Episodes

  • 903 - Sunday Speak - I Dunno

    903 - Sunday Speak - I Dunno
    Oct 12 2025
    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, one of the most common phrases in English is “I don’t know.” But in everyday conversation, most native speakers don’t pronounce each word clearly like that. Instead, we usually say “I dunno.” (“EYE-duh-NO”) That’s right — I don’t know becomes I dunno. It’s just a natural sound change that happens when we speak quickly.
    • “Who’s coming to the party?” → “I dunno.”
    • “What time does the movie start?” → “Eh, I dunno.”
    • “I’m gonna ask Tom where Jenny is” → “He dunno.”

    The meaning doesn’t change — it’s just faster, smoother, and more natural. So next time you want to say I don’t know, try saying I dunno. It’ll make your English sound more relaxed and more natural.

    Thanks for listening. And remember to like, follow, and subscribe so you won’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Sunday Speak. Until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

    Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsg
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    2 mins
  • 902 - Saturday Short - Let Me Tell You Something

    902 - Saturday Short - Let Me Tell You Something
    Oct 11 2025
    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 really common and powerful phrase: “Let me tell you something.” We use let me tell you something when we want to share our feelings, give an opinion, or emphasize what we’re about to say. It helps grab the listener’s attention and makes your speech sound more natural — and more emotional.

    Let’s say your friend just ask you about a new restaurant in town. You could say:
    “Oh, let me tell you something - their pasta is incredible!”
    Or maybe you saw a movie, and a friend says she heard it’s boring. You can say:
    “Let me tell you something, that movie is one of the best I’ve seen this year.”
    We also use it when we feel strongly about something: “Let me tell you something — learning English takes time, but it’s totally worth it.”

    So remember, let me tell you something is a great way to add emotion, confidence, or strong opinion to what you say. It’s natural, it’s friendly, and it really makes your English sound alive.
    And let me tell you something - if you keep practicing with these Saturday Shorts, your English is only going to get better and better! Oh, and don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Saturday Short. Thanks for listening — and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

    Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsg
    Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/
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    2 mins
  • 901 - Phrasal Verb Frida - Crank Out

    901 - Phrasal Verb Frida - Crank Out
    Oct 10 2025
    ~~~~~~~~
    901 - Phrasal Verb Frida - Crank Out
    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 crank out. When you crank something out, it means you produce it quickly, often in large amounts. This phrase is often used for things like writing, work, or manufacturing — anything that can be produced at a fast pace, sometimes with a focus on quantity over quality.

    • The factory in the next town cranks out thousands of sneakers every week.
    • My friend Amanda writes for a travel blog, and last week she cranked out five articles in just two days!
    • And I remember when I was in college — we all cranked out our final papers right before the deadline. Typical, right?

    And hey, here’s a little pronunciation tip: crank out… crank-out. The K at the end of crank links smoothly into the O of out. Crank-out.

    So how about you? What’s something you’ve cranked out lately — work, content, projects, maybe a bunch of emails? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next
    Happy English Podcast and next week’s Phrasal Verb Friday. Thanks for listening — and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

    Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsg
    Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/
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    2 mins
  • 900 - Thank You, and What I’ve Learned From 900 Podcasts

    900 - Thank You, and What I’ve Learned From 900 Podcasts
    Oct 9 2025
    Hey, can you believe it? This is Episode 900 of the Happy English Podcast. Nine. Hundred. Episodes. I can hardly believe it myself. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way!

    I just want to take a moment today to say how grateful I am to YOU. Whether this is your first time listening, your 50th time, or you’ve been here since Episode 1, thank you. The fact that you listen, learn, and grow with me is what keeps me showing up here week after week. So today, I want to share a little bit of my story, what I’ve learned from doing 900 episodes, and some advice for you on your English journey.

    Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsg
    Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/
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    8 mins
  • 899 - Ain’t That Real English- How Native Speakers Really Use “Ain’t”

    899 - Ain’t That Real English- How Native Speakers Really Use “Ain’t”
    Oct 8 2025
    Here’s a question. Have you ever heard someone say ain’t in a song or a movie? Like, <“Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone,”> or “I ain’t got no time for that”? Maybe you wondered… is ain’t actually English? Well, it sure ain’t in the textbooks, but it is in real life! And I ain’t kidding.

    Today we’re diving into a word that confuses a lot of English learners - ain’t. It’s not considered “standard” grammar, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. In fact, native speakers use ain’t all the time in casual, spoken English, and especially in music, movies, and everyday conversation. So, if you’ve ever asked yourself, “What does ain’t even mean?” - today’s episode is for you.

    Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsg
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    9 mins
  • 898 - So, What’s the Deal with So?

    898 - So, What’s the Deal with So?
    Oct 6 2025
    You know, I started this podcast in 2014 so I can help people speak English better. And now, there are so many podcast episodes, It’s almost near a thousand. So, check this one out.

    Today, we’re talking about so. Just two letters - S-O. But this little word works overtime in English. We use so to show a result, to give a reason, to add emphasis, and yeah, we even use it when we’re not sure what to say next. So let’s break it down. I’ll show you four ways we use so, with lots of examples to help you sound more natural when you speak English.

    Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsg
    Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/
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    9 mins
  • 897 - Sunday Speak - Hang on

    897 - Sunday Speak - Hang on
    Oct 5 2025
    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.

    Sometimes, you need to ask someone to wait. In situations like this, you could say “Please wait a moment.” And sure, that’s correct English — but it sounds a bit formal and not something we usually say to friends or coworkers. In everyday conversation, we have a more natural and friendly way to ask someone to wait: “Hang on.”
    • Like, when you’re on the phone and need to check something. You can say, “Hang on, let me grab my notes.”
    • Or, if you’re in the middle of doing something, and your friend says, “Hey, can you look at this?” You can say, “Hang on a second.”
    • Even if someone’s talking too fast, you can say, “Whoa, hang on! Say that again?”

    It’s short, casual, and super natural. So next time instead of “Please wait a moment,” just say “Hang on.”

    And remember to like, follow, and subscribe so you won’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Sunday Speak. Thanks for listening — and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

    Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsg
    Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/
    My AI English Tutor is HERE
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    2 mins
  • 896 - Saturday Short - Kind of Sort of A bit

    896 - Saturday Short - Kind of Sort of A bit
    Oct 4 2025
    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 three really natural phrases: kind of, sort of, and a bit. We use these to soften what we’re saying. They make a statement sound less strong, less direct — and that makes your English sound more natural in everyday conversation.
    For example, let’s say you’re tired after work. Instead of just saying, “I’m tired,” you can soften it by saying: “I’m kind of tired today.” Or: “I’m a bit tired after work.” Here’s another one. Imagine you saw a movie, but you didn’t really love a it, but you don’t want to sound too negative. You could say: “That movie was sort of boring.” It’s not as harsh as, “That movie was boring.”

    So remember — kind of, sort of, and a bit are like little cushions for your sentences. They soften your opinion and make it sound friendlier and more natural. So, are you kind of ready to try these out in your own conversations? I bet you are! Oh, and don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Saturday Short. Thanks for listening — and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

    Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsg
    Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/
    My AI English Tutor is HERE
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    2 mins