I can start a war or end one. I can heal a wound that no medicine can touch. I cannot be unsaid. Billions of me are spoken every minute. What am I?

Question

Accepted Answer

A Word. Words — spoken or written — have triggered wars and revolutions, provided comfort and caused devastation. Once spoken, words cannot be unsaid — their effect persists even if apologised for. An estimated 800 million words are spoken in English alone every hour.

"I can start a war or end one. I can heal a wound that no medicine can touch. I cannot be unsaid. Billions of me are spoken every minute. What am I?"

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