Espresso English Podcast
612 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 355 ratingsOn the Espresso English podcast, you'll learn English grammar, vocabulary, phrases, idioms, and more. Espresso English lessons are clear and practical, making it easy to learn the language quickly and effectively.
Visit http://www.espressoenglish.net to get English courses and e-books that will help you learn faster!
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Episodes
50 collocations with big, large, great, deep, strong, heavy
August 31, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.67 MBA collocation is two or more words that go together naturally. Learning collocations is essential for making your English sound fluent and natural! Today we'll learn 50 English collocations with the words big, great, large, deep, strong, and heavy. These words all seem rather similar, but they are used in DIFFERENT combinations of words. WOW, those were a LOT of collocations – are you ready to see how well you learned them? Click here to take a quiz! It’s so important to practice ...
Pronunciation practice: 5-syllable words
August 24, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.91 MBAre you ready to practice your pronunciation with some longer words? The ones we’ll practice today all have 5 syllables – like the word vocabulary: vo-CA-bu-la-ry I’ll say each word twice – once a little more slowly with some separation between the syllables, and then once at normal speed. Repeat after me both times. To improve your pronunciation FAST, join my Pronunciation & Shadowing Courses. My pronunciation course will train you to pronounce all the sounds in the English langu...
Are you making these 10 business English writing mistakes?
August 17, 2022 12:00 - 7 minutes - 8.01 MBWhen writing letters and e-mails in business English, it's really important to avoid mistakes - which can make your writing look unprofessional. Today you'll learn about 10 common mistakes in business English writing. I'll explain why they are wrong and how to correct them. If you want to learn the phrases that native English speakers use for business English letters, e-mails, interviews, meetings, presentations, negotiations, and more – check out my Business English Course! The 40 l...
Let's learn 20 words for SHAPES in English
August 10, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.17 MBToday we’re going to do a vocabulary with pictures lesson to help you learn 20 words for shapes in English, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional ones. You’ll learn both the noun form (the name of the shape itself) and the adjective form (how to describe something else with this shape) – in some cases those are the same, and in other cases they’re different. Have you ever wanted to say something in English, but you just couldn’t think of the right word? That’s a vocabulary problem,...
Come along, come across, come off, come on, come out, come over, come up...
July 27, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.57 MBCome along, come across, come off, come on, come out, come over, come up... Phrasal verbs like these can be easy to confuse because they all seem so similar! Today we’re going to learn 10 phrasal verbs with the word “come,” and I’ll give you an example sentence for each one to show you how it’s used in English. I challenge you to try writing your own sentences with each of these phrasal verbs – because when you use them yourself, that’s when you really start to remember them better so t...
Learn these HOT words & expressions!
July 20, 2022 12:00 - 7 minutes - 8.11 MBRight now it’s summer, and it’s hot as blazes! (= the weather is extremely hot). This inspired me to teach you 15 English words and expressions with “hot.” Some of these are idioms – short phrases or expressions that you can’t understand literally, you can’t translate them word for word to get their meaning – instead, you have to know the meaning of the whole phrase. Your own language has idioms, too... and lots of them are probably different from the ones we use in English! That’s ...
15 phrases for talking with a doctor in English
July 13, 2022 12:00 - 7 minutes - 7.56 MBIf you had to talk with a doctor in English, would you know what to say? In today’s lesson you’ll learn phrases and vocabulary for talking about medical problems. Now you’re a bit better-equipped to talk to a doctor in English if you ever need to someday – but there’s a lot more to learn! In order to be fluent and CONFIDENT in English, you have to be comfortable speaking English in many different situations in day-to-day life. My Everyday English Speaking Course will teach you the...
Do you know these 10 advanced vocabulary words?
June 29, 2022 12:00 - 8 minutes - 9.09 MBToday’s lesson will be a challenging one – we’re going to look at 10 more advanced vocabulary words. But I’m not going to just tell you what they mean… instead, you’ve got to try to figure out what they mean based on an example sentence. I’ll show you a sentence with the word and give you three choices for what it means. Try to choose the correct answer, and after a few seconds I'll show you the right one. If you like the higher-level words in this lesson and you want to learn over 1...
Let's say 96 words with SILENT letters!
June 22, 2022 12:00 - 8 minutes - 8.25 MBThe English language has a lot of silent letters that cause difficulties for both native speakers and English learners, because they make the spelling of words different from their pronunciation. You don’t want to make embarrassing mistakes by saying these words wrong, so today let’s practice pronouncing some common English words with silent letters from A to Z! Thanks for practicing with me! When you practice by repeating out loud, you’re training your mouth to pronounce these E...
How to say & write the DATE correctly in English
June 15, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.74 MBWhat's today's date? Can you answer quickly in English? A lot of English learners have doubts about how to say and write dates correctly, and you don’t want to make mistakes with something so common and basic. So let’s make sure you’re doing it the right way, because there are a lot of little details to remember. If you want make less mistakes fewer mistakes in your English, it’s good to learn the most common ones so that you can avoid them! This means your English will be more accur...
10 idioms for communication & miscommunication
June 08, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.33 MBDo you know what it means to: drop someone a line get your wires crossed or beat around the bush? These are all examples of idioms that we’re going to learn today! Idioms and informal expressions like these are used frequently in movies, TV shows, and casual conversations. But a lot of English textbooks don't teach you these expressions! So you might be confused when you hear them in real life. That's why I created the 300+ English Idioms Course - to teach you the most common idio...
10 types of nouns in English
May 25, 2022 12:00 - 7 minutes - 7.75 MBYou already know a LOT of nouns in English, but did you know that there are different types of nouns? That’s what we’ll be learning today! Make sure to watch to the end of the lesson, because I’m going to clarify a very common confusion between categories of nouns that many English learners have. There's a lot more grammar to learn - and you can learn it easily in my Basic and Intermediate Grammar E-Books! They have 70+ step-by-step lessons and quizzes teaching you grammar in about 1...
How to pronounce -ED perfectly every time
May 18, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.83 MBToday I want to help you fix a pronunciation problem that I hear in a LOT of students’ English, and that is saying things like this: I ask-ed him to help me. We pre-par-ed for our trip. The mistake is with the verbs in the past, ending in -ED. The correct way to say them is: askt (not ask-ed) pre-pard (not pre-par-ed) It’s a small mistake, but unfortunately it makes it obvious that someone’s not a native English speaker. I’ll explain some simple rules to help you pronounce the -ED en...
When do we use "shall" in English?
May 11, 2022 12:00 - 4 minutes - 4.77 MBA lot of English learners are curious about the word “shall.” Is it the same thing as “will”? When exactly do we use it? I’ll answer those questions in today’s lesson. I hope this lesson has helped you understand when people sometimes use “shall” and what it means, as well as the alternatives which are becoming more and more common nowadays, especially in American English. If you’ve got a question about a word or a phrase, please let me know, because I love getting ideas fr...
🎈🍰 Happy Birthday - 10 years of Espresso English!
May 04, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.79 MBEspresso English is turning 10 years old!!! This month, you can use discount code TENOFF to get $10 off any Espresso English Course or E-Book You can use it on as many courses & e-books as you want! “Espresso English lessons, courses and books are, by far, the most comprehensive tools I have ever found in my learning English process, and I strongly recommend all of them to everyone who is serious about becoming fluent in the language.” - Sergio "The best website for studying Engl...
How to say & use WONDER and WANDER
April 27, 2022 12:00 - 3 minutes - 3.91 MBToday I'm going to quickly clear up confusion between the words wander and wonder. These are two completely different words, but sometimes English learners mix them up because of their similar spelling and pronunciation. For more simple and clear lessons about the differences between confusing words in English, get my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained! These are words that English learners often ask me about, or often make mistakes with – and when you read this e-book, y...
Congratulations ON, FOR, TO...?
April 20, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.36 MBToday we’ve got a really interesting question from a student: In English, do we say “congratulations ON or FOR your anniversary”? Listen to the lesson to find out :-) When you’re learning English, it can be hard to feel like you’ve really mastered the grammar of the language. There are so many rules, so many exceptions, and the grammar might be very different from how it works in your native language. At Espresso English we’ve got something to help you at every level: Our Bas...
20 vocabulary words for LIGHTS
April 13, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.65 MBToday let's expand your vocabulary by learning 20 different words for lights - from lamps to lighthouses to lightning (which you shouldn't get confused with lighting). As you learn each word, repeat it after me to practice your pronunciation. Do you ever have trouble remembering the English vocabulary words you learn? It's very common. In fact, lots of students write to me asking what to do about this problem. I have several tips, but one important thing to think about is how you ori...
10 expressions with the word BUSINESS
March 30, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.28 MBEnglish has some interesting expressions with the word “business” – and many of them AREN'T related to work. Today you'll learn 10 expressions with "business": funny business [someone] means business [do something] like nobody's business make it your business [to do something] ... and more! If you are learning English for work, my Business English Course will teach you the phrases and vocabulary you need. You'll learn what to say in interviews, meetings, negotiations, phone calls...
Practical phrases for talking about mistakes
March 23, 2022 12:00 - 8 minutes - 8.91 MBMistakes are part of language learning... and part of life! Remember that with the word mistake, we always say: “I made a mistake” and never “I did a mistake.” But what are some DIFFERENT phrases native English speakers use to admit mistakes and promise to resolve them? That's what we'll learn in today's lesson. Inside my Everyday English Speaking Courses, you can learn phrases for lots of different situations in everyday life. And if you’d like to focus on correcting mistakes you...
20 compound words around the house
March 16, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.31 MBCompound words are made of two words together, forming a new word with a new meaning. For example: bathroom = A room where you can take a bath mailbox = A box in which you receive mail toothbrush = A brush that you use on your teeth Let’s improve your English vocabulary and practice your pronunciation with these compound words around the house. How many of these things do you have in your home? When you expand your vocabulary, you will be able to express yourself better in Englis...
English words with DISAPPEARING syllables!
March 09, 2022 13:00 - 3 minutes - 4.11 MBThe pronunciation of many English words sounds different from the way they appear to be written. Some English words have "disappearing or dropped syllables" - reductions or eliminations of sounds in the middle of the word. One example is the word favorite - we don't pronounce it FAV-o-rit with three syllables. Instead, we say it more like FAV-rit - the "o" syllable disappears. In today's lesson, you're going to practice pronouncing some of the most common English words that tend to have...
Day 5 - Phrasal Verbs CHALLENGE!
February 25, 2022 13:00 - 8 minutes - 9.04 MB⭐ Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-challenge-day-5/ ✔️ Download the worksheet: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Phrasal%20Verbs%20Challenge%20-%20Day%205%20Review%20Practice.pdf Today is the FINAL DAY of our phrasal verbs challenge. We’ve covered a lot this week, but there are still many more phrasal verbs to learn! You can do that inside my Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course. The lessons in that course teach phrasal verbs thro...
Day 4 - Phrasal Verbs CHALLENGE!
February 24, 2022 13:00 - 9 minutes - 9.73 MB⭐ Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-challenge-day-4/ ✔️ Download the worksheet: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Phrasal%20Verbs%20Challenge%20-%20Day%204%20Review%20Practice.pdf Welcome to day 4 of our phrasal verbs challenge – we’ve been flying through these phrasal verbs, learning 10 a day, every day. I hope you’re enjoying the quizzes; they’re an interesting and challenging way to learn these phrasal verbs because they make yo...
Day 3 - Phrasal Verbs CHALLENGE!
February 23, 2022 13:00 - 9 minutes - 9.38 MB⭐ Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-challenge-day-3 ✔️ Download the worksheet: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Phrasal%20Verbs%20Challenge%20-%20Day%203%20Review%20Practice.pdf It’s day 3 of our phrasal verbs challenge and today we’ll learn 10 more interesting phrasal verbs through a quiz where you’ll have to guess what each one means. Do your best – good luck! Phrasal verbs are important to learn, because we use them so often in...
Day 2 - Phrasal Verbs CHALLENGE!
February 22, 2022 13:00 - 8 minutes - 8.8 MB⭐ Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-challenge-day-2 ✔️ Download the worksheet: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Phrasal%20Verbs%20Challenge%20-%20Day%202%20Review%20Practice.pdf Welcome to day 2 of our phrasal verbs challenge, where we’re learning 50 phrasal verbs in 5 days by looking at them in context. As a reminder, these lessons are quiz-style, and I’d highly encourage you to try your best to figure out each phrasal verb from ...
Day 1 - Phrasal Verbs CHALLENGE!
February 21, 2022 13:00 - 10 minutes - 10.9 MB⭐ Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-challenge-day-1 ✔️ Download the worksheet: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Phrasal%20Verbs%20Challenge%20-%20Day%201%20Review%20Practice.pdf Today is the first day of our phrasal verb challenge! Over the next 5 days, we’re going to learn 50 phrasal verbs through quiz-based lessons. Here’s how it works: I’ll show you a sentence with a phrasal verb, and give you three choices for what that phrasa...
Phrasal Verbs: Transitive & Intransitive, Separable & Inseparable
February 17, 2022 13:00 - 6 minutes - 6.76 MBIntransitive phrasal verbs examples: https://www.espressoenglish.net/intransitive-phrasal-verbs-in-english/ Separable phrasal verbs examples: https://www.espressoenglish.net/separable-phrasal-verbs-in-english/ Inseparable phrasal verbs examples: https://www.espressoenglish.net/inseparable-phrasal-verbs-in-english/ ✔️ Read the lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-in-english/ Did you know that there are different types of phrasal verbs in English? Phrasal ve...
Free Phrasal Verbs Challenge Next Week!
February 14, 2022 13:00 - 1 minute - 1010 KBNext week we're doing a FREE "Phrasal Verbs Challenge" – and you're invited! Phrasal verbs are combinations of verbs + prepositions like take off, set apart, crack up, and break out - they are very common in English, and they have meanings that aren't always easy to know. In the 5-day "Phrasal Verbs Challenge" you'll learn 50 phrasal verbs fast through fun, quiz-based lessons. The challenge will run from Feb. 21-25 and the challenge videos will be published on this channel – make su...
When to use proof, prove, belief, and believe
February 09, 2022 13:00 - 4 minutes - 4.92 MBIn today’s lesson we’re going to practice our pronunciation and learn when to use the words proof and prove, belief and believe. These pairs of words are different by only one sound. Their meanings are closely related, but their grammar is different. If you want to take it to the next level, try to use each one of these words in your own sentence. And make sure to check out my American English Pronunciation Course, where we practice all the different sounds in the language. You even ...
100 answers to common English questions
February 02, 2022 13:00 - 12 minutes - 12.4 MBWhen a person asks you a question in English, it's hard to give a quick answer. How can you reply to questions faster? One way is to learn some of the typical responses to common questions - and in today's lesson you'll learn 100 answers to common English questions! If you want to improve your English speaking ability for situations in daily life, join my Everyday English Speaking Course. The lessons in this course are based on conversations - with topics like traveling, shopp...
How to use WISH and HOPE correctly
January 26, 2022 13:00 - 5 minutes - 5.61 MB⭐ 600+ Confusing Words Explained E-Book: https://www.espressoenglish.net/600-confusing-english-words-explained ✔️ Read the lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/confusing-words-in-english-wish-and-hope/ Today I’m going to explain the difference between wish and hope and how to use these words correctly in English – with lots of examples. I hope you put this into practice so that you remember the difference and you don’t mix up these two words like a lot of English learners do. ...
"Right" and "wrong" expressions
January 19, 2022 13:00 - 7 minutes - 7.96 MBYou know that "right" and "wrong" are the same as "correct" and "incorrect" respectively. These words are also used in a lot of informal expressions and idioms in English - let's learn 10 of them! One of the hardest things about learning English is not being sure if what you're saying and writing is right or wrong... And one of the great things about many Espresso English courses is that they include opportunities for feedback and correction from our teaching team! Feedback on short ...
Lifetime vs. Lifelong vs. Lifespan
January 12, 2022 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.11 MBToday we have a great question from a student who asked about the difference between the words lifetime, lifelong, and lifespan. These words all seem to refer to the time period of someone’s life, but we use them in different ways in English. You might have a lot of questions like this one, about the difference between English words that seem very similar or even identical – and you’ll find a lot of answers inside my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained. The lessons have ea...
Your 2022 English-learning plan
January 05, 2022 13:00 - 3 minutes - 3.85 MBHello and happy 2022! It's a great time to make plans for the goals you want to achieve in the new year :-) Do you have a plan for improving your English this year? If you DON'T have a plan... you won't know what to study you won't feel like you're making progress you'll lose motivation But if you DO have a plan for your English learning... it's easier to study consistently you'll know exactly what to learn next you'll be confident that your English is improving day by day!...
Phrases for bad travel experiences
December 22, 2021 13:00 - 7 minutes - 7.35 MBHave you ever missed your flight? (Remember that in English we say "I missed my flight" and not "I lost my flight") Today we’ll learn some phrases you can use to talk about bad travel experiences and problems that can happen on a trip. I hope you don’t experience any of these things if you have a trip in the near future… but if you do, now you know some English expressions for describing them. When you’re in a difficult or stressful situation, it can be even harder to speak English whil...
Take back & taken aback
December 08, 2021 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.14 MBToday’s lesson is on two phrasal verbs – take back and taken aback. These look quite similar, but they have very different meanings, and I’ll explain them with examples. I think it’s helpful to learn phrasal verbs in context, inside sentences, in situations where we’d really use them. That’s the strategy we use inside my Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course. It's an easy and effective way to learn the phrasal verbs that are so common in English! 👉 Learn more inside the Phrasal Verbs ...
Where exactly to put "please" in a sentence
November 24, 2021 13:00 - 4 minutes - 4.72 MBIn English, we use the word “please” to make requests and orders more polite – but have you ever considered where exactly to put the word “please” in your sentence? In today’s lesson I’ll show you several correct places to put the word “please” as well as a couple that sound unnatural, which you should avoid. "Please" is a word we use every day, so we want to use it correctly. It’s really important to know the most common words and phrases so that you can be more confident speaking Engl...
Phrases for complaining about your job
November 17, 2021 13:00 - 5 minutes - 5.73 MBNo matter how much you like your job, there are always a few things to complain about. In today’s lesson we’ll use five sample sentences to learn phrases and expressions for talking about negative points at work. Are any of these complaints true for you presently? Or maybe you’ve experienced these things in the past. Try to write a sentence or two putting some of the expressions we learned into practice. Remember to come check out my Business English Course. In addition to the lessons f...
Can YOU say these 10 tongue twisters?
November 10, 2021 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.04 MBToday’s lesson is going to be a challenge even for me... We’re working on 10 tongue twisters - short phrases that are very difficult to pronounce, even for native English speakers! I like tongue twisters because they’re a fun way to train ourselves to develop very precise pronunciation, and if you can learn to pronounce a tongue twister well, then regular English sentences will probably feel a lot easier by comparison. English pronunciation is really tricky, and I’d love to help you imp...
10 expressions with LIFE
November 03, 2021 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.35 MBIn today’s lesson we’ll learn 10 idiomatic expressions with the word LIFE, including: - can't for the life of me - lead a charmed life - put their lives on the line - have a new lease on life - not on your life ...and more! Remember that idioms are short phrases that can’t be translated literally word by word; instead, you need to know the meaning of the whole expression. If you really want to remember the idioms from today’s lesson even better, try putting them in your own exa...
15 VERY common spelling mistakes
October 20, 2021 12:00 - 7 minutes - 7.27 MBEnglish spelling can be a real challenge. Because of the way the English language has changed over time, there are LOTS of irregularities and exceptions in the spelling. Although it's difficult, it's important to learn to spell correctly because it gives a bad impression when there are spelling mistakes in your written English. Today you'll learn 15 common spelling mistakes that even native English speakers often make - so you can be aware of them, avoid them, and spell these words corre...
40 interesting collocations for communication
October 13, 2021 12:00 - 8 minutes - 8.99 MBToday let’s expand your vocabulary by learning 40 interesting collocations (combinations of words) with the key words comment, conversation, and speech. This is a free sample lesson from our newest course - Advanced Vocabulary and Collocations - so if you like the lesson, join the course to get more! Do you want to take your vocabulary from "average" to "amazing"? The Advanced Vocabulary and Collocations Course will help you express yourself more fluently, without using the same basi...
Do you ATTEND class or ATTEND TO class?
September 29, 2021 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.54 MBToday’s lesson is a quick tip about a small difference that could really mix you up – do you attend English class, or attend to English class? Watch the lesson to find out! (I'll also explain when to use call vs. call to) It’s in these tiny little details where English learners – even more advanced ones – often make mistakes. And that’s why it’s so important to get some feedback and correction on your writing from a native English speaker. You can get that inside our Advanced English...
11 word pairs with CONFUSING pronunciation
September 22, 2021 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.46 MBLet's practice pronunciation together! We'll work on pairs of words with confusing pronunciation - in which the same combinations of letters are pronounced differently. One very frustrating thing about the English language is that the pronunciation is irregular. There aren’t strict pronunciation rules that you could memorize and always know exactly how words are pronounced – it’s just not possible. There ARE some pronunciation patterns… but there are also exceptions to those patterns!...
Business or Busyness?
September 15, 2021 12:00 - 3 minutes - 3.99 MBDo you know the difference between business and busyness? They're pronounced differently... ...and they mean different things! Let's learn them in this quick lesson. If you need to use English in your job or career, I can help you speak more confidently when you join my Business English Course! It will teach you what to say in lots of professional situations like interviews, meetings, phone calls, and much more. The lessons are very practical - full of useful words and phrase...
Phrases: "It speaks for itself" & "Speak for yourself"
September 01, 2021 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.02 MBToday I’m going to explain two phrases in English – one is saying “something speaks for itself” and the other is telling someone “speak for yourself.” These are very different, and I’ll teach them to you by using examples of situations where we’d use these expressions. To learn a lot more common English phrases for daily situations, you can join our Everyday English Speaking Courses – these will teach you so many of the expressions and phrases that native English speakers use all the t...
Don't say "today morning"!
August 25, 2021 12:00 - 4 minutes - 4.64 MBThis lesson is a quick tip to help you avoid mistakes that can make your English sound unnatural. I’ll explain them and tell you what you should say instead. Don't say "today morning"! I’ve noticed this error in a lot of student homework. Many of our courses at Espresso English include homework that you can send in and get feedback and correction on your answers – one of those is our Advanced Grammar Course.
Learn English idioms from sports
August 18, 2021 12:00 - 7 minutes - 8.54 MBDo you know what it means to "run interference," "jump the gun," and "show someone the ropes"? Today you'll learn these expressions and more idioms from sports! If you're looking for a fun and easy way to learn more than 300 idioms in English, check out our Idioms Course.
Human vs. Humane
August 11, 2021 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.27 MBToday you’re going to learn the difference between the words human and humane. These are different by only one letter, but they’re pronounced differently and are used in different ways. By the way, if you want to learn a LOT more confusing word pairs like this, check out my e-book 600+ Confusing Words Explained! Inside that e-book, I’ll help you understand confusing English words easily and clearly.