How to Study and Remember New English Words

Hi everybody, welcome back to Ask
Alisha, the weekly series where you ask me

questions and I answer them. Maybe!

First question this week comes from Gul.

Hi, Gul.

Gul says: Hi Alisha, what is the correct pronunciation
of “s” and “th” sounds when they come one

after another?

Especially when we talk fast?

For example:
It’s 3 PM.

Here’s the thing.

Is that possible?

He is thin.

Could you please pronounce these sentences?

Sure, yeah, this is a tough one.

So, when we’re speaking quickly, we make the
“s” sound as short as possible.

Sometimes, it’s just a “sss” and we drop the
“it” sound, like in “it’s.”

Sometimes, it turns into a “z” sound.

So, I’ll say these, uh, sentences at regular
pace.

It’s 3 PM.

He’s thin.

Here’s the thing.

Is that possible?

So, we’re not pronouncing all the sounds clearly
in that last example.

Is that possible becomes “izzat” possible?

Izzat possible?

It’s like a “z” sound.

Everything gets combined there.

So, in the first example sentence, it’s a
quick, soft “s” sound.

It’s 3 PM.

We’re not exaggerating the “th” sound so much
there.

It’s like the “th” sound happens, but the
tongue doesn’t come out between our teeth.

He’s thin.

He’ssss thin.

So I hope that helps you.

Next question!

Next question comes from Maxim Romanovich.

Hi, Maxim.

Maxim says: Hi Alisha, nice day, isn’t it?

Indeed.

Uh, about two weeks ago I started learning
English by watching serials without translation

into my own language.

Is it normal that recently I started to notice
I could talk in English to myself about half

an hour?

Am I getting crazy with English?

Hehe, uh, thanks for sending this!

No, that’s awesome.

I think that’s really cool.

Um, sometimes you guys do send your comments,
like, “oh wow, I can understand things now,”

or
I can use English more than I could before,

so I don’t think that’s weird at all.

I think that’s great.

I think that’s just uh, proof.

That’s evidence that your dedication and your
studies are paying off.

In other words, you’re making progress.

So, I think that’s great!

So, thanks very much for sharing this comment,
and good luck in your continued studies!

It sounds like you’re enjoying yourself.

That’s awesome.

Great.

Thanks very much for sending this.

Let’s go on to the next question.

Next question comes from Sumayyah Abdullah.

Hi, Sumayyah.

Sumayyah says: Hi, I have a question.

Uh, what is the difference between “portal”
and “gate”?

Ah, interesting question, okay!

Uh, portal.

Portal is something used in like science fiction
stories.

We use portal in science fiction stories,
and you might sometimes see this on the internet

as like a hub, a web hub for something.

But portal is used to refer like a gate between
dimensions.

It’s like a special kind of, like, dimensional
gate.

Uh, so portal is not commonly used in everyday
speech.

Maybe some of you have played the game portal.

That was a really popular game where you had
a gun and you could shoot the gun, like on

a wall, and a portal would open here.

You could shoot another portal on another
wall and walk through it.

So it’s like some kind of dimensional, like
sci-fi word.

Gate, however, is the much more commonly used
word.

We use gate to talk about this, like, entrance
to a house or to someone’s yard, or to a garden,

for example.

So a gate is much, much more common.

We see them in our neighborhoods and our cities
all the time.

So typically, in most situations, I think
gate is the better word.

Portal is like a science fiction kind of gate.

It’s usually the image is like a circle.

Gate is like something that swings open, something
like this, perhaps.

So, I hope that helps you.

Interesting question.

Thanks very much!

Next question!

Next question comes from Wangfan Chen.

Hi, Wangfan.

Wangfan says: Hey Alisha, could you please
clarify the phrase “we got you back”?

I came across this expression on my email
from my bank.

It said, “we’ve got you back on fraud.”

Ummm, I want you to check.

Does your email say, “we’ve got YOUR back,”
or “we got you back”?

These are very different expressions.

so I’ll explain.

First, the expression “we’ve got,” “we have
got your back” means we support you.

We’ve got your back.

Imagine, like, a friend watches your back.

A friend is behind you watching your back.

The backside of your body, like to protect
you.

To make sure nothing bad happens to you.

So when someone is watching your back, to
say “I’ve got your back,” something like that

means “I support you,” “I’m looking out for
you.”

I’m trying to protect you.

However, “we got you back.”

We got you back means we got revenge on you
for something.

You did something bad in the past, and someone
got you back.

Means they got revenge on you.

Someone took revenge for something bad in
the past.

So, “we’ve got your back” and “we got you
back” are very, very different expressions.

I think your bank is probably saying “we’ve
got your back in regard to fraud.

In other words, the bank is trying to protect
you.

If you want to use this expression in everyday
life, like a friend is going to do something

difficult or dangerous, you can say “I’ve
(I have) got your back.”

Sometimes we also make it more casual.

We drop “have” there and say “I got your back.

I got your back.”

Meaning: I support you.

I am looking out for you.

So, interesting question!

Thanks very much for asking.

Let’s go on to the next question.

Next question comes from Ranold Royce.

Hi, Ranold.

Ranold says: 1) How to study new words and
remember them?

How to speak in an American accent?

Uhh, number 1.

How to study words and remember them?

Uh, to study words and remember them, you
could try using a vocabulary flashcard tool

like Anki.

Anki is a great, uh, flashcard tool.

It’s a computer-based, uh, tool, so that’s
great for flashcards.

I think you can download sets of flashcards
to help you study vocabulary words and expressions.

Other things you can do…Once you practice
those words, make sure you use them.

So, make sure you use the words, um, write
with the words.

Speak with the words.

So, don’t just input, input, input.

But create using those new words.

Um, 2, how to speak with an American accent?

Practice speaking with an American accent.

That’s what I did when I was growing up, and
that’s what speakers all over the world do

to gain their accents.

They practice speaking using that accent.

So, if you want to speak with an American
accent, I would say practice speaking with

an American accent.

I have an American accent, so if you want
to practice speaking, you can try to, uh,

practice speaking like me, if you want to.

If you want to get some ideas about American
accents, uh, you can check the English Topics

series on this channel, where you can see
Michael, uh Davey, and of course me, talking

in English, but in a more casual setting,
so you can get an idea of how our accents

sound in everyday conversations.

So if you want to see what an American accent
sounds like and use that as a way to practice

your speech, you can check that out, for sure.

Those are all the questions that I have for
this week!

Thank you, as always, for sending your questions.

Remember to send them to me at EnglishClass101.com/ask-alisha.

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and check us out at EnglishClass101.com for
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English studies.

Thanks very much for watching this week’s
episode of Ask Alisha, and I will see you

again next week. Bye!