THE language used by children across the country in a story-writing competition has been analysed by experts from Oxford University Press — and the children's word of the year is Brexit.

BBC Radio Two's 500 Words competition received a whopping 112,986 entries from children this year.

The top ten words used more in stories written by Isle of Wight children than in any other area are: king, ice, ha, pizza, potato, nightmare, devil, dentist, pan and flame.

Nationally, the word Brexit has undergone a huge increase in use, as well as the use of vegan and vegetarianism, plus references to climate change and plastic, which suggest British children are increasingly aware of environmental issues.

Of the top 25 ‘famous people’ mentioned in the stories, Father Christmas tops the list, but this year Gummy Bear has gone straight in at number two. The footballer Cristiano Ronaldo remains the most popular ‘real person’, with Donald Trump still providing a rich source of material in fifth place overall.

The 500 Words competition is hosted by Zoe Ball's Radio Two breakfast show, in partnership with Oxford University Press.

It was originally created by Chris Evans's breakfast show in 2011 and to date has received over 900,000 entries.

The competition culminates with a life final on Friday at Windsor Castle with honorary judge, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and celebrity readers Martin Sheen, Helen McCrory, David Walliams, Sandi Toksvig, Konnie Huq and Hugh Bonneville with performances from Busted, Tom Walker and The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda the Musical.

  • Did your child take part in the competition? Get in touch with the County Press at editor@iwcp.co.uk.