

Learning English Vocabulary
BBC Radio
Build your English vocabulary with these short programmes. Each episode explores a new topic to improve your English.Find more at bbclearningenglish.comFollow us at
bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 16, 2023 • 6min
Easily confused words
Learn about commonly confused words like 'sensible' and 'sensitive' and hear a funny story about Mike's cake mishap. Discover the differences between 'receipt' and 'recipe', 'desert' and 'dessert', and 'bored' and 'boring', with a vocabulary quiz to test your understanding.

Oct 9, 2023 • 6min
Suffixes: -less and -free
Explore the meaning and impact of suffixes -less and -free. Learn how they can be used to form nouns and adjectives. Test your knowledge with a quiz. Discover examples like jobless and car-free.

Oct 2, 2023 • 6min
Prefixes de, dis, dys
The podcast discusses the prefixes 'de', 'dis', and 'dys' and how they affect word meanings. It explores how 'dis' transforms words into opposites and 'dys' indicates something negative. The medical condition 'dyspepsia' is discussed as an example. The podcast also explores words with these prefixes, their negative meanings, and the word 'detox'.

Sep 25, 2023 • 6min
Ordinal numbers
Catherine and Neil discuss ordinal numbers with examples from Lawrence's 18th birthday party. They cover the usage of ordinal numbers, converting cardinal numbers, irregularities, and the different uses of ordinal numbers in English.

Sep 18, 2023 • 6min
Short spoken forms
Explore the usage of short spoken forms in English like 'gunna' and 'wana' and learn how these forms emerge in informal spoken English. Discover the appropriate usage of 'gunna' in different contexts and learn about common informal phrases in American English. Delve into various short forms and abbreviations used in spoken English, with examples and explanations.

Sep 11, 2023 • 6min
Uncountable nouns
The hosts discuss uncountable nouns and provide examples. They also share summer travel tips and ask listeners to identify more uncountable nouns. The chapter explores correct and incorrect usage of uncountable nouns, concluding with a quiz and a helpful tip.

Sep 4, 2023 • 6min
Time expression with in, on and at
Learn how to use time expressions 'in', 'on', and 'at' for specific times, meal times, special days, days of the week, dates, festivals, and weekends. Includes a quiz and top tip for learning vocabulary.

Aug 25, 2023 • 6min
Hyphenation
Exploring the use of hyphens in compound adjectives and nouns. Discussing different ways to form them and when to use hyphens, such as with ages, numbers, and compound adjectives before nouns. Includes a clip of a news reporter describing young people as hardworking. Concludes with a quiz and a vocabulary tip.

4 snips
Aug 21, 2023 • 6min
Words with double letters
Catherine and Finn discuss words with double letters, spelling rules, and the rule of doubling consonants after short vowel sounds. They share a tip for learning vocabulary and engage in a quiz.

6 snips
Aug 14, 2023 • 6min
Pronouncing verbs and nouns
Learn how to pronounce verbs and nouns, including the different stress patterns in words like 'record' and 'present'. Discover a top tip for learning new words and test your knowledge with a vocabulary quiz.