> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.cascadepbs.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# How Some Words Are Forgotten
- URL: https://www.cascadepbs.org/show/its-okay-be-smart/episode/how-some-words-get-forgetted-oxg4ix/
- Published: 2024-04-02T23:16:50.000Z
- Updated: 2025-08-20T09:55:37.000Z
- Description: English is confusing. Its irregular verbs can teach us a lot about how languages evolve.
- Author: Cascade PBS Staff
- Tags: Be Smart, Season 6, Episode 23, #ZZZ_Episode_26d09e29-76b1-47bf-8b04-8aa3206a1fc2, #episode, #ZZZ_Show_dc38a6e9-266e-43c1-b647-45e7445fad27, #v1.16

English is a confusing language for many reasons. But the irregular verbs might be the most confusing part. Why is “told” the past tense of “tell” but “smold” isn’t the past tense of “smell”? It turns out that the study of irregular verbs can teach us a lot about how languages evolve. This week, we look at how the era of Big Data is unlocking secrets behind the weirdness of words.