“Have you ever wondered why opossums have an o in their name? Well, it turns out that there is a fascinating reason behind this unique spelling. The name opossum actually comes from the Algonquin language, spoken by Native American tribes in the northeastern United States. In Algonquin, the word for opossum is aaposoum, which means white animal. Over time, the pronunciation and spelling of the word evolved to become opossum as we know it today. So whenever you see an opossum in your backyard, you can now appreciate the linguistic history behind its name!

There you have it. Still silly to start with a silent O, though.