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Podcast is back!

In a Manner of Speaking podcastThe podcast has returned! After a 12-month hiatus, Paul is back, with episode 91 of In a Manner of Speaking. In this edition, he discusses yod, the linguistic term for the “y” sound one hears in words such as “you” and “yes.”

Paul talks about all aspects of yod (represented in IPA as [j]), including yod dropping and the differences in yod pronunciation between American and British English. (Americans typically pronounce “nude” and “tune” without yod, for example, while Britons use yod.)

Go here to listen, or find it on your favorite podcast channel or index.

 

Episode 91 (The Case of the Mysterious Yod)

In a Manner of Speaking podcastThe podcast is back! After a 12-month hiatus, Paul returns to In a Manner of Speaking for episode 91 (July 2026). In this episode, he discusses yod, the linguistic term for the “y” sound one hears in words such as “you” and “yes.”

Paul addresses all aspects of yod (represented in IPA as [j]), including yod dropping and the differences in yod pronunciation between American and British English. (Americans typically pronounce “nude” and “tune” without yod, for example, while Britons use yod.)

Go here to view the UK dialect map to which Paul refers.

For more information on Eric Amstrong, visit his website. Amy Stoller’s site can be found here, and David Crystal’s here. And to learn about Phil Thompson, go here.

And check out these videos related to this month’s topic:

And here’s one more video addressing the topic of yod.

(Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) is courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)

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Podcast retrospective and hiatus

In a Manner of Speaking podcastPaul has been producing his In a Manner of Speaking podcast for eight years, every month without a break! So it’s time for a hiatus. The July episode will be the last for 2025. Plans are to return in January 2026. So what better time for a retrospective!

Listen to the July episode here, or on your favorite podcast channel or index. Most importantly, this episode has a video version, which you can watch either on the podcast page or YouTube.

A big thanks to all past guests! We look forward to seeing everyone again in 2026.

Episode 90 (A Retrospective: 2018-2025)

In a Manner of Speaking podcastJoin Paul Meier and his past guests for this retrospective of the first eight years of the podcast. Paul will be taking a hiatus from the podcast and plans to return in 2026, so, for this last episode of 2025, let us reminisce.

Think of this month’s episode as a sort of CliffsNotes of the podcast. We hope they inspire you to seek out past episodes in full. You can find them all indexed here, or on your favorite podcast channel or index. But keep in mind that you get all the free extras and related information only at PaulMeier.com.

Thanks to all past guests, without whom this podcast would not be possible. While this retrospective does not include all 89 previous episodes, we have done our best to include snippets of all episodes that feature guests.

The best part about this episode is we have created a video version! Watch it here:

(Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) is courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)

Episode 10 (Addressing an Adage)

Paul’s musings for the November 2018 podcast start with the old adage “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it,” and take off from there to cover sacred texts, profane politicians, and pumped-up actors.

(Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)