BBC Radio Podcasts from Word of Mouth
How to Think Like an Anthropologist, with Gillian Tett
Michael Rosen is joined by Gillian Tett, columnist at the Financial Times.
Family Sayings
Michael shares listeners' stories about words and phrases passed down through families.
Are you different in another language?
Can speaking another language change your behaviour, your decisions, even your morals?
Words for Sale!
Dr Pip Thornton and Michael Rosen explore how language has become an online commodity.
Unequal English
Michael Rosen is joined by Ruanni Tupas to discuss English from around the world.
A Life in Lexicography
Lexicographer Grant Barrett on dictionaries.
Writing Comedy with Isy Suttie
Comedian Isy Suttie on how she writes comedy
Everyday Shakespeare
Are you quoting Shakespeare without even realising?
Therapy Speak
Susie Orbach talks to Michael Rosen about the use and misuse of 'therapy speak'.
Fandom
Michael Bond talks to Michael Rosen about the ways in which fans talk to each other.
The stories behind our names
Michael talks to Sheela Banerjee about the family and cultural histories revealed by names
Audio description: putting art into words
Audio describer Lonny Evans and trainer Terry James talk about how to describe art.
Interpreting Presidents Putin and Zelensky
An insight into the world of a simultaneous interpreter.
Learning Yiddish
Michael Rosen with his Yiddish language teacher Tamara Micner.
Chatbots
Professor of computational linguistics Emily M Bender chats all things bot with Michael
The Language of Fascism
The Language of Fascism
Women's Words
Dr Jenni Nuttall talks to Michael about the words used by and about women.
A Load of Nonsense
Michael Rosen talks nonsense literature and made-up words with Noreen Masud.
Psychiatrist and Patient
Neuropsychiatrist Anthony David talks to Michael.
The Life Inside: Philosophy in Prison
Michael Rosen talks to Andy West who teaches philosophy in prisons
Richard Osman's love of language
Richard Osman talks in depth to Michael Rosen about his broadcasting and writing lives.
Interpreting for Mum and Dad
Sanmeet Kaur has been interpreting for her parents since the age of five.
Subtitles
Karli Witkowska, the subtitler behind TV shows including Stranger Things, explains her job
Snap Crackle and Every Little Helps - the language of food advertising
Michael Rosen delves into the fascinating world of food and drink advertising.
Grammar Table
Michael Rosen is joined by grammar fanatic Ellen Jovin.
Band names
Bob Stanley talks band names, from the rubbish to the brilliant.
Exclamation Marks!!
Michael Rosen exclaims excitedly over exclamation marks with Florence Hazrat.
Nihal Arthanayake on conversation
Radio 5 Live presenter Nihal Arthanayake talks to Michael about the art of conversation.
Like
Linguist Carmen Fought talks to Michael about 'like' in all its forms.
A Murmuration of Starlings
Michael Rosen talks to Matt Sewell about collective nouns in the animal world.
The Art of Apologies
Michael Rosen talks to sociolinguist Louise Mullany about all the ways we say sorry.
Ghosting Caking and Breadcrumbing
The evolving lexicon of online dating
Lords and Ladies: Folk Names for Plants and Flowers
The different names we call our common plants and flowers around the British Isles.
My Stammer Story
Michael Rosen asks William Laven about how he has learnt to celebrate his stammer.
What is language actually good for?
Nick Enfield and Michael Rosen on language being good for lawyers but bad for scientists.
Nathan Filer on the ways we talk about mental health
Nathan talks with Michael about words we use when talking about mental health.
Weather Words
The many different ways we use to talk about the weather
The language we use about children in care
Adoptive parent Margaret Reynolds talks about the language used around children in care
3 Ways to Speak English
Dr Jamila Lyiscott describes to Michael Rosen the 3 ways in which she speaks English.
The Language of Sci-Fi
Michael Rosen explores how the vocabulary of sci-fi has entered everyday speech.
Talking to Computers
Michael Rosen talks to Lane Greene about advances in language technologies.
John McWhorter on Language
John McWhorter, author and linguist at Columbia University, joins Michael Rosen.
Dropping the Mic and Jumping the Shark: Where Do Modern Idioms Come From?
Michael Rosen talks to Dr Gareth Carrol about the surprising origins of modern idioms.
Remembering Mother Tongues
Michael Rosen asks Julie Sedivy about what happens when we lose our first language.
It's language, Jim, but not as we know it
Michael Rosen talks to science communicator Dr Hannah Little.
When Words Fail Us
Kathryn Mannix and Michael Rosen on how to talk tenderly and and listen well.
Words from World War I
Michael Rosen and Professor Lynda Mugglestone explore the new language from World War I.
Digital body language: how to work online
Michael Rosen gets advice from Erica Dhawan on the best ways to communicate on-screen.
When people get your name wrong
Michael Rosen on why personal names are mistaken or misspelled, in conversation and online
Accent Bias
Michael Rosen asks Devyani Sharma about the latest research into accent bias in the UK.
Cultish Language
Michael Rosen and Amanda Montell on who uses it and why.
Medical English
Michael Rosen asks Dr Sophie Harrison about the special language used by doctors.
The Art of Inventing Languages
Michael Rosen is joined by David J. Peterson, language creator for Game of Thrones.
Why is English so weird?
Michael Rosen hears why our language is a bit of a mess from linguist Arika Okrent
The Shipping Forecast: Internet Fandom
Michael Rosen talks to internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch about online fandom language.
Speech and Language Therapy
Michael Rosen talks to the speech and language therapist who helped him after Covid-19.
Coinages
Michael Rosen talks to Ralph Keyes about how words and phrases are coined.
Romance Fraud
Dr Elisabeth Carter talks to Michael about the language used by romance fraudsters.
Changing Names
Michael Rosen and BBC presenter Ben Boulos talk changing names.
Alphabetical Order
Michael Rosen and historian Judith Flanders talk categories and more.
LGBTQIA+ slang
Chloe Davis, creator of The Queen's English dictionary of LGBTQIA+ slang, talks to Michael
Hilary Mantel in conversation with Michael Rosen
Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall, talks to Michael Rosen about her life in language.
Bulls and Bears: animal metaphors in business language
Michael Rosen asks why there are so many terms related to animals in the business world.
Being a Polyglot
Michael talks to Alex Rawlings about being a polyglot
Adam Bradley: The Poetry of Pop
Adam Bradley joins Michael from Los Angeles and talks about the poetry of pop
How to Disagree
Michael Rosen and Darren Chetty explore ways of disagreeing that could help to unite us.
Talking Disability
Talking disability with Samantha Renke
Protest Slogans
Sabrina Mahfouz talks about protest slogans with Siana Bangura and Zoe Buckman.
Black masculinity and language
Jeffrey Boakye on the language of black masculinity in a post-colonial world.
Talking to Strangers
Professor Tanya Byron sitting in for Michael Rosen on talking to strangers.
Othering through the centuries: Translation to acronyms
Sabrina Mahfouz talks to Tobi Kyeremateng and Katherine Harloe about othering in language.
Words Used About Women
From hussy to bossy, spinster to slut, Professor Deborah Cameron on words used about women
The language of power and inequality in education and leadership
Jeffrey Boakye talks with Iesha Small on the language of power and inequality in education
The Language of the Pandemic
Professor Tanya Byron examines the language of Covid-19 with author Mark Honigsbaum.
The power of telling stories
Michael Rosen talks to storyteller Clare Muireann Murphy about the wonder of stories.
Sindhu Vee
Michael talks to comedian Sindhu Vee about her life in language.
Real Talk
Michael Rosen talks to conversation analyst Elizabeth Stokoe about the science of talk.
Communicating Climate Change
Michael Rosen talks to George Marshall about how best to communicate climate change.
NHS language use
Michael Rosen on how the NHS chooses words on its website and in consultants' letters.
Lying
Michael Rosen talks to Professor Dawn Archer about how we might tell when someone is lying
Metaphors
Michael Rosen returns to explore how metaphors shape our lives with author James Geary.
Anglo Saxon
Michael Rosen explores the origins of English in the Anglo-Saxon world.
The Language of Science
Michael Rosen looks at how English is used in Science.
Gabriel Gbadamosi
Michael Rosen meets London-born writer Gabriel Gbadamosi, to talk Dickens and dialect.
Philosophy in English
Michael Rosen looks at philosophy in English, from John Locke to corporate slogans.
Vikings
Michael Rosen discovers how the Vikings changed English.
Glyn Maxwell
Michael Rosen explores the sound and rhythm of English with poet Glyn Maxwell.
The most powerful word
Michael Rosen explores the strange history of 'The', the most influential word in English.
The First Language
What was the earliest language and how did it evolve? Michael Rosen investigates.
Raymond Antrobus
Michael Rosen meets acclaimed poet Raymond Antrobus.
Romani
Damian Le Bas talks to Michael Rosen about the Romani language.
The Language of Comics
Michael Rosen explores the visual language of comics, with comics theorist Neil Cohn.
Jeffrey Boakye on black-related words
Jeffrey Boakye talks to Michael Rosen about exploring black identity through language.
Biscuit Names
Michael Rosen and Laura Wright look into the weird and wonderful world of biscuit names.
Listen and learn: how to make better conversation
Michael Rosen talks to the authors of The Talking Revolution about improving our dialogue.
Dyslexia
Michael Rosen talks in depth about dyslexia with expert Professor Maggie Snowling.
Talk of the Town: How Places Got Their Names
Michael Rosen and guests explore the origins of the UK's town and village names.
Solving crime with forensic linguistics
John Olsson talks to Michael Rosen about how he uses authorship analysis to solve murders.
Demystifying the language of the courtroom
Family law barrister Lucy Reed talks to Michael Rosen about the language of the courtroom.
How to talk funny with Elis James
Michael Rosen talks to comedian Elis James about how to make language funny.
Raymond Williams' Keywords
Michael Rosen talks to academic Colin MacCabe about Raymond Williams' book Keywords.
Communication and Dementia
Michael Rosen finds out how best to communicate with people with dementia.
T-Shirt Slogans
Michael Rosen discusses slogan T-shirts with Amber Butchart and Caryn Franklin.
Multicultural London English
Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright talk Multicultural London English with Ismail Einashe.
Lane Greene on Editing
Economist Johnson language columnist Lane Greene talks to Michael Rosen and Laura Wright.
Give 'em an inch... imperial and metric
Michael Rosen and Laura Wright talk to Rob Eastaway about imperial and metric measurements
Stephen Fry and Michael Rosen talk language
Stephen Fry talks to presenter Michael Rosen about their mutual obsession with language.
Shop Names
Michael Rosen and Laura Wright look at the history behind and wordplay used in shop names.
How to talk like a Samaritan
Michael Rosen talks to the Samaritans about how language can help people in crisis.
The Words That Saved Me
Sally Bayley talks to Michael Rosen about how words came to her rescue during childhood.
Me, Myself & AI
Michael is joined by Tom Hewitson, conversation designer for the likes of Siri and Alexa.
Naming Emotions
Michael Rosen talks to Tiffany Watt Smith about the words we use to describe our emotions.
Not My Type
How do fonts change the meaning of a message? Michael Rosen is joined by Sarah Hyndman.
Words Apart
Michael Rosen asks if we are living through a crisis of language in public debate.
Haggard Hawks
Michael Rosen is joined by Paul Anthony Jones of popular etymology blog Haggard Hawks.
Language and Gender Identity
Michael Rosen talks language and gender identity with CN Lester, author of Trans Like Me.
Naming Diseases
Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright explore how diseases are named.
Best wishes, kind regards or none of the above?
Best wishes or kind regards? What is the new etiquette for written communication?
Michael Gets Voice Training
Vocal coaches Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher give Michael Rosen a thorough workout.
Hello! Is it me you're looking for? - The art of greetings
Michael Rosen and Laura Wright start a new series with hellos and greetings.
Pub Names
Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright explain how pubs got their names.
Language and Our Genes with Dr Steve Jones
Michael Rosen talks to Steve Jones about language and our genes.
Autism and Communication
Michael Rosen finds out what can be learnt about communication from people with autism.
Wild Words
Robert Macfarlane tells Michael Rosen about his 'word-hoard' of endangered nature words.
Are we all speaking football?
Lifelong Arsenal supporter Michael Rosen talks football cliches with Adam Hurrey.
Malorie Blackman on Language
Malorie Blackman, author of Noughts and Crosses, talks in depth to Michael Rosen.
Eat My Words: How to Describe Food Flavours
Michael Rosen asks Andi Oliver and Niki Segnit how they describe the flavours of food.
David Walliams on writing for children
David Walliams talks to Michael Rosen about writing children's books.
Game On: The Language of Video Games
Michael Rosen and Laura Wright find out how video games influence language.
The Postbag Edition
Michael Rosen answers listeners' language queries from the Word of Mouth inbox and postbag
Cucks, snowflakes and virtue signalling: the new US political lexicon
Michael Rosen asks George Lakoff about the new political words coming out of the US now.
Jacqueline Wilson talks to Michael Rosen about language
Tracy Beaker author Jacqueline Wilson talks to Michael Rosen about her love of language.
How Countries Got Their Names
Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright find out how countries got their names.
Frenchified: The Influence of French on English
Michael Rosen and Laura Wright find out how much of English comes from French roots.
Like, Totally Awesome: The Americanisation of English
Michael Rosen on the Americanisation of English, with Lynne Murphy and Matthew Engel.
Emoji: The Future of Language?
Is emoji really the world's fastest-growing language? Michael Rosen finds out.
Intonation: The Music of Speaking
Michael Rosen explores the tunes we sing when we are speaking, without even realising it.
Pet or Pest? The revealing words we use about animals, and dog names
Michael Rosen on the language we use to talk about animals - and the names we give dogs.
Words Roadshow in Birmingham
Michael Rosen discusses interesting family words and phrases with listeners in Birmingham.
Susie Dent on Language
Michael Rosen talks to Countdown's Susie Dent about her love of words and language.
Reading: The Science and the Pleasure
BBC LovetoRead campaign: Michael Rosen on the pleasure of and the science behind reading.
Snotrils and Jumpolines: Kids' Invented Words
Michael Rosen on the creative use and misuse of language by children.
Small Talk
Michael Rosen talks to psychotherapist Philippa Perry about the importance of small talk.
Directions: North South East and West
Michael Rosen uncovers how people talk and think about directions in different languages.
Lost Words and Secret Connections
Michael Rosen on discovering lost words and finding hidden linguistic connections.
Break Ups and Brexit
The language of making and breaking relationships.
Punctuation
Michael Rosen talks to Keith Houston about punctuation symbols and how they came to exist.
Andrew Graham-Dixon on the naming of art movements
Michael Rosen and Andrew Graham-Dixon on the naming of art movements and what it tells us.
Snuck and Sung: Irregular Verbs
Michael Rosen explores the verbs that are called irregular, and how they came to be.
Roald Dahl's Language
Michael Rosen on a new Roald Dahl dictionary collecting the amazing words he invented.
PR - How Not To Do It
Michael Rosen on the words used in PR that have been rated as the most annoying. Iconic...
Metaphors for the Past: From Dinosaurs to Victorian Values
Michael Rosen on how we talk about historical eras in order to define how we live now.
House Names
Michael Rosen talks to Dr Laura Wright about her new research on popular house names.
Steven Pinker on Language
Steven Pinker joins Michael Rosen to talk about his love of, and life in, language.
Tip of the Tongue
Michael Rosen on one of the most frustrating language states: tip of the tongue.
Talking or Texting?
Michael Rosen on research into the emotional effects of different kinds of communication.
Mouthpiece: Turning the Spoken Word into Songs
Michael Rosen hears about a project to turn interviews recorded in Parliament into songs.
Taking Turns in Conversation
Michael Rosen and Laura Wright discuss how we take it in turns to talk, in conversation.
The Top 20 Words in English
Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright guide listeners through the 20 most commonly used words.
How Shakespeare Spoke
Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright discover how Shakespeare spoke.
Slang
What is slang? Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright thrash it out with Jonathon Green.
Language Evolution: A Gene for Language?
Neuroscientist Dr Frederique Liegeois joins Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright.
Gorilla gorilla gorilla: Latin names for animals and plants
Michael Rosen explores the wonderful Latin names used to describe animals and plants.
The Alphabet
Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright take us through the A-Z of the alphabet.
Inventing Brand Names
Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright look into how new commercial brand names are invented.
Romance and Romanticism
Michael Rosen and Professor John Mullan talk romance, Romantic poets and romanticism.
Reading: Print v eBooks
Michael Rosen examines the differences between reading print books and reading eBooks.
Number Words
Michael Rosen and Laura Wright look at how numbers are understood - and misunderstood.
Non-Verbal Communication
Michael Rosen and Laura Wright discuss non-verbal communication with Prof Steven Connor.