Happy English Podcast

Bored. Boring. Two simple words, right? But this is something that a lot of people mix up all the time. Like, if the party wasn't so good, is it, “I’m boring,” or “I’m bored”? And what about if someone says, that teacher is so boring. If you’ve ever been confused about this, don’t worry - you’re not alone. So let's dive into this today!

The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Build your vocabulary with my free Vocabulary Workshop
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🎥 Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts

🌐 Learn more about my English lessons and courses
https://www.myhappyenglish.com

Borrow. Lend. Rent. Lease. Four simple words, right? But it seems like it's easy to mix these up. Is it , can you lend me a pen? Or can you borrow me... wait... can I borrow. So what IS the difference? When can we use borrow, lend, rent, and lease? And how do we actually use these in everyday English?

If you need help with this vocabulary, you've come to the right place. Because that’s what we’re going to look at today.

The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Build your vocabulary with my free Vocabulary Workshop
https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

🎥 Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts

🌐 Learn more about my English lessons and courses
https://www.myhappyenglish.com

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to Speak Naturally in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every week with a quick one-point lesson to help you improve your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation.

Today, let’s look at another very common sound change in American English:  “don’t you.” In everyday American English, we usually pronounce don'y you as don-cha. 

That’s because when the T sound and the Y sound come together, they blend into a CH sound. And the OO of you becomes UH. So... don’t you becomes don-cha
Don’t you know that? becomes Don-cha know that?
Don’t you want to go? becomes Don-cha wanna go?
Don’t you remember? becomes Don-cha remember?

Let’s practice. Repeat after me: Don-cha know that?         Don-cha wanna go?       Don-cha remember?

Nice and smooth - don-cha. Using this kind of linking makes your English smoother and more natural.

Hey, thanks for listening! And remember to follow and subscribe so you won’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Speak Naturally in a Minute.  Until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Build your vocabulary with my free Vocabulary Workshop
https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

🎥 Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts

🌐 Learn more about my English lessons and courses
https://www.myhappyenglish.com

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to English Tips in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every week with a short, simple tip to help you speak English more naturally and confidently. 

Today, let’s look at a really common conversational phrase - “the thing is…”
We use the thing is when we want to explain a situation or give a reason, especially when there’s a problem, a limitation, or something we need to clarify. It’s very similar to here’s the thing, but a little softer and more casual.

For example, someone might ask:  “Why didn’t you come to the party?”  You could say: “The thing is, I wasn’t feeling well.”

Or maybe you’re explaining a situation:  “The thing is, I already made other plans.”

We often use this phrase when we want to be honest, but also polite. It helps soften what we’re about to say.

Remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s English Tips in a Minute. Hey, thanks for listening - and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Build your vocabulary with my free Vocabulary Workshop
https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

🎥 Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts

🌐 Learn more about my English lessons and courses
https://www.myhappyenglish.com

Do you ever feel like people use the word like all the time… and you’re not really sure why? You hear things like, “I was like…” “It was like…” “He’s like, 50…” and sometimes it feels like that word is everywhere. So if you’re wondering - what does like actually mean in these situations, or, how can I use like like that, you’ve come to the right place. By the end of the podcast English lesson, you’ll learn several practical ways you can use like.

The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Build your vocabulary with my free Vocabulary Workshop
https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

🎥 Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts

🌐 Learn more about my English lessons and courses
https://www.myhappyenglish.com