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Can't see the wood for the trees

The English We Speak by BBC

Apr 21, 20263:23Education

This idiom is about focusing on the small details too much and losing sight of the bigger picture. Learn when and how to use it, and learn other language to use in this situation, with Feifei and Georgie. For more great...

About This Episode

Can't see the wood for the trees is an episode from The English We Speak by BBC. This idiom is about focusing on the small details too much and losing sight of the bigger picture. Learn when and how to use it, and learn other language to us...

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This episode belongs to The English We Speak.

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Episode Details

Published Apr 21, 2026, 3:23 long, audio available.

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Questions About This Episode

What is Can't see the wood for the trees about?

This idiom is about focusing on the small details too much and losing sight of the bigger picture. Learn when and how to use it, and learn other language to use in this situation, with Feifei and Georgie. For more great language tips and programmes visit bbclearningenglish.com As always, find a free transcript here: ✔️ Discover the NEW series of Office English. Topics covering small talk, organising meetings and rules. Find it here: ✔️ or search 'Learning English for Work' in your podcast app. We send a newsletter with our weekly highlights -

Where can I listen to Can't see the wood for the trees?

You can listen to Can't see the wood for the trees online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Which podcast is Can't see the wood for the trees from?

Can't see the wood for the trees is an episode from The English We Speak by BBC.

How long is this episode?

This episode is 3:23 long.

When was this episode published?

This episode was published on Apr 21, 2026.

Can I save Can't see the wood for the trees for later?

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Are there related episodes from The English We Speak?

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The English We Speak when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.