavy swearers.
However, while Australians used the f word less often, they were the most inventive in their use of it. The study recorded 2,160 spelling variants of the word from Australian users, compared to 1,969 in the U.S. and 1,474 in the U.K. Creative alternatives included terms like “fuqqen,” “fark,” and “feck.”
The research also found that people were more likely to use the f word on social media platforms than on blogs or in other written formats. Interestingly, individuals were more inclined to swear when interacting with acquaintances rather than close friends. Usage dropped significantly in small social circles of 15 people or fewer.
Researchers emphasized that swearing, including use of the f word, serves several social and emotional functions — from expressing frustration or joy to adding intensity to statements.
In related news, a separate 2024 report by WordTips revealed that New Yorkers, despite their rough reputation, ranked only 17th in profanity use among U.S. states.