You're Saying It Wrong
Saturdays
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
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Having been bamboozled by Kathy and Ross in the previous episode, Fletcher resolves to get at one question right this time around. Don't hold your breath, Fletch. -
With the words we use in English coming from so many different languages, Kathy and Ross challenge Fletcher to a quiz about word origins. And somehow we end up talking about both bazookas and grenades, so things escalate quickly. -
Kathy and Ross try to stump Fletcher with some tricky grammar questions, including a long, confusing trip through collective nouns. -
This time, we're taking a trip through some of the most commonly mispronounced places in the good ol' USA. Hop in! Things might get a little bumpy... -
Hey there, guy, grab a plate of meat and join us as we look at some everyday words that have REALLY changed their meanings over time!
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A listener question forces us to take a hard look at how we use prepositions, including whether we do things "by" accident or "on" accident, and Fletcher asks why we can't just do things "by" purpose. -
We've been a little bit cranky lately, so we thought we'd dig up some big-sounding words we're actually fond of. How deliquescent! (wait, that's not right...)
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Having tried to wrap our heads around the world of academic language, we now take a stab at trying to untangle the meaning of phrases bureaucracies and corporations produce as they try to sound fancy (and avoid legal trouble).
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A listener question prompts us to try to translate some nearly impenetrable examples of academic writing. -
We head back to the mailbag to answer some listener questions, including one about the origins of "woke," and another about the power of the bossy R.
