A survey uses a math formula to measure the frequency of phrases

LOS ANGELES - "Spillcam" and "vuvuzela" were the top words of 2010, reflecting the global impact of the months-long oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the noisy South African horns at the World Cup soccer tournament, according to a survey released on Sunday.

"Refudiate" - a word coined by US politician Sarah Palin in a cross between refute and repudiate - also made the top 10, according to the annual Global Language Monitor survey.