One of the biggest secrets to sounding natural in English is something called the schwa sound. It’s the most common sound in American English, and it’s a huge reason why native speakers sound so smooth and relaxed when they talk.The schwa sounds like uh - not strong or clear, just soft and lazy: uh. We use it in many unstressed syllables and small words: Like the vowel sounds in umbrella, the a in what [whut], the i in anima [AN-uh-muhl] and the a in  Sofa  [SO-fuh]. Visit my website for over 3,000

In today’s Saturday Short, Michael talks about one of the newest slang expressions to hit the English language — “6-7.”You’ll learn where this Gen Z phrase came from, how people use it online, and why it’s more about vibe than grammar.It’s short, fun, and a perfect look at how English keeps evolving.So, what does “6-7” really mean? Let’s find out together!Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English, Phrasal Verb Friday.  I’m here every Friday with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you learn a new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak.Today’s phrasal verb is buckle down. When you buckle down, it means you start working seriously and with focus — especially after being a bit lazy or distracted. You stop wasting time and get things done. And we tend to say, buckle down and DO somerthing.Like my buddy

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to another Happy English Sunday Speak. I’m here every Sunday with a quick one-point tip to help you speak English more naturally.Now, in American English, there’s a special sound we make with the letter T. It’s called the flap T, and it sounds kind of like a soft D sound. You’ll hear it in words like better, water, and pretty. So instead of saying “BET-ter,” “WAH-ter,” and “PRIT-ty,” Americans usually say “BEH-der,” “WAH-der,”  and “PRI-dee.” This

Hey there! It’s Michael here  -  and welcome back to another Happy English Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English better.Today, let’s look at a super common phrase you’ll hear in everyday English: “You know what I mean?” We use you know what I mean? to seek agreement or to check if the other person understands us. It’s kind of like soft tag questions, like isn’t it? that keeps the conversation friendly and connected.Like, in the office, you might say: “There’s something strange about

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to another Happy English, Phrasal Verb Friday.  I’m here every Friday with a quick, one-poi nt English lesson to help you learn a new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak.Today’s phrasal verb is flake out.  When you flake out, it means you agree to do something - like meet up, help out, or join an event - but then you don’t show up or don’t follow through. Basically, you cancel or disappear at the last minute.Like last weekend. My friend

1. Masu saurare, Auwal Ahmed Janyau ke fatan kun wayi gari lafiya daga sashen Hausa na BBC. A cikin shirin namu na yanzu zaku cewa shugaban Ukraine🇺🇦 ya gaza samu babban makami mai lizzami daga Amurka🇺🇸, wanda zai iya kaiwa Rasha🇷🇺 hari.2. Hukumomin Kenya🇰🇪 sun yi kira ga 'yan ƙasar, su kwantar da hankalinsu a zaman makoki na ƙarshe kafin binne gawar Raila Odinga.3. A Nigeria🇳🇬, gamayar ƙungiyoyin Arewacin Nigeria sun yi barazanar gudanar da zanga-zanga da za ta ci karo da zanga-zangar da

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English, Phrasal Verb Friday. I’m here every Friday, with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you learn one new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak. Today’s phrasal verb is jazz up.When you jazz something up, it means you make it more interesting, exciting, or attractive. It’s like giving something a little extra style or energy. Like, my friend Lisa was hosting a party last weekend. She jazzed up her living room

We often use a negative question like “Isn’t this…?” or “Aren’t you…?” in conversation. Technically, these are not questions for asking something. They are a casual and friendly way to confirm something or make a suggestion.For example, if you and your friend are at the peir on a sunny day, you might say:   “Isn’t this a perfect day for fishing?”  You’re not really asking for information — you’re confirming what you already think. OR "Aren't these donuts delicious!”Or if you’re making a suggestion,

Today’s phrasal verb is slack off.  When you slack off, it means you become lazy about your work, your studies, or your responsibilities. You don’t try as hard as you should.Like, my friend Eddie started going to the gym in in July, but by the middle of this month, he really started to slack off. And in the office, Jenny was slacking off all week, so now she has to stay late to finish her project.  And me? Honestly speaking, I’ve been slacking off on studying Japanese reading and writing. But now

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English, Friday Phrasal Verb. Every Friday, I’ll be here with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you learn one new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak.Last week we looked at toy with, which means to consider something not so seriously. Today’s phrasal verb is the opposite of that:  mull over. When you mull something over, it means you think about it carefully before making a decision. You’re not rushing. You’re

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Sunday Speak. Every Sunday, I’ll be here with a quick one-point tip to help you speak English more naturally. Now, sometimes in English we need to say “no,” but just saying no can sound too direct or even a little rude. So let’s look at some casual, yet polite, natural ways to say no.If someone invites you to do something and you don’t want to, you can say:“I’ll pass.” Like, Want to come out for karaoke tonight? → Thanks, I’ll

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English better. Today’s point is one that even native speakers sometimes get mixed up: 👉 everyday which is one word vs. every day which is two words. Here’s the deal:Everyday (which is one word) is an adjective. It means “common” or “ordinary.” Like, Having a cup of green tea is part of my everyday routine.  Or These sneakers are my everyday shoes. Your everyday something is common

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome to the very first Happy English Sunday Speak.Starting today, every Sunday I’ll be here with one quick phrase to make your English sound more natural. Today’s phrase is “You bet!”  “You bet” is a super casual, American-English phrase. You can use it in a few different ways:👉 1. We use, “you bet” as a strong “yes”“Are you coming to the party?” → “You bet!”“Do you like baseball?” → “You bet!”👉 2. Next, we use, “you bet” as a casual way to mean “you’re

Hey there, it’s Michael here from the Happy English Podcast — and welcome to another Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English naturally. Did you know that when you are interested in doing something you can say “I’m down for that.” And — you can also invite someone to do something with a slightly different phrase “Are you up for that?” Listen to this podcast to learn more!Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free

Welcome to another Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English naturally. Today, let’s clear up something tricky: stop doing vs. stop to do. These two sound similar, but they mean totally different things. Here's how we use them. My AI English Tutor is hereJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com

Today, let’s talk about nostalgia. You know, you hear an old song on the radio and it brings you back to your high school days. Or you find some old photos in your phone from 15 years ago and suddenly, you are transported back to that time. Well, in English, when you experience something that gives you nostalgic or sentimental feelings you can say it’s a blast from the past.My AI English Tutor is HEREJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcriptVisit my

Welcome to another Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English naturally. Today, let’s talk about three super common words in spoken English: 👉 Wanna, Gonna, and Gotta Now, you won’t find these in a textbook, but native speakers use them all the time in conversation. Today, we'll see how they work.My AI English Tutor is HEREJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcriptVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons:

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome to the very first Happy English Saturday Short.Every Saturday, I’ll be here with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you build your vocabulary, fix common grammar issues, and to help you sound more natural when you speak. These lessons are short — just a minute or two — but packed with practical English you can start using right away.So let’s kick things off with a useful phrasal verb:  👉 Turn down. There are a number of meanings for turn down but

今日中秋祝你安康 不止今日剪辑、文本、主播：孟飞PhoenixThe 15th of the eighth lunar month brings the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon hangs like a polished plate in the night sky. It’s a quiet, warm occasion—families sit close, eyes soft on the moonlight, and pass around a plate of mooncakes.农历八月十五的中秋，月亮像块温润的玉盘挂在夜空。这是个安暖的日子：家人挨坐，目光追着月光，一盘月饼在手中流转。To us, that full moon isn’t just light—it’s a sign of ‘reunion’. Bite into a mooncake, whether it’s the classic five-kernel one or the trendy durian-filled kind, and the