MOST EMBARRASSING English Mistakes! (Not for Kids!)

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