How-is-it-going?

What-do-you-think?

I-don't-know.

These are a few conversational phrases you hear frequently in American English.

Yet, when you hear a native speaker use these phrases, they don't quite sound the way you might expect, based on looking at the written words.

What...

Consider this sentence:

Terror gripped her heart as she peered into the mirror- the horror of the days events apparent in her reflection.

Do you feel an inkling of terror at the thought of speaking this sentence out loud?

This sentence is heavy on the R sounds and these sounds are challenging for...

The other day my son comes to me and asks:

"How do you say this, mom?"

And he points to "GIF" on his tablet screen.

"Well, buddy, that's a tricky one," I shared. "There's actually a wide debate!"

So we begin discussing the Letter G and how it's pronounced differently in different words,...

I LOVE chocolate chip cookies.

All other cookies could disappear off the face of the earth forever and I wouldn’t bat an eye but take away my chocolate chip? Never!!

The kids and I made some chocolate chip cookies (or CCCs as we call them  ) over the weekend. It had been awhile...

The letter C can be a little tricky.

Sometimes is sounds like /s/ as in "decide" and "cycle."

Other times it sounds like /k/ as in "cut"and "account."

The good news is, there is actually a pattern that is very consistent that helps you to know when the letter C will sound like /s/ and when...

Where were you?

Were you here?

Just this past week, one of my students in The Clear English Academy brought these words to my attention.

These words look so similar! There each have the "e-r-e" spelling pattern, but in each word, these letters sound different.

Just another example how...

"Fifty, nifty United States from thirteen original colonies; Fifty, nifty stars on the flag that billows so beautifully in the breeze!"

These are the first lines of a song I learned and LOVED way back in second grade. It's one of those that sticks with you. Even though I'm now 43, I...

Homophones are words that sound the same but have a different meaning, spelling or both!

Some homophones are pretty common and known, such as too/two or there/their.

Others homophones are more surprising. 

In this lesson, we'll practice 15 pairs you may not be aware of so you...

**Click here to grab the practice PDF that goes along with this lesson.**

Sometimes you just need to spell things out. L-I-T-E-R-A-L-L-Y.

Especially when sharing personal information like your name or address. Especially when sharing this type of info over the phone.

...

Last week, I helped student in The Clear English Academy who had a vowel stuck in her nose!

Not quite the same amount of drama as that time when I was 8 and my cousin Mitch got a pea stuck up his nose... 

But still something that needs attention!

In this lesson, I'll show you how...