I'm kind of tired. That's kind of expensive. It was kind of weird. I kind of forgot.

If you've ever listened to English speakers, you've probably heard the phrase kind of over and over again. But here's the interesting thing. Most of the time, when we say "kind of" we're not talking about a type of something. We're using kind of to make what we're saying softer, less direct, or less certain. It's one of those little expressions that can make your English sound much more natural. So today, let's look at how you can really use kind of.


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That works. Works for me. Does that work? That doesn’t work for my schedule.

Did you notice, these expressions all use the verb work, but they’re not about having a job. In everyday American  English, we often use work to talk about whether a time, a plan, an idea, or a solution is acceptable, convenient, or possible. So if someone says, “Friday works for me,” they don’t mean Friday has a job. They mean Friday is good for their schedule. And that’s what we’re going to look at today.


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Man! It’s hot as hell. It’s like an oven out there. I’m melting. Crank up the A/C. Time to beat the heat.

Hot weather. Everybody talks about it, right? But in English, especially in American English, we don’t only say, “It’s hot.” We have lots of natural expressions for hot days, humid days, uncomfortable days, and those summer days when you walk outside and immediately think, “Nope. I’m going back inside.” 

So today, we’re going to look at how Americans really talk about hot weather in everyday English.


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I'm all set. You're all set. Are we all set? We're all set.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I'm all set," and wondered what they meant? You won't find this expression in many English textbooks, but if you spend any time in the United States, you'll hear it everywhere. At restaurants, coffee shops, doctor's offices, airports, hotels - just about anywhere. So what does "all set" actually mean? Well, it depends on the situation. Sometimes it means, "I don't need anything else." Sometimes it means, "Everything is ready." And sometimes it's just a polite way to end a conversation. 

So today, we're going to look at how native speakers really use "all set."


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How much did it cost? How much did you spend? Did you pay cash? What did you buy?

Cost, spend, pay, and buy. These are four very common English words that are related to using money. and English learners often mix them up because they're all connected to money. But here's the thing. They don't focus on the same part of the situation. Sometimes we're talking about the thing we got. Sometimes we're talking about the money we used. Sometimes we're talking about the price. And sometimes we're talking about the person using the money. 

So today, we're going to look at how people really use cost, spend, pay, and buy in everyday English.


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I noticed a strange noise. I realized I forgot my keys. She noticed he was quiet. She realized he was upset.

Notice and realize are two similar words in English, so they're are easy to mix up. And honestly, it's easy to understand why. Both words talk about becoming aware of something. But there's an important difference between them. When you notice something, you use your senses. When you realize something, you use your mind. Once you understand that difference, these two words become much easier to use naturally. And that is what we're going to look at today!


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Sure. Sure thing. Are you sure? I’m sure. Sure enough. Sure is one of those words that seems really simple, right? You probably learned that sure means certain. And that's true. But in everyday English, we use sure in a lot of different ways.  Sometimes it means certain. Sometimes sure means yes. Sometimes it means of course. And sometimes it's just a friendly way to agree with someone. So what's really going on with sure? That's what we're going to look at today.

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I’m fine. That’s fine. Fine with me. Fine.  Fine seems like such a simple word, right? You probably learned it very early in English class. “How are you?” “I’m fine, thank you. And you? I'm fine thank you.” Easy. 

But here’s the thing: Outside the classroom, in real English, fine can mean a lot of different things depending on the situation - and your tone of voice. Sometimes fine means okay. Sometimes it means acceptable. Sometimes it means, “I guess that’s okay.” And sometimes… when someone says, “Fine,” it definitely does not sound fine. So today, we’re going to look at how people really use fine in everyday English.

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You look tired. That sounds fun. He seems upset. Dinner looks amazing. Your voice sounds different.

Seem, look, and sound. These words seem simple, right? But English learners often mix them up. Can you say, “You seem tired,” and, “You look tired”? What’s the difference? Why do we say, “That sounds fun,” when we can’t actually hear fun? And when should you use seem instead? Yeah… there’s actually more going on here than you might think. So today, we’re going to look at how people really use seem, look, and sound in everyday English.


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I’m waiting for the bus. I’m expecting a package tomorrow. We’re expecting guests this weekend. My teacher expects me to do my homework.

Wait and expect. These seem like simple words, right? But they can be easy to mix them up. Like, what’s the difference between, “I’m waiting for you,” and, “I’m expecting you”? Why can we say, “I’m expecting a package,” but not, “I’m waiting a package”? And what does it mean when someone says, “We’re expecting  guests”? Or even, “She’s expecting”? Yeah… there’s actually a lot going on here with these two words. So today, we’re going to look at how people really use wait and expect in everyday English.


The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Get free weekly English lessons plus instant access to my FREE Vocabulary Workshop.:
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