Spoken English
Many learners sound stiff not because their English is poor, but because they are speaking written English aloud.
Spoken English is a different dialect
Real speech is full of things that would be marked wrong in an examination: unfinished sentences, repetitions, contractions, and words like well, actually and you know that carry no meaning at all.
These are not errors. They are how the language is spoken, and using them is what makes speech sound natural rather than recited.
Written English and spoken English
| Written | Spoken | Note |
|---|---|---|
| I do not know. | I don't know. | Contractions are normal in speech. Not using them sounds formal or emphatic. |
| I would like to go. | I'd like to go. | I'd, you'd, he'd, we'd are all ordinary in speech. |
| Yes, I have. | Yeah. / Mm-hm. | Short responses are normal and not rude. |
| That is correct. | That's right. | Speech prefers the shorter, commoner word. |
| I am unable to attend. | I can't make it. | Everyday speech uses phrasal verbs constantly. |
| Could you repeat that? | Sorry, what was that? | Both are polite. The second is more natural in conversation. |
| It is very good. | It's really good. | Really is far commoner than very in speech. |
| I disagree. | Hmm, I'm not sure about that. | English speakers often disagree indirectly. |
Fillers and what they are for
Well…, Actually…, You know…, I mean…, Right…, So… These words carry almost no meaning, and yet fluent speech is full of them.
They exist to give the speaker a moment to think without falling silent, and to soften what comes next. Well… before a disagreement makes it gentler. Actually… signals that you are about to correct something.
Use a few. Do not use them in every sentence. They are the seasoning, not the meal.
Phrasal verbs: the vocabulary of speech
Spoken English prefers a common verb plus a small word to a single formal one. Learning thirty phrasal verbs will make you sound far more natural than learning three hundred long words.
- find out (discover) — I'll find out and let you know.
- put off (postpone) — They've put off the meeting.
- get on with (continue, or have a good relationship) — We get on with each other well.
- turn up (arrive, often unexpectedly) — He turned up an hour late.
- look after (take care of) — Could you look after the shop for an hour?
- give up (stop trying) — Don't give up now.
- work out (calculate, or end well) — It worked out in the end.
- come across (find by chance) — I came across an old photograph.
- sort out (resolve) — We'll sort it out tomorrow.
- take over (assume control) — She's taking over the department.
When to keep it formal
Spoken informality belongs in conversation, not everywhere. In a job interview, a formal presentation or a serious complaint, use fewer contractions, fewer fillers and more complete sentences.
The skill is not choosing one register and staying in it. It is being able to move between them, and knowing which the situation calls for.