Why Is English So Confusing? Breaking It Down With KC Rickerd
This week, Miss Beth welcomes KC Rickerd (@milestonesandmotherhood) for a fun dive into the wild, weird world of English spelling and pronunciation!
In this episode, Miss Beth and KC explore why English words are so quirky, the origins behind confusing spellings, the science of reading and word morphology, and why we hammer with a hammer but sweep with a broom (seriously, what's up with that?).
If you've ever wondered why 'cue' has four silent letters or why 'fridge' has a 'D' when 'refrigerator' doesn't, you're definitely not alone! Sparked by a viral TikTok video, KC and Miss Beth unpack the oddities of English with humor and insight, sharing hilarious Misheard Monday moments and explaining how understanding word origins actually helps kids become better readers.
You'll also discover why English loves turning nouns into verbs, how the science of reading includes morphology, and some eye-opening examples of how pronunciation connects to a word's history.
So grab your favorite beverage, get cozy, and let's chat about the beautiful chaos that is the English language. Whether you're a word nerd or just trying to help your child navigate tricky spellings, this episode will have you laughing and learning!
Miss Beth is a reading specialist, early childhood educator, and the founder of Big City Readers. She supports parents in raising confident, capable kids through research-backed literacy and development strategies.
