The spelling of the word ‘two’ is un-phonetic. Today's episode explores the origins of its silent W and the circumstances that eroded its pronunciation. Along the way, we explore some less-than-obvious derivatives of the word "two" and the technical characteristics of vowels. 

Men's perfume known as cologne takes its name from the German city in which it was invented. But if Cologne is a German city, why does the perfume named after it have a distinctly French name? Why does the German language spell Köln with a K, while French and English spell ‘Cologne’ with a C? And where does the name of the city itself ultimately come from? Today's episode tackles the answers to these questions and more.