A Word in Your Ear

Which words are most frequently mispronounced and why are those words so difficult in the first place? Professor Roly Sussex says simplifications like vulnerable have a good phonetic explanation, but that's not always the case.

According to the official Wimbledon website, Queensland's Ash Barty won the ladies singles final and Novak Djokovic won the gentlemen's final, so why not women and men's? Allow Professor Roly Sussex to explain.

How do we know where to put the word stress in English and are there any rules about which words have a stress in specific parts?

Is it atypical or untypical of Roly to return to a topic? Once again, Professor Roly Sussex is talking about prefixes.

The humble prefix: IMpossible to understand how they work or UNpossible to learn them all one by one? Allow Professor Roly Sussex to explain.

The sense of smell as in a dog with a keen nose or a special kind of smell as in a wine with a good nose. In this case, 'nose' is a polysemy. Professor Roly Sussex explains.

Is there a geographical variation in language in Australia or do we even have regional accents? Professor Roly Sussex is talking about front yards and back gardens.

One tooth, two teeth. One goose, two geese. One foot, two feet ... so one mouse, two meese? And why don't we have two foots or two tooths? Professor Roly Sussex is chatting about the problem with plurals.

How do you ask for something? It's a simple question but there are lots of answers. Professor Roly Sussex is talking about how we make requests - and offers - in English.

How long is a chaise longue and would you really strip and polish a duchess? Professor Roly Sussex is talking about furniture.

Politicians and the health experts talk about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, but what's the difference between efficacy and efficiency or effectiveness?

Tennis has a distinctly French origin and this is reflected in the language of the sport itself. Professor Roly Sussex explains.

Professor Roly Sussex says 'have' is one of the most important verbs in the English language, but how difficult is it using 'have' in the present perfect tense for someone learning English or speaking English as a second language?

"Let's eat, kids" is so much more palatable than "let's eat kids", but grammatical and syntax errors are easy to make. Professor Roly Sussex is chatting about some of the common mistakes we make in the English language.

Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas? Why and how do we greet people on festive occasions? Professor Roly Sussex explains.

Should English be written as it sounds and sound as it's written? Professor Roly Sussex joins the debate.

Clothing words and changing fashions, Professor Roly Sussex is chatting about the passing pageant of apparel.

Many surnames are patronymics, but there are a few matrilineal societies and the origins of the surname may differ in non-English speaking societies. Professor Roly Sussex is chatting to listeners about the origins and meanings of surnames all over the world.

We often use Latin expressions or words without knowing their origin or precise meaning. Professor Roly Sussex explains.

Professor Roly Sussex is chatting about which Americanisms are in everyday use, which he thinks are likely to catch on, and which American words or expressions never will.

Why do we have a left and right in politics, and what do pebbles and scalps have to do with elections? Professor Roly Sussex is talking about the language of politics.

Some dogs go woof, others might go bow wow, but what if you or your dog don't speak English as your first language: what sound does your dog make then?

It's sometimes said that we should reform English spelling so that there should be one letter for one sound and one sound for one letter. Professor Roly Sussex explains why he thinks this wouldn't work.

How do you guard against being impolite and what do you do if someone is impolite to you? Professor Roly Sussex is talking with the utmost respect about words and language.

How do we know who talks when and when can other people join in a conversation or interject and interrupt? Allow Professor Roly Sussex to explain.