0:00 / 5:34
Why Is English So Confusing?
A TED-Ed lesson by Arika Okrent on why English spelling is so irregular — a story of Germanic tribes, French conquest, Latin, and the printing press.
How it works
- Press play to start the video.
- Videos 5 minutes or longer pause once or twice for a quick check. Get it right and you're on your way. If not, you'll see a friendly explanation and the video simply keeps going. Short videos skip the checks.
- At the end there's a 3-question test. Score 60% or more to complete the lesson, and 80% or more to master it. You can always watch again and try for a higher score.