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Otherwords

Is "R" a Vowel?

Season 3 Episode 2 | 6m 41s

There's a good argument that the letter R is, at least sometimes, not a consonant at all, but a vowel. Does that mean your 1st grade teacher was lying to you? Not exactly. R is an incredibly weird letter, with so many different sounds and functions, it's a wonder that we use one symbol to represent them all. And how people pronounce that one letter can speak volumes about their history and social

Aired: 02/22/23
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Watch • 10:58
Otherwords
How Cult Leaders Use Language
What is the best tool for cult leaders to control other people? It’s the power of language.
Episode: S4 E6 | 10:58
Watch • 7:14
Otherwords
Why Do Some Names Fall Out of Fashion
Headlines have sprung up all over declaring that the Southern American dialect is on its way out.
Episode: S4 E5 | 7:14
Watch • 9:11
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Why Do We Use Cringey Words for Loved Ones?
Why do we use such unusual words for the people we love?
Episode: S4 E4 | 9:11
Watch • 7:33
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Is the Southern Accent Disappearing?
Let’s dig deep and find out why certain names simply fall out of fashion.
Episode: S4 E3 | 7:33
Watch • 8:32
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Why Do These Words Get Mispronounced So Much?
There are many words you say incorrectly but don’t know you are saying incorrectly.
Episode: S4 E2 | 8:32
Watch • 8:59
Otherwords
How Language Nerds Solve Crimes
Linguists use language everyday to solve crimes. Let’s take a look the most famous ones!
Episode: S4 E1 | 8:59
Watch • 7:11
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Join us as we find out how certain places got their names.
Episode: S3 E10 | 7:11
Watch • 6:29
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So how did we get those names of colors?
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Watch • 6:48
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Why does switching from texting to talking feel like you’re trying to speak a different language?
Episode: S3 E8 | 6:48
Watch • 8:43
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Episode: S3 E7 | 8:43