Oxford reveals Children’s Word of the Year for 2025
Oxford University Press (OUP) announced that the word of the year for children in 2025 is peace.
According to the research conducted in 2025, which included the opinions of approximately 5,000 children aged between 6 and 14, 35 percent of children prefer peace, 33 percent prefer artificial intelligence and 21 percent prefer resilience.
When asked why they chose peace, one in 10 children mentioned “war” and highlighted specific conflicts such as Ukraine and Gaza.
OUP said a study of the Oxford Children’s Corpus, a database of writings by and for children in the English language containing more than half a billion words, found that mentions of peace in children’s stories submitted to the BBC 500 Words competition had increased by 60 per cent since 2015.
In the second year, artificial intelligence was chosen as the runner-up, and when asked why they chose the word 20 percent, they chose the words “hear” and “talk” about artificial intelligence.
Similar to last year, children responded positively when asked how the word made them feel; More than one in 10 said “excited” or “excited.”
Almost half (47 percent) of children chose six-seven as their slang word of the year, followed by aura (24 percent) and delulu (7 percent).
The research found that the use of the number six-seven among children promotes inclusivity and social currency; OUP said almost one in 10 people mentioned “friends” when asked how they used the term, and the word “popular” was frequently mentioned, referring to what the number six or seven meant to them, with more than a quarter (28 per cent) using the words “fun” and “laugh”.
Andrea Quincey, director of early years and primary publishing at Oxford University Press, said: “A key theme we see in our Oxford Children’s Word of the Year research is how attuned children are to current events.
“This year is no different, whether it’s calling for peace in response to current conflicts or highlighting how artificial intelligence is permeating daily life.
“Perhaps it’s no surprise that ‘six-seven’ was overwhelmingly voted as the slang word of the year. It’s a word that brings them laughter, joy and connection with their friends. We see how important it is for children to have a say in their own language, away from the adult world, and to share words that adults may not understand.”
“That’s why we’re calling on schools to take part in our 2026 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year survey. We want to not only hear from more children, but also hear colloquial words and capture regional sounds. This year’s research shows how important it is that we continue to investigate children’s language and support their vocabulary development as it plays a vital role in their self-expression.”
Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Language plays a profound role in shaping our society, culture and identity.
“Understanding how children and young people make sense of the words they encounter in daily life, how they appropriate them and how they play with their meanings reveals the power of language in helping us understand the world around us and our place in it.
“National Year of Reading will enable us to provide new opportunities for more children and young people to experience language in ways that are fun, relevant and help them connect with others.
“Throughout the year, we will be working with Oxford University Press and a range of incredible authors to bring the magic of reading and words to life for children and young people across the UK.”
