English Mistakes to Avoid in 30 minutes
want more English videos like this
subscribe to our Channel
welcome back to weekly words my name is
Alisha and this week we’re gonna talk
about commonly misspelled words I’m
excited about this because I like
catching misspellings believe to believe
something just means to accept something
as true or not true in the negative
believe is commonly misspelled they
spell it alive
well believe is commonly misspelled
don’t do that so if you’re having
trouble remembering the correct way to
spell the word believe consider that the
word lie is in the middle of the word
which is kind of counterintuitive if
you’ve been paying attention to the
weekly word series if you’re trying to
persuade a friend to do something you
might say please believe me this is
gonna be the best party ever you have to
come okay
the next is a lot this is commonly
misspelled because people like to put
the UH and the lot together it’s
actually two separate words uh and lot a
lot just means a large number of
something or a large amount of something
many of something in a sentence you
might say something like I have a lot of
hobbies I like skiing snowboarding and
whitewater rafting so just spell them
separately don’t put it all together oh
the next they’re there and they’re
students of English tend to be better
about spelling these words than the
native speakers of English and I find
that very interesting the first there th
er E refers to a place as in he lives
over there the book is over there
somewhere other than where you are right
now the second form th e IR is the
possessive form of a as in that’s their
house that’s their dog something that
belongs to some other group of people
and the last form th ey apostrophe r e
they are refers to a quality about
another group of people as in they are
the students they are the teachers it’s
the contracted form of they are on word
the next word is grateful grateful the
meaning of grateful grateful just means
that you appreciative of something in a
sentence you might say oh I feel so
grateful my teacher took time after
class to explain this concept to me
grateful is commonly misspelled because
this gr8 EE
sounds just like the word great grea T
but actually that great good meaning is
not the correct spelling for this word
we use great instead this spelling of
grade is also used as a verb as in two
great things in the kitchen I don’t know
if that has any relation to this or not
probably not it’s gr8 te next is receive
receive to receive something as a verb
means to be given something or to get
something receive can be kind of tricky
because of the I and the e a place where
the I before E except after C rule
applies it’s not a 100% true rule but
typically after the letter C if the
letters E and I need to follow it after
the letter C I is typically not the
first letter to come usually it’s e
that’s the first letter so it should be
C e I ve receive rather than recite you
for something like that
in a sample sentence you might say I
received a gift from my friend on my
birthday I was really happy about that
the next word is end right end is not
very commonly misspelled but thank you
for joining us for this episode of
weekly words please watch your spelling
with these words as it can be very
important to get them right thanks again
and I will see you next week bye bye
alright welcome back to weekly words
I am Alisha and this week we’re gonna
talk about commonly mispronounced
mispronounced Wow
this week we’re going to talk about
commonly mispronounced words words that
are often pronounced incorrectly funny
I enjoy mispronouncing this first word
the first word is hyperbole hyperbole
it’s not hyperbole though it does sound
very funny to say that hyperbole just
means to exaggerate something or to make
to blow something up make it a really
extreme my friend uses a lot of
hyperbole when she talks about her life
stories I really don’t think some of
those things happen to her hyperbole not
people next Antarctic not ah oh I see
Antarctic is the correct pronunciation
of this word some people say and and
tart Antarctic really oh I guess when
you’re saying this word quickly you
might leave out that first sea in the
Antarctic so don’t say that don’t do
that say Antarctic the the very very
cold region the Arctic is the North cold
region on the planet Earth the South is
the aunt Arctic there’s sort of like
almost a hiccup in the word there
Antarctic Oh
in a sentence I’m thinking about taking
a cruise to the Antarctic what do you
think I need a penguin suit etc not etc
oh yeah okay I’ve heard I hear this ech
ech thing a lot yet cetera is just used
at the end of a list to imply that you
mean other things so the list is not
exclusive to the things that you’ve
listed other things can also be included
in it so in a sample sentence types of
fruits are apples oranges peaches etc
there are others as well so don’t say
etc that’s not correct
etc it’s good the next word is jewelry
what not money’s the next word is
jewelry jewelry I think I’m probably
guilty of this mispronunciation I can’t
say that word mispronunciation where the
word kind of gets a little bit smushed
together and we say jewelry instead
we’ve missed that that second e sound in
there it should be jewelry in a sample
sentence maybe you would say I’m
shopping for some jewelry for my mother
for her birthday jewelry we’re too lazy
prescription
not prescription okay a prescription is
something that a doctor gives you when
you’re sick and you require medicine the
doctor will write you a prescription
some people might say prescription Wow
okay I didn’t even notice and I was
doing it while I was telling you guys
not to do it that’s embarrassing
prescription a doctor writes you a
prescription not a prescription when you
go to the doctor’s office the doctor
might say here is your prescription and
all right well we’ve learned that I
apparently can’t pronounce some words
the way that they’re meant to be
pronounced so please work on your
pronunciation I will work on my
pronunciation to thank you for joining
us on weekly words this week I will see
you next time bye bye welcome back to
weekly words my name is Alisha and this
week we are going to look at commonly
misinterpreted phrases the first phrase
is I couldn’t care less people will
often say I could care less but that
doesn’t really mean the same thing as I
couldn’t care less short for I could not
care less and it’s not possible for me
to care any less about this situation so
it’s just emphasizing that whatever is
going on it doesn’t bother you in a
sentence my co-workers project wasn’t
successful and I couldn’t care less
Oh jerk alright next is nip it in the
bud many people say nip it in the butt
it should be nip it in the bud but in
this case might refer to a flower before
it blossoms that’s small shape before
the flower actually opens up we call
that a bud
so to nip something would mean to take
something quickly like biting taking
motion to nip something in the bud would
mean to stop something before it becomes
something else stopping something
negative from happening knitting a
sweater
come on eating a sweater earlier there’s
a section of the sweater where the
thread that the yarn has started to
unravel and you think to yourself oh my
gosh I need to nip this in the bud nip
this in the bud so you decide to fix it
right away instead of letting the
sweater just slowly unravel as you work
on it next is one and the same not one
in the same I’m probably guilty of this
one actually one and the same just
refers to something that is maybe has
two names but both of those names refer
to the same thing or the same person my
teacher and my
my father are one in the same person
maybe you know if your dad is your
teacher in school you could use this
expression on tenterhooks on tenterhooks
is the next expression this isn’t a
phrase that I’m familiar with don’t use
this one but it seems that some people
use the phrase on tender hooks I’m not
really sure what tenterhooks are this
expression is used when people are
looking forward to learning the outcome
of something or kind of maybe there is
anticipation they’re anticipating
something maybe you would use this when
you’re watching a movie perhaps like I
was on tenterhooks to learn about the
end of the story something like that
maybe next moot point not mute point but
moot point something that is irrelevant
something that there’s just no point in
talking about it it is moot there’s no
meaning a moot point yeah move point
that’s funny I ah ask the Internet’s hey
Siri Oh No okay you’re looking for a guy
to fill a position and you find a guy
and he’s a great programmer and he’s
fantastic but it’s a moot point because
he’s a convict
onward well that was a long one and the
last one okay that’s the end of commonly
misinterpreted phrases be careful when
you use these phrases and make sure to
get them right thank you very much for
joining us this week we’ll see you again
next time for more bye you’re excited
about something anxious or like looking
forward to something the origins of this
Frasor want to speak real English from
your first lesson sign up for your free
lifetime account at English class 101
calm
hi everybody my name is Alisha and I’m
joined again in the studio by Michael
hello and today we’re going to be
talking about some misconceptions about
America so let’s get right into it let’s
start with you Michael what is your
first misconception that you’ve heard
about America hmm I’m going to have to
start with the arrogant American
stereotype so this this I think maybe in
the past had been a little bit more
accurate but ever since the internet and
ever since like the 60s with the Vietnam
War and the hippie movement and
everything going on then this has really
died down a bit you know I’m proud to be
an American but I’m not one of the the
stereotypical Americans that were number
one were the best publi this really has
died down yeah I hear this a lot on the
internet and whatnot um yeah I know what
you mean then the whole you know number
one thing at least for me one of the
things that I I don’t know I feel like
if you say that there’s a greatest
country in the world I don’t know I
think that’s a silly thing to say that
you’re the greatest country in the world
not that I don’t you know support
America or you know appreciate all the
things that American does like for me
and for people around the room I feel
like I’m gonna I’m treading in dangerous
waters right here right now but I don’t
know there are plenty of good things
about other countries too I’m gonna stop
here before I can do like get on my
soapbox anyway I’m gonna go to our first
one my first one is maybe no no maybe
this is one that you’ve got as well
hamburgers are the only American food
this is a misconception that I have
heard a lot hamburgers and variations of
hamburgers cheeseburgers bacon
cheeseburgers avocado burgers veggie
burgers whatever anything burger is not
the only American food there are plenty
of other American foods like if you even
if you just stick around like the fast
food ballpark for a while there are like
hotdogs there are like Philly
cheesesteaks which are delicious if you
go to the south there’s all kinds of
interesting like Louisiana and food that
you can try it on there you can eat
crocodile you can eat frog legs which I
mean probably as baro to some extent
from French cuisine
there’s lots of fresh fish like salmon
from Washington Oregon where I’m from we
talked a lot about Tex
like California burrito culture there’s
so much good stuff to try in America and
it’s not just burgers like American food
is more than just burgers that drives me
crazy and people say oh you’re Americans
you must love hamburgers right well
they’re great but there’s so much other
good stuff to try yes
likewise just with the hamburger thing
when you think hamburgers you think fast
food right and so that’s the other
stereotype that even if you want a good
authentic American hamburger don’t go to
one of the fast food restaurants that’s
what they think oh you you’re American
you can’t appreciate the real good
high-quality cheese and blah blah blah
if you have a really good authentic
American hamburger you’ll you’ll be
really happy yeah yeah you’ll be really
happy it’s really good um-hmm did I miss
any like key American foods I feel like
I had kind of like the big ones yeah I
was like you know region centric foods
that are they’re big that was the first
thing I thought of and you got to it is
Louisiana as far as like something that
people don’t usually think about when
they think about American food and
that’s amazing food and I think you know
to take that a little bit further while
traveling and teaching people would say
Oh your name’s not a really American
name because my last name is German but
I would tell them that there is no
American name like a truly American name
would be like the Native Americans from
way back when and one of the beauties of
America is that it’s the melting pot as
you always hear and then it’s a lot of
different cultures so as you were saying
about Louisiana food it’s probably
borrowed from French and you know
American food isn’t just hamburgers it’s
there’s a whole wide array and as we
talked about before the Mexican food so
absolutely there’s a big variety and
it’s not just one thing yeah explore
explore American cuisine there’s a lot
of it to explore I think all right
what’s your next misconception next
misconception is well this one’s a
little bit specific to where I’m from is
that everybody skis or snowboards in
Colorado so this is something I think
this is natural when you meet somebody
from any different state province
whatever is that you think about the
tourist attractions of that place and
you say you know so I meet another
American even yeah even within America
and they say oh you’re from Colorado do
you ski and snowboard and yeah you know
sometimes
just because I’m from there doesn’t mean
I’d do it and to me I think you know
it’s kind of a rough analogy but it’d be
like meeting someone from France I mean
like oh do you go to the Eiffel Tower
every day like yeah once when I was a
kid you know yeah yeah same thing with
America oh you know just as the whole
country it’s what the Statue of Liberty
and these kinds of things you ever get
that yeah every once in a while or like
I’m from Oregon so we have like you know
ski and snowboard culture there but I’m
trying to think if there’s when I say
that I’m I was raised in Oregon if
there’s something that I usually get
back and I don’t think I do I think
California maybe more so like if you say
you’re from California it might be
something like oh well do you surf or do
you go to the beach or I think that
there’s it’s really easy to kind of make
an image of that of that state or what
that states people might be like and
then to ask a question about that but I
don’t think that it’s necessarily like
out of I don’t know malice that people
say such things I think it’s just trying
to make a connection like oh I’m
familiar to some degree with your state
or I know something about your state
maybe this is the way we can have a
conversation about it but yeah like kind
of pigeonholing people like trying to
stereotype people based on you know
where they’re from and what you presume
they might like to do I guess it could
come off as a little like a little
irritating them yeah I don’t mind it
because I know that it’s it’s good
intentions they’re just trying to make a
connection and I I do the same thing
that I think of all the musicians or
famous actors or actresses from whatever
the country they’re from and I’ll say
that and oh but you’re just trying to
make conversation so it’s not a big deal
but again it’s it’s a stereotype and
just try to relate it and put yourself
in the shoes like what what kind of
tourist attractions and stereotypes do I
not relate yeah yeah or saying oh I’ve
been there too such-and-such attraction
before it was really nice that kind of
yeah I think it’s harmless it’s
certainly bad it’s just one of those
things like okay all right next one
let’s see the next one that I have I’ve
heard this now and now and then this one
that I’ve heard is Americans all own
guns I’ve heard this I don’t know me too
gosh we both had this one but this is
one that I think maybe it’s because of
action movies maybe it’s because of the
news stories that come out about
shootings in America
which are horribly tragic and
unfortunate but for some reason some
people have this image that Americans
all own guns I don’t own a gun me either
so there’s one person two people who do
not own guns and I know that there are
plenty more there are a lot of people
who do not own guns and I mean whether
or not you support guns maybe that’s a
different issue but I just this is this
is one point that’s always just a little
bit confusing to me that I don’t know I
guess maybe this comes from like west
old western movies where we’re like you
know Cowboys or if I get that straight
gun-toting like gun-loving shoot them up
sort of country but I don’t think that
it’s that I don’t I don’t think that
that’s America yeah well all of them
there are parts of America there are
some people in America who like guns so
fine okay that’s your thing it’s just
not mine and it’s not some other
people’s yeah I think the fact that we
both have to kind of like stop and
hesitate it is it is an issue you know
it’s a it’s a hot topic it’s what Second
Amendment right so it’s always people
are constantly debating this but I tell
people I can’t think of five people like
in all of my friends and family five
people I can’t think of five who own a
gun you know there’s some people who
like military something like this but
like private people that’s really not
common there’s only a handful of people
I know that own a gun
and they go out shooting it’s not like a
big deal but it is it is a hot topic but
I hate this every time the UH
America cowboy guns this kind no not a
cowboy not don’t have guns I don’t know
have you ever gone shooting though my
parents had do you know clay pigeons
clay pigeon shooting hmm my parents used
to do that with their friends they had
they would just go to a small shooting
range and they’d it’s just like this
little disc made of clay and it was just
a sport it was just for sport they’d
shoot it or they’d like fly what do you
call it like fling fling I guess they
throw like this clay pigeon in the air
and then you’d aim and try to shoot it
it was like a sport and so my parents
had a couple for that and then I think
they sold them after a while because
they just they just didn’t do it very
often I fired that a couple times and I
really didn’t like it
just made me feel really uncomfortable
how old were you I was probably 17 18
mm-hmm or so yeah it’s about the age you
would know if you liked it or you don’t
like it just made me really really
uncomfortable I didn’t like it no I have
known people who who use them for
hunting like I knew somebody in high
school in college his dad had one but
they he’d go out hunting every year and
he’d go out and kill a deer and then
they’d bring it home and they’d like
prepare it and the family would have
would have that to eat throughout the
winter
that was like just one of their family’s
traditions but as far as like a handgun
I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone but I
know of no wait I did know one guy see
that’s a little I’m not gonna say
anything I’m really uncomfortable
let’s go to the last one because it’s
not controversial my last one is it’ll
be quick and easy to see the whole
country know America is huge especially
well compared to a lot of other
countries around the world America is
very very large I’ve heard of people
saying you know like they’re gonna go to
visit New York and then they say okay
and then we’re gonna we’re gonna rent a
car and we’re gonna drive to California
and the Americans in the room will go
you know how long it’s going to take you
right now you have some concept of how
far that is you know a few hours or you
know a couple days no it’s far it’s like
5,000 miles across the country so you
should plan some time I heard about a
guy recently who took like a month to
bicycle from New York to California it’s
crazy
he had something hit some people give
him car rides along the way but have you
ever run into somebody who like has no
no concept of how large the country is
hmm all the time really usually I mean
again like we’re talking about the you
you want to make a connection so usually
they just name everyone knows New York
Texas California that’s pretty much it
when you think America and so even even
Americans I know you really don’t put it
on scale of how big it is unless you
look at a picture and you place like
you’re up on top and you go wow this is
this is pretty
generally though I haven’t met anybody
who’s like planning a trip and going I
think when you plan a trip they make a
little more preparations but yeah same
thing they really have no idea no like
frame of reference I guess cuz it’s kind
of its own yeah and then if you even
want to include like Alaska and Hawaii
we’re just way out there your week-long
trip yeah it’s quite large alright so
those are some common misconceptions
about America anything else you want to
add to this or anything else you would
like to clear up don’t you dare say
anything about America cuz it’s not true
oh my gosh just happened those are some
misconceptions about America so maybe
we’ve cleared up a few things about
America or maybe we’ve only intensified
a few of your misconceptions about
America who knows but thanks very much
for joining us this time and we will see
you again when we have another fun topic
to discuss hi everybody my name is
Alisha and today I’m joined again in the
studio by Michael hello and today we’re
gonna be talking about bad habits in
English so these are some things that
we’ve heard before or mistakes that
native speakers and non-native speakers
of English make and that drive us crazy
so let us begin you start what’s your
first thing um this doesn’t bug me too
much until someone points it out about
me and then it drives me nuts
ah yeah okay once you tell someone that
they say um or like too much then every
time they say it they notice it and it’s
really hard to get a thought out because
these are filler words that you almost
always use or I always use maybe
Americans always use but it’s yeah it’s
really tough not to use the word like or
um I think when you’re just speaking
casually right yeah right well yeah I
mean like right now why do you have
tomato the first one actually we talked
about that we have a video I think I’m
probably like a year ago one of the
English weekly words videos where the
word like was one of the words that
Americans overuse
I don’t know where that information came
from but that was see oh my god now I’m
suddenly aware of it why the whole thing
I’m gonna be thinking about how often I
say liking them okay let’s see I’m gonna
go to one that I think all of us talked
about and all of us were aware of before
we even turned the camera on but this is
a this one is written this is a written
problem that drives me nuts and there
are so many variations on this with
other words but this is the big one
you’re why oh you are this is a do not
equal sign why oh you apostrophe re so
this one your while you are is a
possessive word this is your shirt your
bag your whatever why oh you apostrophe
re is a contracted form of you are
interestingly enough though I will say
that I rarely see non-native speakers of
English make this mistake most of the
time it’s native speakers who make this
mistake come on guys really I just it
just drives me nuts yeah that one you
need drives me nuts that one bugs me too
because it’s it’s really simple I mean
there’s another one and it still kind of
bugs me but I’m more forgiving as its
and it’s because they’re both ITES and
one of them has an apostrophe and in
both cases it seems reasonable because
you can use an apostrophe for possessive
or for a contraction
so both seem reasonable and you just
have to do like you know a pneumonic
device figure it out there’s rules I’m
sure there’s a you know English language
English class 101 episode on it you know
no apostrophe is the one that’s the
possessive the apostrophe s is the one
that starts for it has or it is right
but it makes sense it’s kind of tough
for some people to remember you are
you’re in your that that really upsets
me yes it’s so easy it’s simple that in
there and we talked about this earlier
there there and there
the possessive th e ir4 that’s their
house that’s their dog th ER e it’s over
there and th ey apostrophe re they are
there are three different there there
there’s sound the same but they have
different meanings and they should be
spelled differently too so come on
native speakers games together okay
all right next one for you what’s your
next one ah along the same lines of
being like correct could of so I think
the problem with a lot of these words is
so it’s supposed to be could have but
when you’re speaking the language any
language you you make it quicker and
quicker and you kind of slur the words
together so like for example grandma or
grandma you like native speakers you
don’t really say the deed you say that
grandma grandma and so as a kid I
thought that’s how you spelled it and I
remember spelling GRA Mme someone told
me no that’s not it
so could of it it makes sense why people
would say could of but it doesn’t it’s
not proper and you shouldn’t get in the
habit of doing it I think most of these
things you can be forgiving when they’re
kids but it’s best to to nip it in the
bud because you know it just becomes a
bad habit yeah and I mean with could
have there is a correct contracted
spelled version it’s just could do
apostrophe ve could’ve I mean I I would
argue that it’s more casual and it’s
perhaps not the most correct thing to
write I would probably would just write
could have I probably wouldn’t use the
contracted form so much use of
contractions will make you sound more
casual if you want to write a formal
letter you should I feel you should not
use contractions if you’re writing an
academic paper as well don’t use
contractions spell it out spell the
whole thing out you’ll sound much more
formal and more at least in my mind more
educated all right ah great this topic
is getting me all like antsy okay let’s
see I’m gonna go to okay another another
pronunciation issue that I feel like
almost is cool now okay let me ask you a
question this pronunciation okay so I’ve
written acts on this card but the it’s
asked ASX let me ask okay so this let me
which we talked about in a previous
video which is short for left me I’ve
contracted it here to the very casual
lemme but I’ve used lemme here because
this is this is typically said in a very
very casual setting let me ask you a
question but the pronunciation of ask
should not be acts it’s asked let me ask
you a question I want to ask you
something it’s not
ask-ask yeah this one again so like
lemme lemme is okay I think most people
say lemme I think that’s okay but for
some reason acts I think a lot of these
just are not even close at all
let me when you say it really fast it
sounds like lemme let me write but when
you say acts it’s just totally wrong
it’s reversing the the consonants in the
word asked right it’s not faster you’re
not making it quicker you’re not
slurring or making you know putting it
into one little like fluid blob it’s
just you just switch the two yeah
similarly I hear this with the word
asterisk as well the little star that’s
on like the number eight on your
keyboard or whatever that this looking
thing it’s not an actress or what I
don’t even know it’s asterisk so over
pronunciation so this one is kind of the
opposite direction so this whole time
we’ve been kind of nitpicking when you
use the incorrect version of a word I
think over pronunciation can also be
equally as damaging but instead of
making you look stupid it makes you look
pretentious so for example we don’t say
in English we don’t use all of the
syllables with chocolate so it’s cha
like when you spell it
chocolate wait chocolate right and so
like maybe in Spanish or something like
that they would still say that like
chocolate they’re something whatever but
with English we took it out and so even
though you still spell all of those
syllables native speakers now say
chocolate chocolate or like comfortable
come for bull that’s how it’s spelled
but native English speakers we say
comforter bull and this is like now it’s
it’s I think it’s like unanimous so
maybe when it becomes when slang becomes
so popular that it’s part of the new
language it’s the language is now
evolved if you don’t go with the flow
even though it’s incorrect I think you
sound pretentious that’s a great one I
like that a lot
all right I’m gonna wrap it up I have to
actually I’ll just I think I can do them
quickly though do you have any more by
the way no no okay then I’ll go quickly
these are to the left my last two are
just a couple that my students actually
struggle with so maybe this this is
something that you can work on as well
this one just an example sentence
want to go to there I’ve underlined the
word too here we use the word too when
we’re talking about a specific city or a
specific country like I want to go to
New York I want to go to Europe but
there is not a specific location I want
to go to there is not a specific place
so we you don’t need to use to in this
sentence I want to go there it’s
perfectly fine so this is a mistake that
non-native speakers it seems seem to
make from time to time perhaps okay and
then another one that I’ve heard a lot
recently is this phrase in case of and
then a country so for example in case of
China in case of Egypt or whatever where
someone is trying to explain like the
political situation or a policy in that
country in case of in case of but
actually you don’t need to use case of
just in China in Europe in Japan
whatever you don’t need to use case of
this pattern in case of is used for like
an emergency situation or used to talk
about alternate plans often to do with
weather so for example in case of rain
the event will be canceled or in case of
tornado please go to your nearest
evacuation center I don’t know something
like that so it’s used for like an
emergency situation it’s not used to
talk about policies in the country it’s
just use in plus the place it’s much
better much more natural so those are a
few things that I’ve noticed that
non-native speakers struggle with
sometimes so perhaps they’ll be helpful
for you as well so thanks very much for
watching if you have a bad habit that
you’ve noticed when you’re speaking
English or if you’ve noticed about habit
and somebody else in their English
speaking or their writing or whatever
please leave it in the comments and
let’s compare it might be interesting to
see if there are any other things that
people tend to struggle with thanks very
much for watching this episode and we
will see you again soon bye
[Music]
you