Is Otherwords coming back?
Otherwords (2021–present) — history on PBS
About Otherwords
Otherwords is currently airing on PBS; the next episode airs in 2026. The show last aired on April 28, 2026, and is still ongoing. It explores the fascinating and often humorous stories behind the words and sounds we use daily, delving into the fields of biology, history, cultural studies, and literature to provide a unique perspective on language and what it reveals about human nature.
Premiering in 2021, Otherwords is a history-focused series that examines the origins and evolution of language. Each episode investigates different words, sounds, and linguistic phenomena, offering insights into human communication and cultural development. The series combines educational content with engaging storytelling, making linguistics accessible and interesting for a broad audience.
The show is hosted by Erica Brozovsky, who guides viewers through these explorations. The latest season, which began in February 2026, has not yet concluded.
Otherwords episode schedule
52 aired
Aired · 52
| Date | Ep. | Title |
|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2026 | S6·E5 | The Problem with Judges Acting Like Linguists |
| April 28, 2026 | S6·E4 | Why "Cool" Is the King of Slang |
| March 31, 2026 | S6·E3 | Can Words Influence Our Perception of Time? |
| March 3, 2026 | S6·E2 | Why "a Lie" is Hard to Define |
| February 3, 2026 | S6·E1 | How K-Pop Is Changing Multiple Languages |
| October 28, 2025 | S5·E10 | The Subliminal Messages in Brand Names |
| September 30, 2025 | S5·E9 | Punctuation's Weird Backstory |
| August 21, 2025 | S5·E8 | Popular Word Origins That Are Totally WRONG. |
| July 24, 2025 | S5·E7 | Is Social Media Censorship Unaliving Language? |
| June 26, 2025 | S5·E6 | The Mysterious Origins of Abracadabra and Other Magic Words |
| May 22, 2025 | S5·E5 | Where Did Cringey Corporate Jargon Come From? |
| April 24, 2025 | S5·E4 | Inside the Fiercest Debate in Linguistics |
| April 3, 2025 | S5·E3 | Why A.I. Struggles with Negative Words |
| February 27, 2025 | S5·E2 | How Languages Die |
| January 30, 2025 | S5·E1 | How Your Body Parts Got Their Names |
| November 21, 2024 | S4·E11 | Is Bluey Giving Your Kid Australian Accent |
| October 31, 2024 | S4·E10 | Is English a Creole? |
| September 19, 2024 | S4·E9 | A Brief History of the Reading Wars? |
| August 22, 2024 | S4·E8 | Why Is English Awash in Sailors' Jargon? |
| July 25, 2024 | S4·E7 | Is Body Language Really A Language? |
| June 20, 2024 | S4·E6 | How Cults Use Language to Control |
| May 30, 2024 | S4·E5 | Why Do Baby Names Fall Out of Fashion? |
| April 25, 2024 | S4·E4 | Why Do We Use Cringey Words for Loved Ones? |
| March 21, 2024 | S4·E3 | Is the Southern Accent Disappearing? |
| February 22, 2024 | S4·E2 | Why Do These Words Get Mispronounced So Much? |
| January 25, 2024 | S4·E1 | How Language Nerds Solve Crimes |
| October 19, 2023 | S3·E10 | The Most Extreme Place Names |
| September 21, 2023 | S3·E9 | How the Colors Got Their Names |
| August 24, 2023 | S3·E8 | Why Does Texting Feel Different From Talking? |
| July 27, 2023 | S3·E7 | What Brain Damage Reveals About Language |
Show 22 earlier episodes
| June 22, 2023 | S3·E6 | How Queer Communities Created Secret Languages |
| May 25, 2023 | S3·E5 | The Weird History of Invented Languages |
| April 20, 2023 | S3·E4 | How English Took Over the World |
| March 23, 2023 | S3·E3 | Where Alcoholic Drinks Got Their Names |
| February 23, 2023 | S3·E2 | Is "R" a Vowel? |
| January 26, 2023 | S3·E1 | How Brands Ruin Slang |
| October 27, 2022 | S2·E10 | Why Sign Language Was Banned in America |
| September 22, 2022 | S2·E9 | Literally No One Likes a Grammar Cop |
| August 25, 2022 | S2·E8 | The Stories Behind Food Names |
| July 28, 2022 | S2·E7 | Is Bilingualism a Superpower? |
| June 23, 2022 | S2·E6 | Foreign Words We Need in English |
| May 26, 2022 | S2·E5 | A Controversial Theory About Gossip |
| April 21, 2022 | S2·E4 | Pronouns: Little Words That Say A Lot |
| March 24, 2022 | S2·E3 | The Screwed-Up History of English Spelling |
| February 24, 2022 | S2·E2 | Snowclones and Clichés and Memes, Oh My! |
| January 20, 2022 | S2·E1 | Is Swearing Good for Your Brain? |
| September 20, 2021 | S1·E6 | 60 Euphemisms for Death! |
| July 28, 2021 | S1·E5 | Popular Words Invented by Authors |
| June 16, 2021 | S1·E4 | What People Get Wrong About African-American English |
| May 5, 2021 | S1·E3 | Can Computers Really Talk? Or Are They Faking It? |
| April 14, 2021 | S1·E2 | What's the Longest Word? |
| March 24, 2021 | S1·E1 | The Unexpected Origins of the Word ‘Monster' |
