Jasmine Alich is an award-winning English teacher and writer from Bosnia and Herzegovina with many years of experience in a multicultural learning environment. B says that when learning a language, you should strive not to sound like an Englishman, but to be able to speak like a native English speaker. What's the difference?

You know, I've always been a perfectionist, one of those people who wants to do something exactly the way it should be done. So when I first started learning English, at the age of 5, I wanted to surprise people with how well I can speak this language and imitate.

However, over the years, I've learned that sounding and speaking like a native speaker are two completely different things. The sound is mainly related to accent and is for the most part inherent in people born in an English-speaking country. Therefore, for most of us whose first language is not English, this is not so easy to accomplish.

On the other hand, speaking like a native speaker is an area in which most of us can excel. There are many ways in which you can impress by speaking English. You can really impress native speakers with your knowledge. Speaking, not sounding like an Englishman, should be your main goal, and here's how you can achieve it.

Huge vocabulary

Let's say you are talking to a native speaker. Understanding every thing you hear in this conversation will ultimately be limited by how much you truly understand English, which means how well you speak English vocabulary.

There are many ways to learn new vocabulary, but using your knowledge effectively in conversation is what really demonstrates your language proficiency, especially if you are speaking with a native speaker.

Continuously expanding your vocabulary is one of the main things you should do as a learner. Knowing too many words is never bad. And, if you know all the right things, especially idioms and phrasal verbs, then you are already one step closer to speaking like a native speaker.

Flawless grammar

I think it's safe to say that one of the main reasons most learners find English difficult to learn is because of its grammar. After all, it is the glue that holds everything together. In my opinion, English grammar is the most subtle thing when done correctly, but it is the most painful aspect of English when applied incorrectly.

Imagine something like: Why are you here? I never sent you no invitation! when someone you hate comes to your party. Basically, you have no reason to complain, because the double negation you just applied indicates that you have invited this person. So who's the bad guy here?

However, if you are in complete control of all English tenses and use the correct time in the correct context, all the correct punctuation comes naturally to you, then you have already understood the assignment.

Knowing the correct grammar and all the tiny aspects of everyday language use is a must, and it is one of the key things that turns everyday learners into speakers like native speakers.

Daily stuff

Let's face it. For most of us, the use of English on a daily basis is limited to social media. This usually means a complete disregard for English grammar and frequent use of abbreviations, acronyms and slang. However, no one says that in real life!

When it comes to real conversations, things like using the correct grammar, vocabulary and things like abbreviations, articles, and connectors cannot be ignored, as this can seriously distort what you mean to say.

The same goes for written English, so beware of grammarians ( grammar nazis ) on social media - they never sleep!

Ease of understanding

Let's ask ourselves a question: who determines what you sound or speak like a native English speaker?

Let me tell you: this is the person you are talking to! Knowing something on paper or on a test is one thing; using language in speech or writing naturally and skillfully is what ultimately makes people understand you.

In a nutshell, the goal of sounding like a native English speaker is twice as big as the goal of speaking like a native speaker. Perfect example: I have friends who grew up in the States and actually have this native accent, but somehow they still make mistakes when speaking English, which causes a lot "Wow" factorquality or feature that is very impressive and makes it difficult for me to understand them.

On the other hand, it is not difficult for me to understand many of my friends around the world who speak a different mother tongue, because their English is literally perfect; there are no mistakes at all, neither in written nor in spoken English! Of course, adding a native speaker's accent is a huge plus and creates a complete package for any student.

So what's your next goal: to sound or speak like a native English speaker? Choose wisely.

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Watch a short video on the topic "English Slang" with the teacher Anastasia on Enline Youtube channel and learn useful expressions

In this article, we will look at 10 English colloquial phrases that are often used in everyday life by native speakers; if possible, we classify them. In the volume of this article, it is impossible to grasp the immensity and describe all the English vocabulary, but we will concentrate on some phrases that will find an irreplaceable place in your language.

I'll say- something like the Russian "yeah", or the equivalent - "don't say!"
Your friend: "Wow - that's a big fish."
You: "I’ll say!" (implies that the fish is not just big ... the fish is GIGANTIC)

Fat chance!- “unlikely”, there is a very low probability that this will actually happen.
Please note: the expression is sarcastic, so don't use it in a professional environment, only with very good friends. The formal and more polite equivalent is: “I don’t think that’s very likely.”

I rest my case- I told you!
You: You can't cook at all.
Your friend: I can cook! I always make those instant noodle soups.
You: I rest my case.
Instant noodles are made for those who can't cook, so with this conversation you are confirming that your friend can't cook.

What’s the catch?
Like too good to be true: "What's the catch?" "What is the deception?"
Situation: You and your friend are talking about working from home.
Your friend: I just found out about a great opportunity - I can work from home only 5 hours a week and I’ll earn at least $ 2000 a month, guaranteed!
You: Hmm ... what’s the catch?
(you think that there is some problem or lie about this opportunity)

Good call.
By answering this way, you approve the decision of the interlocutor, confirm his correct choice.
Situation: You and your friend are trying to decide whether to go to the mall or to the movies.
Your friend: Let’s go to the mall - they’re having a big sale this weekend. We can go to the movies anytime.
You: Good call.

Take your pick.
"Choose"
You can say that when you are asking the other person to make a choice.
Situation: You are going to make tea for your friend, and you have several different flavors. You want to know which type of tea she prefers.
You: I have chai, green tea, ginger tea, and black tea - take your pick.

Make yourself at home.
Make yourself at home - get comfortable, comfortable and relaxed.
You: Hi! Please come on in - make yourselves at home.
Your colleague: Thank you! You have a lovely apartment.

It's a small world! (or “What a small world!”)
"The world is small"
Situation: You are meeting a new colleague for the first time.
You: I heard you have a degree in physics. Where did you go to school?
Colleague: At Stanford University.
You: What a small world! I studied there too. What year did you graduate?

I couldn’t agree more
You are absolutely right.
You: We need a new building. The old office is falling to pieces.
Colleague: I couldn’t agree more.

That’s a good point
I share your point of view, here you are right.
You: You look much nicer in that coat, pink suits you marvelously.
Collegue: Yes, that's a good point.

I hope that the above expressions will harmoniously weave into your speech, in addition, there are a huge number of them on the network resources - get acquainted and use! And they will always help you in learning the language.

The article was written by the teacher Ekaterina Semyanina.

The goal of learning any foreign language is, of course, to speak. At the same time, ideally, not only so that the interlocutor understands us, but also so that the speech sounds natural, coherent and diverse. We've compiled a selection of helpful YouTube videos from a variety of English learning channels with tips on how to sound like a native speaker.

1. "How to use placeholder words"

This is a short video with some extremely useful vocabulary to help you avoid pauses and buy time to think about your answer. These are so-called placeholder words. Thanks to these phrases, your speech will sound coherent. The lecturer explains in detail in which situation which phrase is better to use.

2. "How to sound more natural"

Renowned YouTube English teacher Ronnie provides tips on how to make your speech more natural for an English-speaking interlocutor, in particular through abbreviations. Also, the teacher tells how to avoid mistakes and better understand the interlocutors in a conversation.

On the BBC Learning English website and YouTube channel, you can find a whole chapter dedicated to the pronunciation of each individual sound. The teacher explains in detail and shows how your speech apparatus should "work" when you pronounce a particular sound. An excellent course to finally deal with difficult moments of pronunciation.

In this short tutorial, you can find some more tips on how to improve your speech. For example, how to "merge" several words in English, simplify the sound of words, etc.

5. "English with Rachel"

On this YouTube channel about American English, you can find a whole series of videos dedicated to individual sounds, for example, the English th sound. In a series of videos, the author tells in detail how to build a vocal apparatus, how the sound changes depending on the position in the word, etc. The channel has a lot of videos devoted to other complex sounds. In addition, a separate series the video is dedicated to intonation in English.

In the English language there is a huge number of phrases that are constantly used by native speakers, but foreigners hardly know. Lifehacker has collected 15 "very English" expressions that will definitely set you apart from the crowd.

1. Firstly, secondly, thirdly ...

"Firstly Secondly Thirdly…"

Sounds pretty formal to the English ear (the more colloquial version is the usual first, second, third), but will show that you know English well. And here in the first, in the second and so on talk it is forbidden.

Firstly, I prefer airplane because it's fast. Secondly, they give you meals, and thirdly, I like a view from the window.

I prefer airplanes because, firstly, it is fast, secondly, because they feed there, and thirdly, I like looking out the window.

2. Very good

"Wonderful"

Just as in Russian speech, in English this phrase can have a completely opposite meaning to the literal one.

- I left your glasses at home.- I forgot your glasses at home.

- Very good. - Wonderful.

3. Get out!

"Come on!", "Come on!", "Come on!"

In addition to direct meaning, it can express surprise or disbelief.

- I'm going to get married.- I am getting married.

- Get out! - You go!

4. Never ever

"Never never"

Serves to reinforce the meaning of the word "never".

I will never ever do it again.

I will never, never do that again.

5. It's not rocket science

"This is not higher mathematics", "this is not Newton's binomial"

If a person finds something incredibly difficult, and you disagree with him, then in English you can say (literally) that this is "not rocket science."

Managing people is hard but it's not rocket science.

Managing people is not easy, but it is not advanced mathematics.

6.Ain't no

Conversational design option am / is / are not or have / has not... Used by young people and ordinary people, educated native speakers can winced. But they will.

I ain't got no cigarettes.

I have no cigarettes.

7. Going nuts (be nuts)

"Lost my mind", "the roof went off"

A colloquial expression that has nothing to do with nuts.

Tornado is about to come, everyone's going nuts.

A tornado is coming soon, and everyone is crazy.

John is nuts.

John's roof went off.

8. Let’s just say

"Let's just say ...", "if in a nutshell, then ..."

An expression is used when you do not want to explain something in detail.

Let’s just say I’m not a big fan of Elvis.

Let's just say I'm not a huge Elvis fan.

9. Let’s sleep on it

"Let's postpone until the morning."

Sometimes it takes time to make a decision. As the saying goes, the morning of the evening is wiser, that's why in the English-speaking world they say so - “you need to sleep”.

I can't make a decision right now, let me sleep on it.

I cannot make a decision right now, I need to think until tomorrow.

10. Not really

"Not really"

It is strange that such a common phrase is not taught in school.

- Are you ready to go?- Are you ready to go?

- Not really.- Not really.

11. Help yourself

"Help yourself", "use"

In addition to its direct meaning, it is often used as an offer or permission to act independently.

- May I use your phone?- Can I use your phone?

- Help yourself!- Use it!

12. Indeed

"Indeed", "not the right word", "undoubtedly"

This word serves to reinforce what is said or express agreement.

- He sounds reasonable.- He says reasonable things.

- He is indeed.- Not that word.

13. May I be excused?

"May go out?"

The crown jewel of this list is the million dollar phrase. Ask ten English teachers how to say "May I go out?" And at least nine will say something like "May I get out?", "May I go out?" Tested on colleagues.

The girl raised her hand and said, “Mrs Jones, may I be excused?”

The girl raised her hand and said, "Mrs. Jones, can I go out?"

14. I'm done

I'm done, I'm tired

The phrase is used very often in oral speech.

I'm done washing dishes, let’s go.

I finished washing the dishes, let's go.

15. So are you / so am I; me neither

"And you / me too"; "me neither"

If you want to say "me too", "you too", and do it very "in English", and not me too then just take the floor so followed by auxiliary and subject. If you want to agree with the denial, then instead of so use neither... Yes, when negating in the first person ("I am not either"), you can use the phrase me neither, and regardless of the tense of the verb. Attention: if the interlocutor does not have very good English, he, most likely, will not understand you. In this case, a simple too(this is quite in English and no frills).

- I wanna go home.- I want to go home.

- So do I.- And I.

- Your girlfriend doesn’t like her new roommate.- Your girlfriend doesn't like her new neighbor.

- Me neither.- Like me.

Congratulations, now you will definitely be noticed in the crowd of compatriots who speak Ranglish. But of course, if you don't have a base, then these chips will sound strange.

This is just a small list and does not claim to be complete. On the contrary, it can and should be expanded, so I recommend making your own personal list of "very English" expressions.

What tricks do you know? Write in the comments.

Have you ever had problems with pronunciation in English? How do you usually deal with difficult sounds? As a rule, people unconsciously try to cheat and simplify their work - to pronounce a similar Russian sound. However, native speakers may not at all understand what we are trying to say to them, because for them it will be new unfamiliar words. Do you want your English to be understood not only by your compatriots? Then check out our overview of the most common "Russian" mistakes in English pronunciation for tips on how to get rid of them.

How to correct pronunciation errors

To get started, we'll give you some tips on how to prevent pronunciation errors. This is easier than learning to pronounce sounds again.

First of all, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the reading rules. This is the cornerstone from which to start learning a language. If for some reason you did not learn them or do not remember well, we strongly advise you to memorize the rules for reading vowels and consonants. This will greatly facilitate your further work on the pronunciation of English sounds.

After that, learn the correct position of the lips, tongue, palate, vocal cords when pronouncing each of the sounds in English. The easiest way to do this is in individual lessons with one of ours or using special training videos. For each of the errors described below, we will provide a video teaching the pronunciation of the "problem sound".

There are also special textbooks to help you get rid of problems in English pronunciation. You can practice one of the following aids:

• "English Pronunciation in Use"
• “Tree or Three? An Elementary Pronunciation Course ”by Ann Baker
• “Ship or Sheep? An Intermediate Pronunciation Course ”by Ann Baker
• “Elements of Pronunciation”
• "New Headway Pronunciation Course"

In them you will find detailed explanations and practical exercises for getting rid of the Russian accent.

Practice pronunciation with tongue twisters that help you practice sounds that are difficult for you. You will find many great phrases for practice in the article "50 most difficult tongue twisters in English". In this article, we will cite one tongue twister, voiced by a native speaker, for each of the presented errors in the pronunciation of English.

If you decide to get serious about your pronunciation, we advise you to read our article "". This is a whole guide with many interesting tricks and secrets for those who want to "sound" like a native speaker.

The most common Russian mistakes we make in English

1. We muffle voiced consonants at the end of a word

When speaking in Russian, we muffle the voiced consonants at the end of a word, for example: we pronounce frost "maros", we pronounce mushroom "grip," voiced consonant, you can get a completely different word. With the wrong pronunciation, it can happen that the adjective "bad" - bad turns into a "bat" - bat.

Solution:

As soon as you start learning English, immediately train yourself to pronounce the words clearly and distinctly, pronouncing all the consonants as required by the rules of reading the language.

Related Videos:

Patter:

How many cookies could a good cook cook if a good cook could cook cookies? A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.

2. We pronounce the sounds / w / and / v / like Russian / v /

Again, the inconsistency with the Russian language is to blame: we have only one version of the pronunciation of the letter "v". However, it does not match any of the sounds in the English language. So it turns out that we say vet (veterinarian) instead of wet (wet).

Solution:

Examine the correct position of the organs of articulation. You should develop a conditioned reflex: when pronouncing the sound / w /, you need to stretch your lips with a tube, with the sound / v / you need to bite your lower lip with your teeth a little.

Related Videos:

Patter:

The very wary warrior veered violently where the violets wound very wickedly.

3. We pronounce the sound / r / like Russian / r /

We often forget about the correct position of the speech organs when pronouncing this sound, so it turns out to be indistinct and it becomes difficult for a foreigner to understand us. In addition, we often pronounce this sound when it is not necessary to pronounce it at all: when the letter r is at the end of the word. And it turns out that we, for example, "croak" when pronouncing the word car (car).

Solution:

Go back to the rules of reading in English and learn by heart when the letter r is pronounced and when it is not. And also learn how to correctly position the organs of speech during the pronunciation of the letter r: the tip of the tongue is slightly bent back and stretches towards the alveoli (the tubercles between the front upper teeth and the middle part of the palate), but does not touch them. English / r /, unlike Russian, is pronounced without air vibration. You can find two pronunciations of / r / at the end of a word: it can be pronounced, or I can omit it, the main thing is that English / r / is different from Russian.

Related Videos:

Patter:

Ray ran across a rough road with his red rocks, wretched ratchet wrench, and rare rubber roller.

4. We pronounce the sounds / θ / and / ð / as Russian / f / and / s /

We think everyone will agree that the words "zeriz" (there is), "zera" (there are), "free" (three) and "fenkyu-senkyu" (thank you) have already become the talk of the town. It seems to us that we pronounce similar Russian sounds and there is nothing wrong with that. However, native speakers do not understand us, because the words we pronounce lose their meaning due to the replacement of the sound.

Solution:

If you train yourself to hold your tongue in the correct position when pronouncing these sounds, it will greatly facilitate your task. When pronouncing the sounds / θ / and / ð /, the tongue is between the teeth. When pronouncing the sound / θ /, linguists recommend placing your tongue between your teeth and pronouncing the Russian letter "t", and for the sound / ð / pronounce the Russian "d", while you should feel a slight vibration of the air in your throat. Don't worry if it gets difficult at first. Speak slowly, but try to pronounce each word clearly.

Related Videos:

Patter:

The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.

5. Pronounce nasal / ŋ / like Russian / n /

Usually, at the end of words ending in -ing, people either pronounce the ending “ing” or “in”, while forgetting that the sound in this case should be nasal - / ŋ /, and the letter g should be omitted.

Solution:

To make it easier to pronounce the sound, train yourself not to raise the tip of the tongue to the upper teeth, but to leave it at the lower ones, the back of the tongue should be raised to the palate. Thus, you get the same nasal / ŋ /.

Related Videos:

Patter:

The King's ring rung wrong.

6. We pronounce the sound / h / like Russian / x /

In Russian, the sound / х / is clear and well distinguishable, English / h / is, rather, a slight exhalation, in fact it should not be heard. We pronounce it in the Russian manner - clearly and distinctly, and this is one of the most common Russian mistakes in the pronunciation of the English language.

Solution:

Remember the correct position of the organs of articulation: the tongue does not rise anywhere, remains in place, as during silence, the lips are slightly parted. Sound is produced primarily by the vocal cords, but the latter should not vibrate. The sound / h / in English is a slight exhalation, weak sound.

Related Videos:

Patter:

Harry Hunt hunts heavy hairy hares. Does Harry Hunt hunt heavy hairy hares? If Harry Hunt hunts heavy hairy hares, Where are the heavy hairy hares Harry Hunt hunts?

7. We pronounce the sound / l / as Russian / l /

It would seem that the sound / l / in English does not differ at all from ours / l /. Alas, only Russian speakers think so. The British, on the other hand, hear well this Russian mistake in the pronunciation of sounds.

The fact is that in English there are two types of sound / l /: light - light or soft / l /, and also dark - dark or hard / l /. Everything is aggravated by the fact that the dictionary does not have any designations in which words / л / should be pronounced firmly and in which softly.

Solution:

There is a simple rule: before the vowels, we use the soft sound / l /. However, there is a catch here: it should be a little harder than the Russian sound / l / in the words "salt", "love". To get this sound, try lifting the middle of your tongue towards the palate.

In all other cases, we need a solid / l /. And again a challenge to our organs of speech: the sound, although firm, should be slightly softer than Russian / l / in the words "spoon", "best." It sounds difficult, but constant training and listening to native speakers will help you "feel" the difference in the pronunciation of these sounds.

Related Videos:

Patter:

Lovely little Link left limping.

8. We pronounce the sounds / p /, / t / as Russian / p /, / t /

These are two more "cunning" sounds that seem to us so similar to the Russian / n / and / t /. In fact, they are somewhat different - more noisy, explosive. Errors in the pronunciation of these sounds will not cause misunderstanding of the interlocutor, but for those who want to speak as a native speaker, we advise you to work on these sounds, especially since they are pronounced quite simply.

Solution:

English sounds / p / and / t /, as we said, are aspirated, but at the same time quite energetic. You exhale air as if you want to blow out a candle. In this case, when pronouncing the sound / t /, the tongue should be on the alveoli (tubercles near the front upper teeth).

Related Videos:

Tongue Twisters:

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Two tried and true tridents.

9. We pronounce short and long vowels the same way

In Russian, there is no such thing as the length of a vowel sound: they are all pronounced the same in any word. Therefore, when we speak English, it is difficult for us to accustom ourselves to pronounce these same sounds in different ways. However, it is imperative to pay attention to them, otherwise the sheep (sheep / ʃiːp /) will turn into a ship (ship / ʃɪp /), which will confuse the English-speaking interlocutor.

Related Videos:

* Look out for videos from the playlist that have the words Short vowels and Long vowels in their titles.

Patter:

She sells sea shells on the seashore. The shells she sells are seashells I am sure.

10. We pronounce the sounds / ɔː / and / ɜː / the same way

This is one of the most common Russian mistakes in English pronunciation. There are no analogs of such sounds in our native language, so quite often work (work / wɜː (r) k /) turns into a walk (walk / wɔːk /), which, you see, may not please your English-speaking interlocutor, especially if he is your boss.

Solution:

Review the rules for reading English, and always listen to new words in the online dictionary or check the transcription using a regular dictionary. While studying the word, repeat it several times, try to feel the difference in difficult sounds.

Patter:

First, nerds burn worst.

11. We pronounce the sound / i / like Russian / and /

Even students with an above-intermediate level of English make mistakes in this seemingly simple sound. English / i / they pronounce like Russian / and /, making it too soft. Therefore, words such as sick, trick, hit sound strange and unnatural for native speakers. Of course, they will understand your words, but you want to sound beautiful?

Solution:

English / i / is a cross between the Russian sounds / and / and / s /. To make it easier for you to pronounce it, try to stretch your lips slightly in a smile and make a sound / and / a little harder than usual.

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Patter:

Little pills will make Jill ill.

12. Pronounce the sound / ɔ / as / ʌ /, and / əʊ / as / ɔ /

The English letter "o" often causes us difficulties. Firstly, we are used to pronouncing the unstressed letter "o" in Russian as the sound / a /, for example: we pronounce the boot "batinok", the king pronounced "karol", the crow we pronounce "varona". In English, such liberties are not allowed. English speakers simply will not understand the words tea-pot, photograph, etc.

Secondly, we often forget that the letter "o" in some cases forms a diphthong (vowel, consisting of two components) / əʊ /. Therefore, native speakers are surprised by the "new" words from our lips: "open" (open), "hom" (home), "bridge" (most).

Solution:

Train yourself to pronounce the / o / sound clearly. This can only be done with the help of constant training: read texts aloud, speak English and control your speech.

Repeat the reading rules, they describe in detail in which cases the letter "o" forms certain sounds. In most words in an open syllable, "o" forms the sound-diphthong / əʊ /, although there are exceptions.

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Patter:

Hope for soap on a rope.

13. Pronouncing unpronounceable letters

We are accustomed to the fact that in the Russian language all letters are pronounced (except for soft and hard signs and unpronounceable consonants) that are in the letter. In English, this rule does not work: not all letters need to be pronounced. Otherwise, the knight knight (/ naɪt /) will turn into an incomprehensible bearer of the word "knight" or "knight".

Solution:

Be sure to study the rules for reading English in the article “Silent letters. Unpronounceable letters in English ”. After that, compose a short story using words with unpronounceable letters - you can take the words from the above article. Above the text, make notes: which word is read in which way. Gradually, you will memorize the pronunciation rules for these words and will speak correctly automatically.

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As you can see, there are enough problems in the pronunciation of the English language, but it is also possible to get rid of them if you constantly practice the sounds. Apply the tips suggested in our articles and you will succeed.

Of course, it is quite difficult to understand from a video or article how to pronounce certain complex sounds. Want to get rid of the Russian accent in English with the help of an experienced mentor? We invite you to enroll in our online school at. The teacher (native speaker or Russian) will tell you in detail and show you how to work on certain sounds. Getting rid of English pronunciation problems is easier than it sounds.