Do you have this problem? When you talk about habits in English, you might use the same grammar again and again?  Things like, “I eat breakfast at 7,” or “I go to bed late,” or “I work on Saturdays.” Those sentences are correct - no problem there. But if you always talk about habits that way, your English can start to sound a little flat or mechanical. The good news is, native speakers actually use several different expressions to talk about habits, depending on how strong the habit is, how they feel about it, or whether it’s something now or from the past. 

Today, we’re going to look at four very common and very natural ways native speakers talk about habits in everyday conversation. And as we go, I’ll show you how each one sounds a little different, even though they’re all talking about repeated actions. Let’s dive in.

Do you want to learn more phrasal verbs? My new 8-week course Speak Naturally with Phrasal Verbs starts January 8. 2026. Join us here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/snpv
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
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Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to Speak Naturally in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Sunday with a quick one-point lesson to help you improve your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. And if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.

Since this is the first lesson of this series in the new year, let’s try something different today. Now, I want to practice with you. Today’s tip is shadowing - one of the fastest ways to improve your American English pronunciation. Shadowing means listening to a native speaker and copying them at the same time - kinda like singing along, but with speaking. We’ll try it right now. I’ll say a sentence twice. First, just listen. Then the second time, shadow me - speak with me at the same time. Ready? Here we go.

Sentence 1 - reduction + linking: “I’m tryin’ uh learn more English.”
(Again for shadowing:) “I’m tryin’ uh learn more English.”
Sentence 2 - tiny W: “Doowit again.”
(Shadow:) “Doowit again.”
Sentence 3 - connected speech: “Whaddaya wanna do today?”
(Shadow:) “Whaddaya wanna do today?”

Shadowing helps you pick up natural reductions, linking, and rhythm without memorizing rules. Just copy the sound - your mouth will learn the pattern.

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

Do you want to learn more phrasal verbs? My new 8-week course Speak Naturally with Phrasal Verbs starts January 8. 2026. Join us here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/snpv
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup
I edited the "ding" sound effect, which came from CambridgeBayWeather https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ding_Dong_Bell.ogg, is used here for educational purposes

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to English Tips in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Saturday with a short, simple tip to help you speak English more naturally and confidently. And if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.

Today, let’s look at a really natural expression you’ll hear a lot at the beginning of the year - “start off on the right foot.” We use the idiom, start off on the right foot to mean begin something in a good, positive, or successful way.

• Like, when it’s the first day back at work this year, your coworker might say: “I want to start the year off on the right foot.”
• Or when you decide to remodel the kitchen, you can say: “Let’s start off on the right foot and keep everything organized from the beginning.”
• We also use this phrase to talk about relationships: Like, Jack started off on the right foot with his new neighbors.

It’s positive, it’s friendly, and it’s perfect for January when everyone is thinking about goals, routines, and fresh starts. Start off on the right foot is a natural way to say you want to begin something well - whether it’s a new year, a new job, or even a new habit.

Lemme know in the comments how you’re planning to start your year off on the right foot, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next Saturday’s English Tips in a Minute. Hey, thanks for listening - and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

To help you stick to your English learning goals in the new year, I created a brand-new 8-week phrasal verb course to help you speak more naturally. It starts on January 8th (this Thursday):
https://www.myhappyenglish.com/snpv

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

Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Hey there! It’s Michael here, and welcome back to Phrasal Verbs in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Friday with a quick one-point lesson to help you learn a new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak. By the way, if you want to see the video version of this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.

Today’s phrasal verb is perfect for the new year - kick off. When you kick off something, it means you start it in an energetic or official way. We use kick of for events, projects, meetings, and even new habits or goals.

• Like, my friend Emma kicked of2026 by joining a new gym.
• A lot of companies kick off events with a big team meeting.
• And me? I’m kicking off the new year with a fresh batch of podcast English lessons like this one.

And here’s a pronunciation tip: kick off sounds like kik-koff. The K at the end of kick links with off. That makes the sound smooth.

So how about you? How are you kicking off the new year? Maybe with a new hobby, a new routine, or a new goal for learning English?

Let me know in the comments, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Phrasal Verbs in a Minute.  Hey, thanks for listening - and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

I’m starting a small live English group next week focused on speaking with phrasal verbs.
Keeping it small so everyone can talk. Join us here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/snpv

Have you ever found yourself using “I think” a little too much when giving your opinion? Like, “I think that’s a good idea,” “I think we should try it,” “I think he’s right.” It’s a good expression - clear and direct - but maybe… a little too common? Well, the good news is, in English we’ve got a few more natural and interesting ways to share your thoughts.

Today, we’re gonna look at how native speakers casually express their opinions - not just with “I think,” but with a few other really natural, common phrases. And I’ll show you how we use each of them in daily conversation. Sound good? I’d say it does. 

Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to Speak Naturally in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Sunday with a quick one-point lesson to help you improve your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation.  And if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.
Now, in everyday spoken American English, when a word ends with an “ee” sound and the next word starts with a vowel sound, we often connect those sounds with a very small, quick Y sound.
I call this the tiny Y.
Like, see it. We don’t stop the sound, and in one breath we say, see-yit. It’s not see. it. It’s see-yit. Like, That movie? I’m gonna see-yit tomorrow. Did you hear the tiny y? I’m gonna see-yit tomorrow. 
Here are some other examples:  
She is sounds like she-yiz. She-yiz the boss.
We are sounds like we-yar. We-yar happy to see you!
Many apples  sounds like meni-yapples. There are meni-yapples on the table.
This tiny Y keeps the flow smooth and natural. Be sure to practice these phrases yourself this week and they will become part of your English.
And remember to follow and subscribe so you won’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next Sunday’s Speak Naturally in a Minute. Hey, thanks for listening! Until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to English Tips in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Saturday with a short, simple tip to help you speak English more naturally and confidently. And if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.

Today, let’s look at a really natural phrase you’ll hear in everyday English - “to this day.” We use to this day to mean until now, usually when something began in the past and is still true today. To this day often shows strong feelings - surprise, wonder, and even admiration.

• Like, I first saw Casablanca when I was in my twenties, and to this day, it’s still my favorite movie.”
• Our relationship ended over 25 years ago, but to this day, I don’t know why she broke up with me.

You’ll hear the phrase to this day a lot in stories, interviews, and even documentaries, because it connects the past and present in a simple, powerful way. So try using to this day in your English conversations this week. 

Lemme know in the comments how it goes, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next Saturday’s English Tips in a Minute. Hey, thanks for listening - and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Today’s phrasal verb is luck out. When you luck out, it means you have really good luck - usually by chance. Something goes much better than you expected, and you didn’t have to do anything special. It just happened.

• For example, this morning I lucked out and found a parking spot right in front of the station.
• And my friend Jake lucked out last week - he got the last two tickets to a concert that had been sold out for days.
• And yesterday, I lucked out at the supermarket… strawberries were half price!

Here’s a pronunciation tip: luck out sounds like luk-kout. The K at the end of luck connects with out.
So how about you? When was the last time you lucked out?

Let me know in the comments, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Phrasal Verbs in a Minute. Hey, thanks for listening. And until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Thanks for tuning in! So… why are you listening to this podcast? Maybe it’s so that you can improve your English? Or in order to sound more natural? Or just to have fun learning something today? Well, whether you said so that, in order to, or to, you were talking about the purpose of doing something.

And that’s what these expressions are all about - showing the reason or goal behind an action.

Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Have you ever gone somewhere… and then realized you should’ve been somewhere else? Or maybe you went somewhere, and now you’re trying to explain that… but the grammar just won’t come out right. Don’t worry - this happens to a lot of English learners. So today, we’re going to clear it all up.

Went, Been, Gone. Yeah - I know. These words all seem similar, and sometimes even native speakers mix them up. But there is a pattern. There is a logic behind when we use went, gone, and been. So today, I’m gonna break it down for you in a clear, simple way - with a bunch of examples to make it all stick.

Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to Speak Naturally in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Sunday with a quick one-point lesson to help you improve your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. And if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.

Now, in everyday spoken American English, we often connect vowel sounds with a very small, quick W sound. I call this the tiny W. The tiny W happens when when one word ends with an “oo” sound and the next word begins with a vowel sound. Like, do it. We don’t stop the sound, and in one breath we say, doo-wit. It’s not do it, it’s doo-wit. I’m gonna doo-wit tomorrow. Did you hear the tiny w? I’m gonna doo-wit tomorrow. 

Here are some other examples:  

• You are sounds like yoo-wahr. Yoo-wahr a nice person. 
• Who else sounds like hoo-welse. Hoo-welse is coming to the party?
• To ask sounds like too-wask. You need too-wask the boss.

Be sure to practice these phrases yourself this week and they will become part of your English. 
And remember to follow and subscribe so you won’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next Sunday’s Speak Naturally in a Minute. Hey, thanks for listening! Until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to English Tips in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Saturday with a short, simple tip to help you speak English more naturally and confidently. And if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.

Today, let’s look at a really useful expression for telling stories - “the next thing I knew.” We use the next thing I knew when something happens quickly or unexpectedly, especially in a story. It’s another way to say “and then suddenly…” or “after that…”

• Like, “I sat down on the sofa to rest, and the next thing I knew, I fell asleep.”
• Or: “I was looking at instagram on my phone, and the next thing I knew, it was after midnight.”

We use this expression to show a jump in time - like your story skips ahead to the next big moment.
So remember, if you want to make your storytelling more natural and dramatic, try using “the next thing I knew.” It brings your story to life.

Lemme know in the comments how it goes, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next Saturday’s English Tips in a Minute. Hey, thanks for listening - and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.
 
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Hey there! It’s Michael here, and welcome back to Phrasal Verbs in a Minute from Happy English.
I’m here every Friday with a quick one-point lesson to help you learn a new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak. By the way, if you want to see the video version of this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.

Today’s phrasal verb is chew out. When you chew someone out, it means you scold them strongly - usually because they did something wrong or made a big mistake. It’s a very informal, very American way to say “tell someone off.”

• Like yesterday in the office, my manager chewed out the team because the report wasn’t finished on time.
• And my friend Olivia got chewed out by her mom for coming home too late.
• Even I got chewed out once - I forgot to reply to an important email, and the client was not happy.

Here’s a pronunciation tip: chew out sounds like choo-wout. The W sound in chew links with out.

So how about you? Has anyone ever chewed you out - or maybe you had to chew someone out?
Let me know in the comments, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Phrasal Verbs in a Minute.
 
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Have you ever been in this situation? You’re venting to a friend about having a long and tough day, and your friend’s response is  something like, Yeah, I hear you.”  That little phrase - "I hear you"- has nothing to do with your friend's ears. 
So - let’s talk about those moments when someone is telling you about a bad day, a tough situation, or something that’s just not going well. You want to respond in a way that shows you care, right? That you’re listening. That you understand. There are actually a bunch of phrases like that in everyday English that help you sound more natural when someone is complaining, venting, or just needs to feel heard. That’s what we’re going to look at today!

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

Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to Speak Naturally in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Sunday with a quick one-point lesson to help you improve your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation.  And if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.

Sometimes, in everyday spoken American English,  we use stress, to show meaning. That means saying certain words louder or stronger to give emphasis in a sentence. A great example of this is when we use do or did for emphasis. When we really want to strongly confirm something, we put the stress on do or did. 

• Like if someone says, how come you didn’t finish that report? You can say “I did finish the report.” And I sent it to you.
• Or if you got a bad grade on an exam, and someone accuses you of not studying. You can tell them, “I did study. That was just a really tough exam”
• Or maybe someone has the wrong idea about you. Like if your friend says, “we can’t go to that new sushi place, because Michael doesn’t like sushi. You can say, “I do like sushi.”

When you use do or did this way, the meaning becomes stronger and clearer. That’s how native speakers show emphasis.  So next time you want to correct someone or strongly confirm something, try saying things like, “I did do it.” OR “I do wanna do it.”  That’s the music of natural American English.

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

Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to English Tips in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Saturday with a short, simple tip to help you speak English more naturally and confidently. And by the way, if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.

Today, let’s look at a really natural conversational expression - “sure enough.” Sure enough means, “as expected.” We use sure enough to talk about something that happened exactly the way we thought it would.

• Like,  “I was wondering if Jack would come late to the meeting - and sure enough, he did.”
• And yesterday, on the way to the bakery, I was wondering if they would still have sesame bagels left, and when I got there, sure enough, they were sold out. 
• Here’s one more. The weather looked iffy all morning and sure enough, it started pouring during lunch.

Again, sure enough is not negative or positive. It just means, “Yep… that’s exactly what I thought would happen.”


Try using this phrase in one of your English conversations this week. And hey - sure enough, I think you’re gonna sound even more natural when you do. Lemme know in the comments how it goes, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next Saturday’s English Tips in a Minute. Hey, thanks for listening - and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.  

Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Hey there! It’s Michael here, and welcome back to Phrasal Verbs in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Friday with a quick one-point lesson to help you learn a new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak. By the way, if you want to see the video version of this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.

Today’s phrasal verb is bang out. When you bang something out, it means you produce it quickly - often a lot of it - without spending too much time on perfect details. It’s all about speed and getting things done fast.

• Like, the other day, I had so many emails to answer that I just banged them out one after another.
• And in my neighborhood, my friend Atsuko bangs out a lot of bagels at her bakery Cocon.
• Yesterday, I banged out a quick pasta dish using whatever I had in the fridge.

And here’s a pronunciation tip: The G at the end of bang links with out. So it sounds like ban-gout
So how about you? What’s something you can bang out quickly - homework, ideas, or maybe dinner?
Let me know in the comments, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Phrasal Verbs in a Minute.  Hey, thanks for listening. And until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

You know, English is funny sometimes. We’ve got a ton of verbs that go with “to + verb” - like want to do, like to do, plan to do - and most of them just talk about an action, right? I want to go. I like to cook. I plan to travel. That’s easy.  But! There are some verb + to do combinations that have a special meaning - a nuance - a deeper idea behind them. And that’s what we’re going to look at today.

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

Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

So, the other day, I was on the phone with my friend Ed. We had plans to meet at 1pm, and it was already 1:15. I said, "It’s time to go." And he goes, "It’s about time!" Ha! You ever hear that phrase? "It’s about time"? What does that even mean? Well, today, we’re going to talk about how to use a bunch of conversational phrases with “It’s time” in English. 

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Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to Speak Naturally in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Sunday with a quick one-point lesson to help you improve your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation.  And if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.

Today, let’s continue our discussion of reduction in American English, you know, when we shorten or soften sounds when we speak. Can’t you, Aren’t you, and ain;t you are usually pronounced as can’cha, aren’cha, and ain’cha

• When we say can’t you, the T of can’t blends with the Y of you. Can’t you becomes can’cha.  “Can’cha see that?,”  “Can’cha hear me?,”  “Can’cha stay a little longer?”
• And when we say aren’t you, the T in aren’t also blends with the Y of you. Aren’t you becomes aren’cha. “Aren’cha coming to the party?,” “Aren’cha ready?” “Aren’cha going home soon?”
• And finally, It’s the same with ain’t you. The T in ain’t also blends with the Y of you. Ain’t you becomes ain’cha. “Ain’cha coming to the party?,” “Ain’cha ready?” “Ain’cha gonna tell me?”

Can’cha, aren’cha and ain’cha. This is how it goes in spoken American English.  They help the rhythm stay smooth and make the whole sentence easier to say.

And if you want to sound more natural yourself, try using them in casual conversation. Hey, thanks for listening! And remember to follow and subscribe so you won’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next Sunday’s Speak Naturally in a Minute.  Until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts
Build Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup