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Artwork for Word of Mouth

Word of Mouth

BBC Radio 4
Linguistics
Language Acquisition
Language
Communication
Social Media
Artificial Intelligence
Aging
Irish Language
Lists
English Language
Word Order
Adjectives
Autism
Celtic Languages
Tourette Syndrome
Language and Ageism
Scots Language
Children's Literature
Michael Morpurgo
Sanskrit

Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes216Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Word of Mouth

Latest Episodes

Michael Rosen talks to anthropologist Jamie Tehrani about how fairy tales travel the world, ever changing and evolving. He’s traced their transmission across oral traditions: the kinds of plots, characters and motifs that endure. From the Iranian Pri... more

Michael Rosen on the words used to describe the qualities of smells in different languages. Asifa Majid is Professor of Cognitive Science at Oxford and her research has found that some do it much better than others. She puts Michael to the test to se... more

Michael Rosen meets popular YouTuber Simon Roper, who tries to recreate how people spoke in the past. Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven, in partnership with the Open University. Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an ep... more

The words that we use to label or describe things in nature – words for landscapes, creatures, seasons, the weather – can they help awaken us to the world around us? Drawing on languages from all over the world, Michael Rosen hears about Words to Lov... more

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Recent Guests

Jamie Tehrani
Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Durham University
Durham University
Episode: Fairy Tales
Asifa Majid
Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
Episode: Smell
Simon Roper
Enthusiastic amateur linguist who reconstructs historical English pronunciations
Self-described linguist with YouTube videos on historical speech
Episode: How did people speak throughout history?
Ella Frances Sanders
Author of Words to Love a Planet
Author, Words to Love a Planet
Episode: Words to Love the Living World
Rebecca Lee
Author of Rogues, Widows and Orphans, Mischief and Misadventures in the World of Books
Penguin editor and author
Episode: The World of Words: editing, typography and print
Amy Gaunt
Former primary school teacher, now at Voice 21
Voice 21
Episode: Oracy: We Need to Talk
Dara Ó Briain
Marvellous stand-up comedian and television presenter with studies in theoretical physics and mathematics
Comedian/TV Presenter
Episode: Michael Rosen and Dara Ó Briain talk about time
Sophia Smith Galer
Journalist, creator and broadcaster, author of How to Kill a Language
Book author
Episode: Language Extinction
Ione Georgakis
An occupational therapist and advocacy manager for Tourette Action.
Tourette Action
Episode: Tourette Syndrome

Host

Michael Rosen
Host of Word of Mouth

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 722 ratings
  • One of the very best.

    Clear and interesting. Excellent.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    R Dows
    United Kingdom10 months ago
  • This was over two years ago. But so on point when I listened to it in August 2025

    Podcast Addict
    5
    a year ago
  • This was over two years ago. But so on point when I listened to it in August 2025

    Podcast Addict
    5
    WiltshireWizard
    a year ago
  • Mary M

    No! The Full Stop Must Not Die! You must have respect for the language. Without punctuation clarity is lost. Speak however sloppily you wish, but do not kill coherence and beauty.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    H-o-W
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Shhh!

    •EPISODE: “Susie Dent’s World of Words” in which the guest is rendered redundant by the host’s interruptions and self-referencing stories.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    (Gibberer)
    Australia2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Overall, fans describe it as a thoughtful, accessible exploration of language that educates and entertains.
Some listeners wish for sharper moderation or fewer interruptions in guest-heavy episodes.
Listeners praise the show for thought-provoking, informative discussions and engaging guests.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#235
Brazil/Society & Culture
Apple Podcasts
#244
Chile/Society & Culture

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Fairy Tales
Q: What is your take on how to classify these stories—fairy tale, myth, or legend?
The boundaries are fuzzy and migration of stories across categories is common; it's more productive to study cross-cultural similarities and differences rather than rigidly labeling each version.
Fairy Tales
Q: How far back can we trace some of these stories, and what methods help us estimate age?
Some stories like Little Red Riding Hood trace back at least two to four thousand years in various forms; we use cultural evolution methods borrowed from biology to infer ancestral relationships and transmission pathways.
Fairy Tales
Q: What drew you to study these tales across cultures and centuries?
I'm interested in why certain plots, characters, and narrative concepts recur across different times and places, and how tales spread and mutate, which can reveal deep connections between cultures and histories.
Smell
Q: Why is describing smell so challenging compared to describing color?
Because smell terms often refer to subjective experiences and are tightly linked to memory and context, plus the brain may connect olfactory information to language areas too quickly, leaving little time for semantic processing before labeling.
Smell
Q: Does the way we describe smells vary across cultures?
Yes, it varies substantially; some groups have more developed smell vocabularies and can describe olfactory experiences with greater precision than English speakers in certain contexts.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Word of Mouth

What is Word of Mouth about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, curiosity-driven series exploring how words work in society, history, publishing, education, and technology. Episodes frequently feature linguists, authors, teachers, and researchers who illuminate topics from pronunciation through time, typography in printing, oracy in schools, and language preservation. The show often blends scholarly context with accessible storytelling, using real-world examples, demonstrations, and guest expertise to unpack how language shapes identity, culture, and everyday life. It's likely to appeal to listeners who love language, reading, education, and curious conversations that connect ideas across history, science, and culture. A notable strength is the diversity of guests—ranging from researchers ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Word of Mouth?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Word of Mouth:

1. Thinking Allowed
2. More or Less
3. The Life Scientific
4. Great Lives
5. Last Word

How many episodes of Word of Mouth are there?

Word of Mouth launched 12 years ago and published 216 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Word of Mouth?

Recent guests on Word of Mouth include:

1. Jamie Tehrani
2. Asifa Majid
3. Simon Roper
4. Ella Frances Sanders
5. Rebecca Lee
6. Amy Gaunt
7. Dara Ó Briain
8. Sophia Smith Galer

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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