Why English creates so many words spelled the same. Why we say 'ye olde' instead of 'the old.'

1180. Why does "Ye Olde Shoppe" look old-fashioned? This week, we look at the vanished letters of English — thorn, eth, and yogh — and at why English has so many words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, such as "compact" (an agreement) and "compact" (to press together). The homographs segment was written by Samantha Enslen who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at dragonflyeditorial.com . The Old English segment was written by Karen Lunde who writes the newsletter I'll Go First. Find her on igofirst.org . 🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. 🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses . 🔗

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Why English creates so many words spelled the same. Why we say 'ye olde' instead of 'the old.' is an episode from Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty, Inc..

This episode is 15:55 long.

This episode was published on Apr 28, 2026.

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