To improve our spoken English, having a regular idiom practice session is always a good idea! Enhance your speaking with 11 idioms today! Read them all out, paying careful attention to pronunciation. After that, we will look at some spoken English sentences using today’s idioms. There’s lots to do today, so let’s jump in!
Spoken English
Here are the first 5 of our idioms that are used in regular spoken English. Read and repeat them all.
| Spoken English Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Past time | Something that should have been done earlier – if it is “past time” then it is overdue |
| Take out | This means to remove something from a place. Also, it is a kind of meal we buy to eat elsewhere |
| To go | Used to indicate food ordered for takeaway – just like the above take out |
| Carry out | This idioms means to perform or complete a task or order. Along with that, it is another term for takeaway/take out! |
| Work out | This is to exercise! It is also used when something happens successfully as planned |
Related: Idioms For Speaking: 14 Phrases For Better English!
Spoken English: idiom practice 2
Here is the second set of our English speaking examples. Read and repeat each idiom out loud, again focusing on intonation and pronunciation!
| Spoken English Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Lash out | If we speak in a sudden or violent manner due to negative emotions or frustration, then we are lashing out. Not good! |
| Knock out | 1. To knock out means to cause someone to become unconscious, like in boxing sometimes. 2. To amaze or impress someone greatly. |
| Go out | 1. To leave one’s home to attend a social event. 2. To stop burning (a fire). |
| Chill out | To relax or to calm down, especially after being angry or stressed. Be careful when using this. If you tell someone to chill out, it could make them more angry. It is safest to use when talking about your self. For instance, “I chilled out on the sofa last night”. (You relaxed) |
| Call up | To make a phone call to someone. |
| Break the ice | This means to start a casual or light conversation, with the aim of gently beginning communication. The idea is to reduce any tension that is in the air! A good ice breaker is: “Nice weather, today…” |
Spoken English sentences
Now let’s make sentences with all 11 idioms to further practice our English speaking with! Read and repeat them all!
| Idiom | Spoken English sentence |
|---|---|
| Past time | It’s past time for you to clean your room, Jake. It’s very messy! |
| Take out/Takeout | Let’s get some takeout pizza tonight. I fancy a Hawaiian! |
| To go | I’d like a cheese and ham sandwich to go, please. |
| Carry out | The soldiers must always carry out their orders without questioning them. |
| Work out | Regularly work out to stay healthy. |
| Lash out | The cat might lash out if you corner it. Be careful! |
| Knock out | The boxer was knocked out in the 3rd round. |
| Go out | Would you like to go out and see a movie? |
| Chill out | We’ve been working hard lately. It’s time to chill out! |
| Call up | I’ll call you up tomorrow to chat about our weekend plans. |
| Break the ice | Telling a joke can help to break the ice in a tense room. |
English speaking: FAQs
Now that we have practiced our spoken English with today’s idioms, let’s dive a little deeper into this topic of English speaking:
How can I learn spoken English?
Learning spoken English requires practice and perhaps immersion, at least to some extent. Try to regularly listen to and converse with native speakers, watch English movies or shows, and engage with English language media. Language classes can be very beneficial for conversation practice.
- Join a local language exchange group to practice speaking English.
- Listen to English podcasts or audiobooks to get accustomed to different accents and pronunciations.
What is the difference between spoken English and speaking English?
“Spoken English” refers to the form and usage of English in verbal communication, focusing on pronunciation, intonation, and slang. “Speaking English,” on the other hand, is the act of using English in conversation. It involves the ability to articulate words and form sentences in real-time.
- I improve my spoken English by mimicking native speakers’ pronunciation.
- I practice speaking English by striking up conversations with friends from English-speaking countries.
Why are idioms a thing?
Idioms are special phrases where the words together have a different meaning than the individual words. They make talking fun and interesting. People use them to say things in a short and punchy way. They’re like a secret code that lots of people understand. Without them, I think our English might sound slightly dull or ordinary.
What makes idioms difficult to translate?
Idioms often contain unique cultural meanings and expressions that don’t have direct equivalents in other languages. So when you translate them word-for-word, they might not make sense. It’s like they have a special flavor in one language that doesn’t taste the same in another. That’s why translators have to find similar expressions in the other language that give the same feeling or idea.
When you translate them word-for-word, they might not make sense because the figurative meaning is lost. Here are a couple of examples to illustrate this point:
- “Break the ice”
- Literal translation: (e.g., in Spanish) “Romper el hielo”
- While some idioms might be understood similarly in other languages, if you were to interpret this phrase literally without the cultural context, you might think it’s about physically breaking ice, when it actually means to initiate a conversation in a social setting to ease tension.
- “Knock out”
- Literal translation: (e.g., in French) “Mettre K.O.”
- In English, “knock out” could mean to impress someone greatly, in addition to causing someone to become unconscious. However, in French, “mettre K.O.” mainly refers to the physical act of knocking someone out. The metaphorical use of impressing someone might require a different idiomatic expression in French.
Translators often have to find similar expressions in the target language that give the same feeling or convey a similar idea, rather than translating the individual words that compose the idiom. A difficult job, I think!
Spoken English: use idioms to make it more natural!
Today we have looked at a total of 11 idioms to practice our spoken English with. I am sure that if you can remember all of these, and used them appropriately, then your English speaking ability can improve. Let’s just reaffirm why idioms are a good thing to know and use. They:
- Can add cultural color: Idioms give speech a native touch.
- Can boost expressiveness: They convey ideas vividly and concisely.
- Sometimes increase engagement: Idiomatic language is often more relatable than straightforward words and sentences.
- Enable us to shows language mastery: Using idioms signals deeper proficiency than just being able to use standard sentences.