Living with debt

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260528

debt: money a person has borrowed and owes to someone

pay back / pay off / clear (debt): give back money you have borrowed

make ends meet: (idiom) have just enough money to pay for basic living expenses like food, bills and rent

in arrears: (idiom) still owing money that should have been paid already

the never-never: (informal) buying something with one large payment followed by smaller regular payments which are made until the debt is repaid

financial strain: emotional stress caused by a lack of money to meet basic needs or repay debt

Making cities feel quieter

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260521

decibel: unit for measuring sound

dress loud: wear clothes with bright colours, large patterns and bold designs

handle (a problem): deal with something difficult

art installation: artwork designed to create an interactive experience in a specific space

squeaky: making a high-pitched sound

counterintuitive: happening differently from what you would expect

How reading shapes your brain

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260514

natural: coming from nature; developed without special training

dedicated: designed and used for one particular purpose

co-opt: involve someone or something, sometimes against their will

circuit: a system of connections

inevitably: in a way that cannot be stopped or avoided

intricate: having lots of detail

Searching for life on another planet

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260507

habitable: describes a place or habitat that is suitable for something to live

zone: an area with a particular feature

potential: describes possibly having qualities or abilities to do something

rule out: dismiss the possibility or idea of something

dominated: controlled by or is the most significant element of

fingers crossed: an expression we use to wish for hope or luck

Should we eat ultra-processed food?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260430

ready meal: meal from a supermarket that has already been prepared and can be heated up and eaten later

from scratch: (idiom) from the very beginning, without using anything that has already been made

guilty pleasure: something you enjoy but feel embarrassed about, or think you should not do

once in a while: occasionally, not very often

from time to time: occasionally, not very often

everything in moderation: (idiom) saying advising that it’s best to avoid too much of anything

Love the foods you hate

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260416

hard-wired: describes automatically thinking or behaving in a particular way

via: by way of or by use of

masking: hiding or stopping something from being seen

inherently: existing in a way which is natural

dodgy: something bad that, when talking about food, can make you unwell

avoidance: the act of keeping away from something

The future of food

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260409

food security: situation where a country has a reliable enough supply of food to feed its population

worst-case scenario: the worst possible thing that could happen in a particular situation

stark: obvious, severe, harsh

livestock: animals and birds that are kept on a farm, such as cows, sheep or chicken

piece of the puzzle: part of the solution to a question or problem

part of the solution, not the problem (idiom) if you are not actively trying to fix a problem, you are helping it continue

Are saunas good for you?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260402

not all it’s cracked up to be: (idiom) not as good as (many) people say it is

at ease: comfortable and relaxed

tense: worried and unable to relax

reset: start again after a rest, so that you feel better about life

observational data: information collected from watching people’s natural behaviour without interfering in it

turn your nose up at (something): (idiom) reject something because you think that it’s not good enough for you