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Shakespeare: Original pronunciation (The Open University)

OpenLearn from The Open University · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Language & linguisticsLiterature & writing craft

What it is

David and Ben Crystal introduce the Original Pronunciation production of Shakespeare and show what it reveals about the history of English, including puns and rhymes lost in modern speech.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Frequently linked as a short, accessible demonstration of how Shakespeare actually sounded.

  • 4 people recommended it
  • 3 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2013, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “The entire video has some nice information”

    Explains Shakespeare's original pronunciation with an example

    keyboardP, 2013-01 · Recommendation · in “When Did Americans Lose Their British Accents?”

  2. “I very much enjoyed this quick introduction to Shakespeare in Original Pronunciation”

    Quick intro to original pronunciation and lost puns

    zhte415, 2014-03 · Recommendation · in “Pronunciation errors that made the English language”

  3. “There was a rather fascinating video that went around awhile back”

    Demonstrates vowel shift changes to pronunciation

    gchucky, 2021-04 · Recommendation · in “Great Vowel Shift”

  4. “as an introduction to the realities of the pronunciation of Shakespeare's English”

    Introduction to Shakespeare's pronunciation including missed puns

    petercooper, 2021-04 · Recommendation · in “Are We Getting Shakespeare’s Rhythms All Wrong?”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: shakespeare, linguistics, history of english, pronunciation, ben crystal

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