Rephonic
Artwork for Words Unravelled

Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris

Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris
Etymology
English Language
Language
Punctuation
Idioms
Language Evolution
Egg Corns
Old English
Grammar
Nautical Terms
Malapropisms
Fossil Words
Anatomy
Palindromes
Mondegreens
Body Parts
William Shakespeare
Dinosaurs
Dogs
Collective Nouns

Jess Zafarris and Rob Watts unravel the stories behind everyday words. Want to watch our episodes too? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UC8R3ZnESMdsuTevq4ib9CvA

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes96Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureEducationSelf-Improvement

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Words Unravelled

Latest Episodes

Take a pinch of witchcraft, add a touch of sorcery, and "Hey presto!" you have a wordy nerdy episode about magical terms.

๐Ÿง™ Can only women be witches?

๐Ÿ”’ What did a warlock originally do?

๐Ÿช„ What is the literal meaning of 'Alakazam'?

These questio... more

We're exploring the origins of common sayings relating to numbers in this episode.

๐Ÿฅ‰ Why is the third time a charm?

โ›…๏ธ What's so great about "seventh heaven"?

๐Ÿ™ƒ Why do we say "at sixes and sevens"?

Rob and Jess explore these numerical idioms โ€“ an... more

What did the Vikings do for us? Rob and Jess are exploring the words left behind by the Scandinavian invaders.

๐Ÿช“ How much of English is Old Norse?

๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ Which place names are inherited from "the Danes"?

๐Ÿ“ How did the Norsemen change English grammar?... more

Why do Americans and Brits have the accents they have? Sociolinguist, professor and author Valerie Fridland joins Rob and Jess this week to discuss why we talk funny.

๐Ÿฎ Does 'caramel' have one or two syllables?

๐Ÿชถ Do Americans sound more like Shake... more

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Lexicon Valley
Lexicon ValleyLexicon Valley
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMartha Barnette and Grant Barrett. Produced by Stefanie Levine.
The Allusionist
The AllusionistHelen Zaltzman

Recent Guests

Valerie Fridland
Author and sociolinguist
University of Nevada, Reno
Episode: Are you pronouncing 'caramel' wrong? | ACCENTS (ft. Valerie Fridland)
Danny Bate
Author of Why Q Needs U, A History of Our Letters and How We Use Them
Author
Episode: The origins of the alphabet
John McWhorter
Linguistics professor and author, expert on language and profanity
Columbia University (assumed)
Episode: Slurs and taboos with Professor John McWhorter
Joshua Blackburn
Creator of the game League of the Lexicon and the book, The Language-Lover's Lexipedia
Episode: Getting quizzed on the quirks of English (with Joshua Blackburn)
Mignon Fogarty
Author, podcaster, educator, and known as Grammar Girl
Grammar Girl
Episode: Exposing grammar myths and mistakes with Grammar Girl

Hosts

Rob Watts
Host of Words Unravelled and Rob Words (YouTube channel); focuses on word origins, etymology, and curious linguistic histories.
Jess Zafarris
Co-host and etymology author; provides research-backed insights and explores word origins with a broad cultural lens.
Robert Watts
Identity used across variations of Rob Watts; host of etymology-focused conversations.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 473 ratings
  • A comforting joy. It's like hearing very kind and smart friends chat over coffee (or tea).

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Gobi Italic
    4 months ago
  • Scratches my Balderdash and Piffle itch.

    Jess and Rob work well together. Love hearing the roots of words we use today.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Pommster
    Australia4 months ago
  • Youโ€™ve Changed

    Maybe itโ€™s just the recent topics, but you seem to be injecting much more โ€œpolitically correctโ€ commentary than you used to = makes the show less entertaining

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    M444ss
    United States5 months ago
  • I know a few words

    Like lake chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg (45 letters long) or hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (38 letters long) or pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (29 or 30 something letters) but this overall is the one of the best podcasts I have heard

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ๐“†๐•‹๐•–๐•™ ๐•—๐•ฃ๐• ๐•˜๐“†
    United States5 months ago
  • Love this podcast!

    This podcast is soo fun, I love learning about words! I was wondering about the word Zenzizenzizenzic it describes a number to the 8th power. Where did it come from and why donโ€™t we use it anymore?

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Vi Vi Vi Vi Vi Vi Vi Vi
    United States7 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Sometimes divisive topics surface; overall, the show remains thoughtful and engaging.
Keeps language fun and accessible without jargon overload.
Engaging, informative, and welcoming for word nerds.
Great chemistry between hosts and insightful etymology explorations.
Consistently high-quality, well-researched linguistics content.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Are you pronouncing 'caramel' wrong? | ACCENTS (ft. Valerie Fridland)
Q: If someone moves to a new city or country, how quickly might they pick up aspects of the local accent?
She outlines factors like age when relocating, duration of exposure, social integration, and motivation; people may adopt salient features quickly but never sound fully native.
Are you pronouncing 'caramel' wrong? | ACCENTS (ft. Valerie Fridland)
Q: Could you explain to us the difference between accent and dialect, as you describe in your book?
Valerie explains that accent is about pronunciation differences, while dialect includes vocabulary and syntax differences; they overlap but are distinct concepts.
Did Shakespeare write all his plays? | THE BARD
Q: So do you think Shakespeare wrote all of his plays?
The hosts discuss their belief that while he likely collaborated with others, he should still receive credit as the main author of the works.

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 Words Unravelled

What is Words Unravelled about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A warm, approachable deep-dive into word origins, language history, and etymology. The show blends scholarly roots with playful banter as two hosts trace how everyday terms, brand names, city names, and cultural phrases evolved across languages and centuries. Episodes cover topics from Arabic influence on English to spoofed phrases in pop culture, often debunking myths while highlighting insightful connections between language, history, and society. Noteworthy are the accessible explanations, cross-continental perspectives, and a consistent emphasis on curiosity and clarity that makes linguistics feel welcoming to both casual listeners and word nerds.

Where can I find podcast stats for Words Unravelled?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Words Unravelled. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Words Unravelled and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Words Unravelled get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Words Unravelled, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Words Unravelled?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Words Unravelled, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Words Unravelled have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Words Unravelled has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of Words Unravelled are there?

Words Unravelled launched 2 years ago and published 96 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Words Unravelled?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Words Unravelled?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Words Unravelled from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Words Unravelled?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Words Unravelled. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Words Unravelled?

Recent guests on Words Unravelled include:

1. Valerie Fridland
2. Danny Bate
3. John McWhorter
4. Joshua Blackburn
5. Mignon Fogarty

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days