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Plain English

Jeff at Plain English

Improve your English and learn about the world at the same time. Plain English brings you short, modern stories about culture, science, travel, business, and everyday life, all told in clear, natural English designed for learners. You’ll grow your vocabulary, improve your listening skills, and build your confidence one episode at a time. Like the show? Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com and get a personalized learning path.

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All Episodes

19:22

How prescription drugs get their names [archive episode]

Plain English ·

2025/08/28

Xoloft, Ibrance, Zocor, Mounjaro: How do drug companies come up with these names? That's exactly what we explored in this classic episode of Plain English.When a pharmaceutical company develops a new treatment, the company creates both the generic (scientific) name and the brand name. They sound weird, but there's a method behind the madness of naming prescription drugs.Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/lessons/prescription-drug-names --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the

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10:57

What it’s like to stare at a painting for a full hour...

Plain English ·

2025/08/25

It can be hard to focus on one thing for an extended period of time. An art class at Harvard takes this to the extreme. All students get an assignment during the class. They have to go to a museum and look at a painting for three hours. We didn't do that...but we came close, in this classic episode of Plain English. Here's what it's like to look at a single painting for one full hour.Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/lessons/painting-challenge --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English

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13:42

Egypt’s long-awaited mega-museum nears completion

Plain English ·

2025/08/21

Today's story: After years of delays, Cairo’s Grand Egypt Museum is finally nearing completion. The massive museum will house over 100,000 artifacts from Ancient Egypt, including more than 5,000 items from King Tut’s tomb. Although the King Tut galleries are still closed, most of the museum is open to the public — and visitors say it’s stunning.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/799Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/799 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the

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14:53

The poison mushroom and Australia’s sensational...

Plain English ·

2025/08/18

Today's story: Erin Patterson invited her estranged husband’s family to lunch and served them beef wellington. But her guests soon got sick, and doctors discovered the recipe had been made with poisonous death cap mushrooms. Patterson claimed it was all a tragic mistake, but inconsistencies in her story led police to suspect murder. A jury found her guilty on all counts. The case captivated news junkies around the world.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/798Full lesson:

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13:55

Cities are getting that sinking feeling

Plain English ·

2025/08/14

Today's story: Cities around the world are sinking due to a combination of groundwater extraction, rapid urbanization, and the weight of large buildings. This phenomenon, called subsidence, can damage infrastructure, worsen flooding, and, in some places, become irreversible.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/797Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/797 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be learning

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14:12

Microsoft’s ‘Blue Screen of Death’ is going away

Plain English ·

2025/08/11

Today's story: For decades, white text on a full blue background has meant one thing to Windows users: the computer has crashed and needs to be restarted. The screen was splashed across display boards in public places during a massive outage in July 2024. But now, Microsoft is redesigning the screen, frowny-face and all.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/796Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/796 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events

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16:07

Alberta flirts with separation from Canada

Plain English ·

2025/08/07

Today's story: The western province of Alberta is moving toward a vote of independence from Canada. Polls show that only about 30 percent of residents truly want to break away. However, the growing independence movement reflects the frustration and isolation that many Albertans feel over the energy and environmental policies made at the national level.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/795Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/795 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English

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12:57

What citizenship do you get at birth?

Plain English ·

2025/08/04

Today's story: 'Birthright citizenship' is the legal concept that grants citizenship to children born within a country's borders, no matter the nationality of their parents. The modern version started in the United States and quickly spread to other countries in the Americas. But the rest of the world (generally speaking) gives citizenship based on the nationality of the parents.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/794Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/794 --Upgrade all your

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17:46

The last Blockbuster [archive episode]

Plain English ·

2025/07/31

We recently did an episode about how movie titles are translated from their original to other languages. That made us nostalgic for the days of movie rentals, and it called to mind this classic episode of Plain English about the ""last Blockbuster."There were once over 9,000 locations of the video rental store with the eye-catching blue-and-yellow logo. But now, there is just one."Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/lessons/last-blockbuster --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is

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16:28

How to apologize [archive episode]

Plain English ·

2025/07/28

It's sometimes said that the two hardest words to say in the English language are, "I'm sorry." Today, we're republishing a classic Plain English episode about how to apologize — not how to say the words, but how to form an apology to repair a relationship after you've done something wrong.Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/lessons/good-apologies --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be learning English to improve

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13:44

Country music is growing its mainstream appeal

Plain English ·

2025/07/24

Today's story: Country music has long existed in its own space, with a dedicated fanbase and distinct sound. But recent years have seen major pop stars like Beyoncé and Post Malone embrace country elements, helping the genre reach new listeners. Streaming is also opening the door for more diverse artists and fans.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/793Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/793 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for

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14:25

'Freestyle' chess scrambles the board

Plain English ·

2025/07/21

Today's story: A new global chess tour is trying to make the ancient game more exciting—for both players and viewers. Spearheaded by Magnus Carlsen, the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour shakes up traditional chess by randomizing the starting position of key pieces. The format reduces the advantage of computer-assisted preparation and rewards raw skill and intuition. The games are also broadcast with modern, viewer-friendly features like live commentary and player confessionals.Transcript &

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14:49

Wave of needle stabbings reported in France

Plain English ·

2025/07/17

Today's story: Almost 150 people in France reported being stabbed with a needle during a summer music festival in 2025. It's just the latest in several waves of similar attacks around the world. Victims say they feel a sudden pinprick. Some later feel dizzy, nauseous, and tired. But few reported more serious symptoms and toxicology screens show only light traces of substances (if any at all). So what's the motive for these attacks?Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/791Full lesson:

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14:21

Drone video shows orcas using kelp as a tool

Plain English ·

2025/07/14

Today's story: Orcas are the largest type of dolphin, and they're known for their intelligence. A recent study proves they are more clever than previously thought. Researchers captured video of orcas using kelp to groom each other. The behavior shows not only tool use, but also cooperation between individuals—a rare behavior for animals that live in the sea.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/790Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/790 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain

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17:37

How to keep a high passenger rating

Plain English ·

2025/07/10

Today's story: You thought only the passengers rated the drivers? Think again: drivers rate passengers, too. And a low passenger rating might cost you. But it's not hard to earn a high passenger rating. To keep a high rating, don’t make the driver wait, be polite, avoid eating or drinking in the car, follow the rules, and don’t slam the door when you leave.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/789Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/789 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain

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19:56

Three words to say exactly where you are

Plain English ·

2025/07/07

Today's story: A company called what3words has divided the world into 57 trillion squares, each three meters by three meters, and labeled each square with a unique three-word combination. This makes it easier to specify precise locations—even in parks, rural areas, or places without formal addresses. This can help when meeting friends or giving directions. But governments, businesses, and emergency services are starting to use the system too.Transcript & Exercises:

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16:12

Which way is home? It’s complicated

Plain English ·

2025/07/03

Today's story: In many parts of the world, buildings don't have formal, complete addresses that can be identified on a map. Locals often use landmarks to explain where they live. But these improvised systems come with inefficiencies and real-world consequences. It's hard for residents to get deliveries, access emergency services, or find brick-and-mortar businesses.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/787Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/787 --Upgrade all your skills in English:

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19:12

The five-star rating system isn’t working [Archive...

Plain English ·

2025/06/30

Leaving a five-star review has become customary for any experience that is excellent, good, average, or even acceptable, and anything below five-stars means terrible in the world of online reviews. As consumers, this system isn’t helpful in identifying the true high performers, and it makes it difficult for people or businesses to stand out from the crowd.Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/lessons/five-star-reviews --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events

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13:33

The resurgence of the mullet haircut [Archive episode]

Plain English ·

2025/06/26

Archive episode: Today, we're opening up the Plain English archives to revisit the only episode we've ever done about...a haircut.The mullet hairstyle is known for looking like business in the front, party in the back, and have typically been worn by men from rural, lower income areas of Australia. However, in recent years, the hairstyle has outgrown its unsophisticated reputation. The hairstyle is now popular among city-dwellers and with celebrities, and there is even a festival celebrating

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14:11

Gut feeling: the microbiome and our health

Plain English ·

2025/06/23

Today's story: The gut microbiome is home to trillions of bacteria and microorganisms that help us digest food, regulate our immune systems, and even influence our mental health. Social media is full of (expensive) hacks to improve gut health, but scientists say the path to good gut health is simpler.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/786Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/786 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning

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