914 - Sunday Speak - Ya Didja Whaddaya - Connected Speech In American English

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Sunday Speak. I’m here every Sunday with a quick one-point tip to help you speak English more naturally. Now, In spoken American English, we often connect words together, and when we do, the sounds change. That’s called connected speech. You’ll hear it all the time in words and phrases like ya, didja, and whaddaya.So instead of saying “Do you”, Americans usually say “d’ya” or just “ya.” “Do you like sushi?” → “D’ya like sushi?” or “Ya like sushi?”Instead of “Did you”, we say “didja.” “Did you see that movie?” → “Didja see that movie?”And instead of “What do you,” we say “whaddaya.” “What do you think?” → “Whaddaya think?” “What do you mean?” → “Whaddaya mean?”This kind of connected speech makes English sound smoother and faster — the way people really talk. So next time you listen to native speakers, try to catch those little sound changes. Ya hear ’em? That’s connected speech!Thanks for listening. And remember to like, follow, and subscribe so you won’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Sunday Speak. Until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE 

Hey there! It’s Michael here, and welcome back to another Happy English Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English better.Today, let’s look at two really common and super natural phrases you’ll hear in everyday English: “You know what?” and “Guess what?” We use both of these when we want to grab someone’s attention - usually before we share some news, an idea, or an opinion. They make your speech sound lively and conversational and they’re kind of like how we say, “Hey, listen to this!”Like:  “You know what? I think I’m finally getting used to this cool weather.” Or: “You know what? I’ve decided to start going to the gym again.”And guess what? is even more playful. We use it when we’re excited to share news or something surprising. Like:  “Guess what? I passed my driving test!”  Or:  “Guess what? My favorite band is coming to Japan!”When you use you know what or guess what, your tone matters. Both phrases sound best with energy and a rising intonation - it builds a little excitement before you say your news. So remember...you know what and guess what, are great for starting a story, sharing good news, or giving an opinion in a fun, natural way. And you know what? I think you’re gonna sound even more fluent when you start using these in your conversations!Oh, and don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Saturday Short. Thanks for listening - and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE 

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English, Phrasal Verb Friday.  I’m here every Friday with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you learn a new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak.Today’s phrasal verb is buckle down. When you buckle down, it means you start working seriously and with focus — especially after being a bit lazy or distracted. You stop wasting time and get things done. And we tend to say, buckle down and DO somerthing.Like my buddy Kevin. He was having fun all summer, but now that classes started, he really needs to buckle down and study.Or my coworker Amy — she had a big project deadline coming up, so she buckled down this week and finished everything on time.And me? I’ll be honest — I’ve been putting off updating my website, but this weekend I’m gonna buckle down and finally get it done.So how about you? Is there something you need to buckle down and do — maybe work, study, or a personal goal? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Phrasal Verb Friday. Thanks for listening — and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE 

I suggest you listen carefully to this podcast. And if you’re with a friend right now, I suggest he listen carefully as well. Or she listen carefully. I mean, if I were you, I’d definitely stick around for this one.Today we’re diving into a part of English grammar that doesn’t follow the usual rules - but native speakers use it all the time without thinking twice. Especially in American English. It’s called the subjunctive mood - and while that might sound technical or tricky, it’s actually pretty simple once you know how it works. So today, I’ll walk you through four common ways we use the subjunctive - all with real-life, everyday examples.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE 

Hey, let me ask you a question - have you ever made a decision… and then later thought, “Oh man, I shouldn’t have done that”? Or maybe you’ve thought, “If only I had done it differently.” Yeah. That, my friend, is regret - and we all feel it sometimes. Regret is one of those universal emotions - something everyone experiences. And in English, we’ve got a few really natural and emotional ways to talk about it. So today, I’ll show you how to use phrases like “I should have,” “I wish I had,” and “If only I had” - plus some everyday expressions people use when they mess up. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE 

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to another Happy English Sunday Speak. I’m here every Sunday with a quick one-point tip to help you speak English more naturally.Now, in American English, there’s a special sound we make with the letter T. It’s called the flap T, and it sounds kind of like a soft D sound. You’ll hear it in words like better, water, and pretty. So instead of saying “BET-ter,” “WAH-ter,” and “PRIT-ty,” Americans usually say “BEH-der,” “WAH-der,”  and “PRI-dee.” This sound happens when the T comes between two vowel sounds — like the a and e in water, or the i and y in city. Let me give you some sentences to practice this:  “I feel better today.” → “I feel beh-der today.” “We had a pretty nice day in the city.” → We had a pri-dee nice day in the sih-dy.” “Can I get a glass of water?” → “Can I gedda glass of wah-der?”This flap T sound makes your English smoother and more natural — just like how most Americans really speak. Thanks for listening. And remember to like, follow, and subscribe so you won’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Sunday Speak. Until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE 

Hey there! It’s Michael here  -  and welcome back to another Happy English Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English better.Today, let’s look at a super common phrase you’ll hear in everyday English: “You know what I mean?” We use you know what I mean? to seek agreement or to check if the other person understands us. It’s kind of like soft tag questions, like isn’t it? that keeps the conversation friendly and connected.Like, in the office, you might say: “There’s something strange about the new marketing manager, you know what I mean?” OR  “That meeting felt way too long, you know what I mean?”And on a rainy Monday, “Man, this weather makes me so sleepy, you know what I mean?”Again, when you say you know what I mean, you’re not really asking for information. You’re just trying to connect what you’re thinking with the other person. It makes your English sound more relaxed, natural, and conversational. And here’s a quick pronunciation tip  -  in real life, we often say it like this: “Y’know what I mean?” Go ahead, try saying that out loud.So remember, you know what I mean? is a great way to show understanding, invite agreement, and sound more like a native speaker. You know what I mean?Oh, and don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Saturday Short. Thanks for listening  -  and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here:  https://www.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE 

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to another Happy English, Phrasal Verb Friday.  I’m here every Friday with a quick, one-poi nt English lesson to help you learn a new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak.Today’s phrasal verb is flake out.  When you flake out, it means you agree to do something - like meet up, help out, or join an event - but then you don’t show up or don’t follow through. Basically, you cancel or disappear at the last minute.Like last weekend. My friend Jake said he’d help me move the pianos,  but he totally flaked out.And then the next day, Jenny promised to come to dinner, but she flaked out and texted an hour before saying she was “too tired.”And honestly, I’ve flaked out before too, totally not something I’m proud of at all. And here’s a little pronunciation tip: flake out - flay-kout. The K sound at the end of flake connects right into out. Fla......kout.  flay-kout!So how about you? Has a friend ever flaked out on you? Or maybe you’ve flaked out on someone before? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Phrasal Verb Friday. Thanks for listening - and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE https://chatgpt.com/g/g-687344c0706c819184e8bda28d7582d9-ask-michael-your-english-teacher

Welcome - and by the way - thanks for stopping by today! I’ve been thinking… by is one of those little words that shows up everywhere in English.  It’s just two letters, but it does a lot of work. Today we’re gonna take a close look at by - and I think you’ll be surprised at how many different ways we use it. You’ve probably seen BY in phrases like “by the time I got there,” or “a book by Hemingway,” or even “I’ll finish it by Friday.”  Yeah - by is short, but powerful.  Time, location, who did something, how something happens… yep, by does it all.  So, let’s break it down - nice and easy.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE 

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought it’d be fun to do a little Halloween-themed English. So for the next three weeks, we’re going to dive into some spooky vocabulary, creepy idioms, and even take a look at how Halloween is celebrated in the U.S. Let’s kick it off today with something super useful - Halloween vocabulary!  Now, you might be thinking, “Michael, I’m not a fan of horror movies.” That’s totally fine!  But you know what? These words aren’t just for Halloween. Native speakers use them in everyday conversation  -  often in a humorous or exaggerated way. So let’s jump in before something…jumps out.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE