Claim OwnershipYou're Saying It Wrong
Subscribed: 305Played: 11,451
Subscribe
© 2021
Description
From KMUW Studios and part of the NPR Podcast Network, You're Saying It Wrong is a podcast that looks at what we get wrong—and what we sometimes get right—when it comes to this English language. Hosted by KMUW's Fletcher Powell, each episode features a conversation with the sister and brother who wrote the book on it. Literally. You're Saying It Wrong: A Pronunciation Guide to the 150 Most Commonly Mispronounced Words and Their Tangled Histories of Misuse is by Kathryn Petras and Ross Petras.On June 24, 2022, You’re Saying It Wrong received first place in Division B for Interview Podcasts from the Public Media Journalists Association. The awards recognize the best work in public media journalism from across the country.You're Saying It Wrong is available to public radio stations through PRX.
257 Episodes
Reverse
Today we have a wide-ranging discussion about the words we use, when we use them, and the enormous power they can have.
Sometimes words get a whole lot less specific over time, and sometimes people get really mad about that!
We look at how a tiny little prefix or suffix can completely change the meaning of a word. Or how it could do nothing at all!
We finish our discussion of the words people would like to see banned from the English language in 2026 and then we uncover some uncommonly odd things about one particular prefix.
We go through a list of words people want to banish in 2026 and then take a swing over to the weird world of contractions. You ain't heard nothin' yet!
We explore all sorts of love and love-related words as we honor St. Valentine (and some other unexpected saints).
We look at how much a word can change if we just give it a little nudge this way or that, which leads us into a discussion of how certain Arabic words made their way into English.
We look at the top 10 most commonly misspelled words. Watch those double letters!
It's been a strange winter so far, so let's talk about some strange winter words! Brrrrrrrrrr!!!
We indulge in one of our favorite pastimes: quibbling over tiny differences in the way people say things. What fun!
We all like to feel a bit fancy from time to time, but when we turn to French, it can get us in trouble.
We continue our annual tradition of looking back at the words that defined the year, as chosen by dictionaries, listeners... and us!
As we reach the end of the year, we get some grab-bag whiplash with English questions and conundrums from all over the language spectrum.
This week, we look at some words that have come unstuck in time.
What could be more fun for the holidays than digging into the bizarre world of Latin and Greek plurals? Nothing! That's what! (This episode originally aired on 12/14/24.)
We extend our quiz about abbreviated words into a second episode, and Kathy learns that people don't always do things just to look fancy (a lot of the time they do, though!).
We answer a few listener questions, including one about a changing pronunciation that drives one person nuts, and another about abbreviations that leads us to some surprising (and confusing) places.
In celebration of Thanksgiving and all the food that comes with it, we’ll take an etymological trip around the dinner plate.
After an extended discussion about plurals, Kathy and Ross give Fletcher a wide-ranging quiz on grammar, pronunciation, etymology, and whatever else they decide to throw at him.
We return to our series looking at the hardest words ever found on the SAT by exploring the letter "G."
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
In Persian, we say Sharbat which means sweet cold drink (with any sweet flavor)