Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents

A fun, smart and surprising dive into the past, present and future of accents – and the enduring power of sounding different

Accents have long held our fascination. As far back as the 7th century BCE, Egyptian pharaohs experimented with babies to test out theories about the “original” accent and the Old Testament relays how a small difference in the pronunciation of “s” became a fatal litmus test of tribal belonging. Still today, from dinner parties to job interviews, you’ll find people kick...