You're Saying It Wrong
Alternate Fridays
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.
Latest Episodes
-
The old people try their hand at sussing out the meanings of Gen Z slang words, although we all remain skeptical that actual people in Gen Z use any of these words. Groovy! -
It's an episode we look forward to each January, as we take a look back at the most mispronounced words of the previous year. Even the dinosaurs said one of these wrong!
-
Kathy and Ross take major issue with various choices for words of the year for 2022. What makes for a good word of the year? Can anyone please our experts?
-
While recording the audio versions of their books, Kathy and Ross discover there are words they've written about that they STILL say wrong, even after all these years.
-
After we puzzle over some words Kathy and Ross recently found in the news, we'll tackle a list of the English language's most misspelled words. Two billion tweets can't be wrong, can they? (Yes, they can, and are.)
-
Turns out agentive suffixes are popular! We tackle a number of listener questions we got after our first episode on the topic, and Kathy gets VERY excited about a couple of the words that come up.
-
It's the spoooookiest episode we've ever had, as we dive into the roots of the scary words we hear each Halloween. Vampires! Werewolves! Witches and Warlocks! Press play... if you dare...
-
A listener asks why some words end in -er, while other similar words end in -or, like "seller" vs. "vendor," or "supervisor" vs. "manager." My friend, you may be sorry you asked!
-
WARNING: There is some very heated sibling rivalry in this episode, about some things we never would have expected (that title is a hint).
-
OK, kids! The SATs are coming up, and we've got your perfect study guide right here! We look at some words that tend to trip people up, or maybe that you've never even heard before at all. Disclaimer: We don't actually know how the SAT even works anymore.
