Espresso English Podcast

183 - Four English expressions that don't seem to make sense

Some informal and idiomatic expressions in English just don't seem to make sense. In today’s lesson, I’ll explain four phrases that my students have asked me about: nothing to sneeze at there'll be hell to pay to each his own a far cry from Don’t try to translate or understand these phrases literally – that’s a common mistake among language learners. If you try to understand it word by word, it won’t make sense. Instead, you need to understand each phrase as a whole unit, with a part...

182 - Three spelling/pronunciation changes that completely change the word

There are many English words that have similar spellings and pronunciations, and it’s common for English learners to use the wrong one. Today I’m going to teach you three examples of how small differences can change the meaning of the word completely. We're going to practice these: college / collage / colleague message / massage course / curse Pay close attention to make sure you’re saying and writing these words correctly! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/three-spelli...

181 - English vocabulary for a road trip

I’ve just gotten back from a road trip with my family, and I’m going to use this opportunity to teach you some vocabulary for driving and traveling by car. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-vocabulary-for-a-road-trip/  To learn more vocabulary that’s organized by topic, you can join my Vocabulary Builder Courses, which will teach you hundreds of useful words. Level 1 of the course covers topics like daily life, work & study, travel & entertainment, people & ideas, a...

180 - Six grammar mistakes you might be making

In today’s lesson I’m going to show you six mistakes that real students of mine have made – and you might be making, too! The purpose of this lesson is not to make you feel bad about those mistakes, but instead to learn from them. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/six-english-grammar-mistakes-you-might-be-making/ One problem with language learning is that if you make a fairly minor mistake that doesn’t affect communication, native speakers often don’t correct you because they ...

179 - Eight English idioms from Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was a poet and playwright who lived in the 16th century. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the history of the English language. You might know him as the author of the famous “Romeo and Juliet.” Many of the English idioms we use to this day were invented or popularized by Shakespeare – you’ll learn eight of them in this lesson! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/eight-english-idioms-from-shakespeare/  To learn more idioms, join my 300+ Engli...

178 - How to pronounce recipe, receipt, debt, and debit

Today I want to teach you the correct way to say four words that I often hear students mispronouncing or confusing: recipe, receipt, debt, and debit. Listen and repeat to practice your pronunciation, so that you can be confident you're pronouncing these words correctly and not mixing them up! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/how-to-pronounce-recipe-receipt-debt-debit/ A lot of English learners want to know the “rules” of English pronunciation, but unfortunately it’s hard t...

177 - 30 English collocations with TEST

Today we’re going to take a closer look at the word TEST – specifically the collocations (common combinations of words) that are often used with “test.” Learning collocations like these can make it easier for you to put together phrases and sentences in English. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-collocations-with-the-word-test/ You can learn a lot more inside my e-book, which will teach you 1000 collocations in 10 minutes a day. It has short lessons and quizzes that...

176 - Three casual conversational expressions

Have you noticed that when you listen to informal English conversations, you hear some expressions that you can't understand? Today I’m going to teach you three casual conversational expressions, what they mean, and how to use them: quite a bit might as well just my luck! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/informal-english-quite-a-bit-might-as-well-just-my-luck/ To continue learning lots of informal English from conversations, check out my Everyday English Speaking Cours...

175 - Careless or carefree?

In today's lesson I want to clarify the difference between the confusing words careless and carefree. It’s easy to mix them up, but they have quite different meanings and connotations. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/careless-or-carefree/ I hope this lesson has helped you understand the difference! For more explanations of confusing words, check out my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained. It will teach you the differences between similar – but different – words...

174 - How to use the word "lack" correctly

Today I want to teach you how to use the word “lack” correctly. I’ve noticed some of my students making a little mistake with this word, so this lesson will help you learn which one to use – “lack” or “lack of.” It’s a very small detail, but it’s important to learn so that your English grammar is correct. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-grammar-lack-or-lack-of/ These little details of English grammar can be confusing! That’s why I created the Advanced English G...

173 - How to pronounce OUGH in English

OUGH is pronounced at least 5 different ways in English! In today’s lesson, I’m going to teach you how to pronounce OUGH in some common words and example sentences. Remember to practice your pronunciation by repeating after me – because the best way to improve your pronunciation is to practice it actively! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/how-to-pronounce-ough-in-english/ How can you know which way to pronounce OUGH when you see a new word? Unfortunately, there’s no ...

Daily English Phrases - A last resort, See the last of something

Daily English Phrases - It's an acquired taste, It grew on me

Daily English Phrases - Deep down, A deep dark secret

Daily English Phrases - None of your business, Mind your own business

Daily English Phrases - Have (got) what it takes

Daily English Phrases - Steer clear of something

Daily English Phrases - Get it over with, Get over it

Daily English Phrases - Have your heart set on something

Daily English Phrases - I couldn't care less, Who cares?

Daily English Phrases - Keep an eye on, Keep an eye out for

Daily English Phrases - Off the beaten path, In the middle of nowhere

Daily English Phrases - A game plan, Ahead of the game

Daily English Phrases - In over my head, Bite off more than you can chew

Daily English Phrases - Put your foot down, The last straw

Daily English Phrases - Play it by ear, Play it safe

Daily English Phrases - Out of the blue, Out of nowhere

Daily English Phrases - Look on the bright side, A blessing in disguise

Daily English Phrases - Get a head start, Get the ball rolling

Daily English Phrases - Set the record straight, Have a great track record

Daily English Phrases - It's a long story, To make a long story short

Daily English Phrases - I have no clue, Totally clueless

Daily English Phrases - On the right track, Get back on track

Daily English Phrases - Have the time of your life, Have a blast

Daily English Phrases - Out of shape, In good/bad shape

Daily English Phrases - I give you my word, I'll take your word for it

Daily English Phrases - Having second thoughts, On second thought

Daily English Phrases - Make yourself at home, Suit yourself, Help yourself

Daily English Phrases - Could I have a word with you?

172 - Don't mix up these English homophones!

The English language has many homophones – words that have the same pronunciation, but different spellings and meanings. A lot of English learners confuse these, but today you’ll learn how to use 10 English homophones correctly! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/dont-mix-up-these-10-english-homophones  Pronunciation and Shadowing Courses: https://www.espressoenglish.net/american-english-pronunciation-course 

171 - Here are 10 "cold" English idioms

You know the basic meaning of the word "cold," but do you know these 10 idioms with "cold"? Today I'll teach you the expressions "out cold," "pour cold water on something," "cold comfort," and more. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-cold-english-idioms 300+ English Idioms Course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-idioms-course 

170 - Make sure, ensure, and make it a point

Are you wondering if there’s a difference between make sure and ensure? We also have the expression make it a point. I’ll teach you how to use each one in this lesson! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-make-sure-ensure-and-make-it-a-point  600+ Confusing English Words Explained E-Book: http://www.espressoenglish.net/600-confusing-english-words-explained 

169 - Depend or depending?

We use depend and depending when one thing is strongly affected by another thing. However, a lot of students are confused about when to use depend vs. depending. You'll learn exactly when to use each one in today's lesson. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/when-to-use-depend-vs-depending  Advanced English Grammar Course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/advanced-english-grammar-course/ 

168 - Learn 10 idioms with the word JUMP

Do you know what it means to jump ship, jump the gun, or jump down someone's throat? You will learn these idioms and more in today's lesson about 10 expressions with "jump." Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-english-idioms-with-jump  300+ English Idioms Course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-idioms-course 

167 - English words with surprising pronunciation

English spelling and pronunciation can be complicated – and these 10 words are especially confusing! Even native English speakers sometimes make mistakes with them. In today's lesson, you can practice repeating 10 words with surprising pronunciation. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-english-words-with-surprising-pronunciation/  Pronunciation and Shadowing Courses: http://www.espressoenglish.net/american-english-pronunciation-course 

166 - Business English expressions quiz

Do you know these 10 expressions related to business and companies? Take the quiz to find out! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/business-expressions-quiz/  Business English Course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/business-english-course 

165 - English collocations with the word THINK

Today I'd like to teach you some common expressions with the word "think." You'll learn: inclined to think shudder to think can't think straight think nothing of (doing something) and many more! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-english-collocations-with-think  1000 Collocations E-Book: https://www.espressoenglish.net/1000-english-collocations-in-10-minutes-a-day/ 

164 - English words with disappearing syllables

Some English words have what we can call “disappearing or dropped syllables” – reductions or eliminations of sounds in the middle of the word. One example is the word favorite:  We don’t say FAV-o-rit with three syllables We say it more like FAV-rit with two syllables – the “o” syllable disappears In today’s lesson, you’re going to practice your pronunciation with some of the most common English words that tend to have dropped syllables. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/1...

163 - Learn 10 expressions with the word KNOW

"Know" is one of the most common verbs in English, and I know that you know what it means! But what you might not know is that we use this word in many idiomatic expressions, such as: for all I know know the drill not know what hit you you don't know the half of it You can learn these expressions with "know" in today's lesson! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-more-english-expressions-with-the-word-know 300+ English Idioms Course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/eng...

162 - 10 interesting verbs to expand your vocabulary

The English language has a lot of colorful words, which are great for improving your vocabulary. You'll learn 10 interesting verbs in today's lesson. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-interesting-verbs-to-improve-your-english-vocabulary Vocabulary Builder Course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/vocabulary-builder-course/