Espresso English Podcast

Today we’re going to practice pronunciation of words ending in -ow. Make sure to check out my Pronunciation and Shadowing Courses for a lot more pronunciation training, including an evaluation of your English pronunciation. I noticed a mistake that some of my students are making with this word: ALLOW. They are saying it like “alloe,” but it’s actually pronounced “allow.” It’s funny, the words low (the opposite of high) and below (which means “under”) have the same “o” sound in “no” – low, below. But the word allow has the ow sound as in the words now and how. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/how-to-pronounce-allow-low-and-other-words-ending-in-ow/

Today I want to teach you about the confusing words criticize, criticism, critique, critic, and critical. These are all similar and they come from the same roots, but they have different functions and some slightly different meanings. Lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-criticize-criticism-critique-critic-and-critical 600+ Confusing English Words E-Book: https://www.espressoenglish.net/600-confusing-english-words-explained/

A "joke" is a funny comment or short story that is supposed to make people laugh. Do you know any good jokes? Today's lesson will teach you some useful English vocabulary for talking about jokes and humor! You'll learn: how to describe a funny joke vs. a bad joke what it means to be a "laughingstock" when to say "just kidding" Now you know some new vocabulary words! Improving your vocabulary is a great way to become more fluent in English. When you have a vocabulary, you can express yourself the way you want to, without pausing to think of the right word. You'll learn hundreds of useful words in my Vocabulary Builder Courses. Not only will you LEARN new words, but you'll also PRACTICE them, which is very important!

English pronunciation and spelling are very tricky - the same letter can be pronounced in different ways, and the same sound can be spelled with different letters. Today you're going to learn about a common pronunciation mistake that students make with the letter "U," and practice words with the long and short U sounds. I first noticed this mistake when I was doing evaluations for students in my Pronunciation and Shadowing Courses. Everyone who takes one of those courses gets feedback from me on their pronunciation! If you're interested in getting your pronunciation evaluated and corrected, click here for more information about the courses.

Today is my birthday! I'm now 33 years old  :-) That's why today's new English lesson will teach you 30 expressions with "party." This word actually has a few different meanings in English - take the lesson to find out what they are! Do you want to get me a birthday present? The best thing you can do for me is to SHARE my lessons on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube! Knowing that thousands of students like you all over the world are learning English from me is the best birthday gift I could receive.

In American culture, people go to bars to socialize, flirt, and even to get to know business colleagues. In today's lesson, you'll learn 21 expressions about bars and drinking alcohol. Many of them are slang or informal expressions. This is a guest post by my teacher friend Ryan from EnglishForMyDream.com.

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb + preposition that has a specific meaning. Sometimes the meaning of the phrasal verb is quite different from the meaning of the regular verb by itself! I often see students make mistakes by mixing up regular verbs and phrasal verbs. Here are some common verbs and phrasal verbs in English, and the situations in which each one should be used. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/regular-verbs-vs-phrasal-verbs/ One of the best ways to learn phrasal verbs - and remember them - is in context. My Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course can help you do that. Each lesson is based on a dialogue, so it's easy to see how the phrasal verbs are used naturally. There are also quizzes and practice exercises to help you put the phrasal verbs into practice.

There are a lot of words in English that seem to be the same – and in fact they are very similar – but we use them in different ways. In today's lesson, you'll learn the differences between 5 pairs of confusing words: deem / regard elder / older loyal / faithful crush / squeeze joke / prank Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/students-asked-me-about-these-confusing-english-words/ You might be wondering about the differences between other confusing words such as specially and especially, distinct and distinctive, or appraise and apprise. You'll find answers, explanations, and examples inside my e-book 600+ Confusing English Words Explained.

The English language has some interesting expressions with the word "business" - and not all of them have to do with companies or work. Let's learn 10 of these phrases and how to use them. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-english-expressions-with-business/ If you're learning English for work, my Business English Course will teach you the phrases and vocabulary you need.

A student recently asked me how to pronounce English words starting with CON- such as content, contest, and conduct. My answer was - "It depends!" These three words are interesting because they each have two forms, with different pronunciation. Take today's lesson to learn how to pronounce these and 38 other English words with CON-.

Do you think you have a good understanding of English vocabulary? Today I'm sending you a challenging quiz to test your knowledge! Click here to take the vocabulary quiz. Choose the best word to complete each sentence, then click on "Get Results" at the end to see your score and the correct answers. If you can improve your vocabulary, you'll have a lot more ways to express yourself in English. You'll be able to say exactly what you want, instead of trying desperately to think of the right word. Sometimes students ask me for lists of the "most common words" in English... but I don't think memorizing lists is the best way to study. Instead, you should learn words in context, in "families" (topics), and with visual aids (pictures). What's even more important is to practice the new words so that you don't forget them! In my Vocabulary Builder Courses, you'll learn hundreds of useful English words. Each lesson also includes a quiz and short-answer exercises to help these words stay in your memory. I hope t

If you're embarrassed, it can be almost impossible to think of the right thing to say... especially in English! In today's lesson, you'll learn useful phrases for responding to embarrassing situations. Learn these, and you'll never have to worry about saying the wrong thing during an awkward moment. You might also enjoy my Everyday English Speaking Courses, which teach you phrases and expressions for lots of situations in daily life. These conversation-based lessons are a simple, fun, and effective way to learn new expressions and improve your ability to speak in English.

Students often say "I have a doubt" and then ask me something about the English language. However, native English speakers don’t usually say it this way. If you want to know the answer about something, you should say "I have a question." So when can we use the word "doubt"? Click here to find out in today's lesson! English has a lot of words that seem to be the same... but native speakers actually use them in different situations. This is where a lot of English learners make mistakes. I've collected 600 of the most common words that students tend to confuse, and I'll teach you how to use them correctly in my e-book 600+ Confusing English Words Explained! It has simple, clear lessons explaining each of these words with examples - so that you can use them more confidently.

I see this problem in a lot of more experienced English learners: Their written English might be 90% fine, but there are still some small errors. These mistakes don't affect communication... but of course we still want to correct them! In today's lesson, I'll teach you 8 common English grammar mistakes with examples from real students of mine. Are you an upper-intermediate or advanced student, and do you want to make sure your written English is completely correct? If so, then you would definitely benefit from my Advanced English Grammar Course. It has 45 lessons that cover many aspects of English grammar in depth, with plenty of examples. But what really makes it special is the writing task in each lesson, where you have the opportunity to send me your writing for correction and feedback. You can click here to learn more about the course, see the lesson list, and take some free samples.

We're in the middle of the month of June, and next month is July... so today let's learn 10 vocabulary words that begin with the letter "J." Don't just read the lesson... also, make sure to listen to the words and repeat them out loud to practice your pronunciation. One of the most effective things you can do to improve your English is to improve your pronunciation. If you have BAD pronunciation, then nobody will understand you (even if your grammar is perfect and you have a great vocabulary). But if you have clear and correct pronunciation, then you'll be able to speak English with everyone! I have two courses to help you get better at pronunciation: the American English Pronunciation Course and Shadowing with Shayna. In both of these courses, you'll do a lot of listen-and-repeat exercises, and at the end of each one there's an opportunity to get an evaluation of your pronunciation. I hope to see you inside!

Today’s lesson is inspired by a student question – he asked what the expression “we're spinning our wheels” means. Take the lesson to find out! You'll learn 10 interesting expressions for progress, including: run into a brick wall shift into high gear at breakneck pace ...and more. You can learn a lot more of these casual and colorful expressions in spoken English in my courses. I especially recommend:  Everyday English Speaking Course Level 2 (helps you learn expressions from conversations) or my English Idioms Course (in which you will figure out idioms through quizzes). Click on each link to learn more and try some free sample lessons from each course.

When writing a business letter or when e-mailing a business contact who we don’t know well, we use slightly more formal words and expressions. Today you’ll learn how to transform casual, conversational English into more appropriate business English phrases. If you’re learning English for your career, make sure to check out my Business English Course, with 40 practical lessons for work. In this course, you can improve your ability to handle interviews, phone calls, meetings, and negotiations in English. You'll also learn useful vocabulary for networking, managing people, talking about projects, marketing, helping customers, and much more!

Let's learn some collocations - words that often go together! In today's lesson, you'll learn 30 different collocations with the word "country." At the end of the lesson, I also clarify the difference between "country" and "countryside." If you want to learn more collocations, you'll love my e-book 1000 English Collocations in 10 Minutes a Day. It has short lessons and quizzes to help you learn new expressions every day. Here are some comments from English learners who have enjoyed the 1000 collocations e-book: "I think that your 1000 Collocations e-book is absolutely essential to speak English confidently, avoiding misspeaking or inappropiate sentences." "I feel this e-book is complete, useful and practical for everyday situations, plus being able to work with the quiz I consider this a unique option to put in practice what I learn in every unit. It's clear and concise." I hope you enjoy today's lesson!

What does it mean when someone asks, "Do you drive at all?" In today's lesson, you'll learn how to use the expression "at all" in negative statements and questions. Lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/how-to-use-at-all-in-english

One student said she sometimes sees "police" and sometimes "the police" - which is correct? What's the difference? Today you'll learn the answer to this question, as well as find out why saying "a police" is wrong. Lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/do-we-use-the-with-police