This lesson is not for kids so if you're a child stop watching
Okay we're all adults here? Perfect let's start
A long time ago a student of mine was telling me about a really bad experience he had
but he made a really embarrassing mistake. See if you can find it
Today's lesson is about how to avoid really embarrassing mistakes in English
Here's the thing: All of these mistakes, they're really common!
Like I've heard them so many times from all of my students
so let's fix this!
Don't say these things!
Firstly "I fisted him"
So when your hand is in this shape this is a "fist"
That's a noun, but as a verb it means something very different. It's the thing in sex...
Google is your friend just google it
So as a noun, this is a fist don't use it as a verb unless you're talking about sex
Some sex, not everyone does it, I mean maybe you do it! I'm not saying you like it
Maybe you DO like it and that's fine! Just I mean...
Oh dear
Anyway, this action, that's a punch
that's a verb and a noun
so if you're talking about fighting
that action is a punch
"I punched him" "He punched me"
"He threw a punch" if you want to use the noun
Ah wow that was embarrassing when I told him what fist was as a verb
That was very embarrassing
also number two the word "embarrassing"
No, more specifically, the word "embarrassed"
Its false friend from Spanish is embarazado/a
embarrassed
they look similar, they sound similar, but they mean very different things
That is what we call a "false friend"
Because in Spanish "embarazado/a" means "Pregnant"
not "embarrassed" so make sure you learn the difference
So if you're Spanish and you tell your boyfriend
"Oh my god I have something to tell you I am embarrassed!"
and your boyfriend is like
"Oh really don't worry let's go out and fix that!"
Yeah very useful to know the difference
tits and teeth
You have really nice tits!
You're tits! Very clean!
This is a very common pronunciation mistake so
This is your tooth one tooth the plural of tooth is teeth
You need to make sure you pronounce that "TH" sound in "Teeth"
You have very nice teeth
Practice that "TH" sound until it's perfect
If it's still difficult for you
Don't worry, I actually made a few videos about the "TH" sound
click there to see those
cock and coke
I'm so hot! I need a cold cock in my hands! I'll rub it on my face, make me feel good
This is the difference between /ɒ/ and /əʊ/
in "cock" it's one short sound
/ɒ/ like hot, not, got
but the mouth changes shape for the /əʊ/ in coke
it's the same sound that you hear in home, go, phone
it's this sound /əʊ/
and you can hear two different sounds your mouth must change shape to produce both of those sounds
To compare:
beach and bitch
A classic! so let's correct this very famous pronunciation mistake in just three easy steps
Now some teachers say it's very easy, this is a short sound this is a long sound
and just smile when you pronounce this
It's more than that, for example:
"Bitch" yes it's a short sound, but if you make that longer...
"Biiiitch" it just sounds like you're being sarcastic
It sounds really emphasized! "BIIIIIITCH!"
Step 1: Yes smiling can help you pronounce the /ɪː/ sound more easily
Step 2: Think of your tongue position
For /ɪ/ bitch your jaw and your tongue are relaxed
But with /ɪː/ your jaw and your tongue have to come up there is tension in the tongue
when you pronounce /ɪː/ this means there's not much space in the mouth
This creates a higher pitch, that's what you need
Hear the difference my tongue will be down and relaxed
and then go up and have more tension have a listen:
Step 3: Even if you have the perfect /ɪː/ sound,
It might still sound like "bitch" why?
Well the way you finish the sound at the end of the word
that can ruin everything
so they both finish with a glottal stop
the airway closes making that sound
That's a glottal stop
But with "Beach" be very careful
your tongue should not touch anything
should not touch the top of your mouth
on this one however, yes your tongue will hit the top of your mouth
that's the difference
even if this sound is perfect
if your tongue touches the top of your mouth at the end of the word
It will always sound like "bitch"
Have a listen:
See it sounds like you're saying bitch in a weird way
So don't let your tongue touch anything on the top of your mouth
when you pronounce this word
See my tongue is loose no
Okay things that you might hear and think
"Oh my god did they just say that? that's so rude!"
Maybe that sentence in your language sounds rude, but in English it's fine
Oh my god you're so cute I could eat you!
Now I know in some languages to eat someone means to have sex with them
but not in English, no. In English we say this
when something is really really cute
so we say it for babies, puppies, kittens, or
if someone's wearing a costume. I don't know
If someone looks very very cute, adorable!
Sometimes, even, we might add
"oh my god you're so cute I could just eat you with a spoon!"
Again nothing sexual it just means you're very cute
if someone asks you "How did something go?" or to describe a person
"That sucked!"
The verb "to suck" means this
That action, but if we say that something sucked or someone sucked
It only means that they were terrible, awful! Maybe it's boring!
and we can say a person sucks
or a situation sucked
ah "He sucked!" "She sucked!" "It sucked"
but it doesn't mean what you're thinking it means, no!
So take your mind out of the toilet
Clean your mind put your mind back in your head
we're just saying that that person or that situation was terrible was awful
"To be hot" Now if I say
"Oh my god I'm so hot!"
I'm talking about the temperature
I'm very warm I'm sweating the temperature is high today, I'm hot
But "hot" can mean sexually attractive very sexually attractive
Like "Damn she's hot!"
or like
in some languages to say that someone's hot can mean that they really want sex right now
But in English, no
In English to say that you really want to have sex right now, you say that you are "horny", not "hot"
Have there been other embarrassing mistakes that you've made?
Let me know in the comments and I'll include them in a future video
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See you in the next class! And this weekend try not to get embarrassed