# podcast

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɒdˌkɑːst/ · frequency rank #5,615

## Definitions
1. A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on computers or portable devices such as mobile phones.
2. An individual episode of such a program.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
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Proto-Indo-European *h₁en-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁en-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁én
Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér
Proto-Italic *ənter
Latin inter
Latin inter-bor.
English inter-
Proto-Indo-European *neHd-
Proto-Indo-European *-yós
Proto-Germanic *natją
Proto-West Germanic *nati
Old English nett
Middle English net
English net
Proto-Indo-European *werǵ-
Proto-Indo-European *-om
Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom
Proto-Germanic *werką
Proto-West Germanic *werk
Old English weorc
Middle English werk
English work
English network
English internetwork
English Internet
English i-
English pod
English iPod
Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-der.?
Proto-Germanic *braidaz
Proto-West Germanic *braid
Old English brād
Middle English brod
English broad
Proto-Germanic *kas-
Proto-Germanic *kastōną
Old Norse kastabor.
Middle English casten
English cast
English broadcast
blend
English podcast
Blend of iPod (“portable music player made by Apple”) + broadcast, probably coined by the British technologist and broadcaster Ben Hammersley (born 1976) who proposed the word podcasting in 2004.

## Easily confused with
- **podcasts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/podcast-vs-podcasts)

## Common misspellings (11)
`opdcast`, `pdocast`, `pocdast`, `podacst`, `podcasst`, `podcastt`, `podcats`, `podccast`, `podcsat`, `poddcast`, `ppodcast`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/podcast