Why is English so weird?
Word of Mouth · 2021-07-15
Why do we say 'I climbed' not 'I clomb'? Why is there a 'p' in 'receipt' and not in 'deceit'? Why is 'of' spelled with a 'f' when it sounds like a 'v'?
Michael Rosen hears why from American linguist Arika Okrent. Together they talk about the strangeness of English and who is to blame for the mess.
Produced by Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio in Bristol.
Word of Mouth
Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them
- No. of episodes: 189
- Latest episode: 2025-02-20
- Society & Culture
Where can you listen?
