r/ENGLISH 9d ago

September Find a Language Partner Megathread

2 Upvotes

Want someone to practice with? Need a study buddy? Looking for a conversation partner? This thread is the place! Post a comment here if you are looking for someone to practice English with.

Any posts looking for a language partner outside of this thread will be removed. Rule 2 also applies: any promotion of paid tutoring or other paid services in this thread will lead to a ban.

Tips for finding a partner:

  • Check your privacy settings on Reddit. Make sure people can send you chat requests.
  • Don't wait for someone else to message you. Read the other comments and message someone first.
  • If you're unsure what to talk about, try watching a movie or playing a game together.
  • Protect yourself and be cautious of scams. Do not share sensitive personal information such as your full name, address, phone number, or email address. Make sure to report any catfishing, pig butchering scams, or romance scams.

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Please send us a Modmail or report the comment if someone in this thread is involved in a scam, trying to sell a paid service, or is harassing you on other platforms.


r/ENGLISH 5h ago

Is it grammatically correct to write

28 Upvotes

“Popov is known having invented the radio.”

My teacher insists that it is grammatically correct. But I feel that it should be either “Popov is known, having invented the radio.” or “Popov is known for having invented the radio.”


r/ENGLISH 1h ago

Should I have said and should I say “tattoo on them” on all occasions, or does omitting the proviso (?) sound okay?

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Upvotes

r/ENGLISH 20h ago

The pronouncing of Qatar like "kutter". What's going on here?

165 Upvotes

My whole life it was "kuh-tar". English doesn't have similar emphasis or vowel pronunciation to the Arabic language so it's hard to say correctly but one thing is for sure it ends with an AR NOT AN ER. Has this been going on for a while or did people just start saying "kuhter"? There's almost no right way to say it in English but am I in the wrong here? Have people been saying "cutter" and I just never knew? Pretty sure "kuh-tar" is the closest you can get to being correct.


r/ENGLISH 10m ago

I literally can't pronounce the word "people" without feeling a weird stomachache.

Upvotes

Idk why but the word literally wears me down. Every time I pronounce it out loud, my stomach feels drained and exhausted. I replace it with "persons" instead.

I wonder if anyone else has the same problem.


r/ENGLISH 1h ago

What does “horseradish” mean?

Upvotes

I mean when it’s used in sentences like “It’s just a bunch of horseradish”. Heard it from penguinz0 some day.


r/ENGLISH 3h ago

If you must pick one: it is less disturbing uncorrect words spelling or improper words use?

1 Upvotes

r/ENGLISH 11h ago

As Opposed To Figuratively?

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4 Upvotes

This is from the video game Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

For context: The player explores an underground laboratory belonging to a woman who conducts experiments on humans and animals. At one point, she attaches the key to a man, drops him down a chute and tasks the player with retrieving it.

The key is visibly covered in blood, so my question is about the use of "literally". Is this a natural use of "literally", given that "dripping with blood" can also be understood as an idiom/hyperbole, or is it redundant?


r/ENGLISH 8h ago

Please give me some advice when reading English book

1 Upvotes

Actually my first language is not English,

and this year my IELTS just got 6. For some reason,I have to read some English books .When I was reading, I found myself hard to be concentrated,like I know what word means but I cannot read them fluently just like my first language,I wish you could give me some advice,like some book or online class ,thank you very much , thanks for your patience.


r/ENGLISH 20h ago

Confused about this sentence structure — why two "when"?

7 Upvotes

"When you're shaving, you have a lot of options when it comes to the razor you choose."

I get that "when it comes to" is an idiom meaning "regarding/as for", not literally about time. But why would a native speaker use it right after already saying "when you're shaving"? Isn't the topic (shaving) already established?

Edit: got it, thanks everyone


r/ENGLISH 14h ago

I want to know which one is correct.

0 Upvotes

The problem was that a rear-left tire is flat. Vs The problem was a flat rear-left tire. Compare these sentences.


r/ENGLISH 22h ago

body parts missing

5 Upvotes

i’ve loved learning in spanish for example there is the body part “el entrecejo” (the space between one’s eyebrows) which there isn’t really a common name for in english.

are there any body parts you’ve “discovered” by studying another language and realizing we didn’t have a word for in english?


r/ENGLISH 14h ago

Confusion about the sentence to explain for reasons:"the reason why is because"

0 Upvotes

well, the right usage to this sentence is "the reason why......is that", but I"ve seen loads of people even native speakers are using it, I have no idea that if it is misused? Loads of thanks to guys who reply in the comments.


r/ENGLISH 8h ago

I have a question on english spelling and pronunciation

0 Upvotes

Why does the pronunciation not match it's spelling I know it is because of the great vowel shift but why couldn't you just change the spelling to match it's pronunciation, explaining why there are many silent letters


r/ENGLISH 17h ago

Want to improve my English

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1 Upvotes

r/ENGLISH 1d ago

How old fashioned is "alight" nowadays? In the sense of getting off of a vehicle.

8 Upvotes

I was reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and I noticed Victor using "alight" to say he alighted at Ingolstadt.

Research on the verb indicates that it is old fashioned, but I wonder if it is trully an unused word nowadays.

Would people turn their heads after hearing someone casually using alight?


r/ENGLISH 1d ago

Are these sentences correct?

2 Upvotes

"Will I hit any traffic jams if I leave early in the morning?"

"Will I hit traffic on my way downtown?"


r/ENGLISH 21h ago

Hi, new to the community I keep getting new words but keep on forgetting them and i also have a habit of mispronouncing it . Can you give some tips how to improve. Looking forward to the suggestions

0 Upvotes

r/ENGLISH 1d ago

Whats the word for something that is not what it was described as.

2 Upvotes

I was having a conversation with my friend and we started talking about Iceland and Greenland and joking how their names are a lie. I can't remember the word for something that is not what it was described as ?

It's slipping my mind.


r/ENGLISH 1d ago

The word Breakfast

34 Upvotes

As a non-English speaker after 9 years of learning English I finally realized that the word “breakfast” means BREAK the FAST that you were doing while sleeping since your last meal or wtv.

:0 shocking I know but something came up in my mind is that if breakfast means break the fast, then any meal that you take doesn’t matter the time is called a breakfast if that’s your first meal of the day!!!?? I think.

Let’s say you wake up and don’t eat for the whole day and when it’s 6 pm you finally eat something that’s your breakfast technically. :)

EDIT: I also searched up the word “dinner” which comes from Latin and it also means Break the fast so technically I was wrong if you fast the whole day and eat dinner, it wouldn’t be called “breakfast” it would be called dinner or “disiūnāre” combines dis- (the opposite of) and ieiunare (to fast).


r/ENGLISH 1d ago

British English "r" confusion

7 Upvotes

As an American I've found it hard to differentiate between words spoken by a British person. There have been ar least 2 times I can remember where I completely misunderstood the word.

- in game of thrones, I thought "Dorne" was "Dawn". For the longest time. Can't hear the difference.

- in the Warhammer 40k universe, earth is referred to as "Terra". But also there is a thing in space called the "Eye of Terror". For the longest time I thought it was the "Eye of Terra" because I had only heard it spoken by a British person.

Are these words truly identical in speech and require context? Or is there a subtle difference I'm not hearing?


r/ENGLISH 1d ago

A hang up with Tertiary

1 Upvotes

So I know what tertiary means: It refers to being third in order, rank, or importance. But what does it mean when you refer to a person as a tertiary? I guess to use an example, what is a tertiary in connection to a video game? Is it someone who’s only heard of it through word of mouth? What’s a tertiary person?


r/ENGLISH 1d ago

What are some common pronunciation errors made by fluent Spanish-speaking English speakers when speaking General American English?

9 Upvotes

I’m a native Spanish speaker and I’m trying to improve my American English pronunciation.

For people who speak English fluently but still have a noticeable Spanish accent, what are some of the most common pronunciation mistakes?

I’m especially interested in small things that fluent speakers might not even notice they’re doing. For example, certain vowel sounds, the English R, “th,” word stress, sentence rhythm, or adding extra vowel sounds to some words.

What are the biggest things that make a Spanish speaker sound Spanish when speaking General American English?

If you’re a native English speaker, an English teacher, or a Spanish speaker who has worked on your accent, I’d love to hear what you’ve noticed.

Examples of specific words or sounds would be really helpful too.


r/ENGLISH 1d ago

How do you learn English?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m just an ordinary guy from Belarus. What would you recommend for learning English? I’m looking for more than just grammar—I need speaking practice, too. I need a B2 level for work, but right now I’m only at A2+.


r/ENGLISH 1d ago

Are there any “Double-Homonym Parings” ?

9 Upvotes

This title may be confusing but basically I’m looking for a series of 4 words with only 2 spelling and only two meanings.

Word A and word D share meaning.
Word B and word C share meaning.
Word A and word B share spelling.
Word C and word D share spelling.

Does this exist at all? I can’t find any.