English Archives | The Pimsleur Language Blog https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/tag/english/ Learning another language doesn't have to be hard. Fri, 21 Nov 2025 18:18:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8 English Phonemes: Mastering the Sounds of English https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/english-speech-sounds-phonemes/ Thu, 05 Aug 2021 14:38:07 +0000 https://blog.pimsleur.com/?p=27117 If you’re a native English speaker and trying to learn a new language, learning about English phonemes is an ideal way – and a somewhat unconventional method – to help you acquire most other languages. Phonemes, or sounds, help establish a baseline understanding of how words are formed and assist with pronunciation and other aspects Read More >>

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]]> Fail Your Way to Success: The 5 Best—and Worst—Language Mistakes to Make https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/language-mistakes-to-make/ https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/language-mistakes-to-make/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2020 13:05:45 +0000 https://blog.pimsleur.com/?p=21554 Why You Need to Make Mistakes to Learn a Language Making Language Mistakes Can be Painful  I’ve lived in Brazil for over a year now, and I still feel embarrassed when I forget how to say, “It was nice to meet you.” in Portuguese. I regularly try to tell stories to my friends and find Read More >>

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]]> https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/language-mistakes-to-make/feed/ 2 What Part of No Don’t You Understand? Origins of the Word “No” https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/origins-of-the-word-no/ Mon, 14 Sep 2020 15:27:33 +0000 https://blog.pimsleur.com/?p=19227 The Etymology & Origins of the Word “No” Around the World Every language has a word for it. Some have many. Let’s explore the origins and meaning of no. In English, the word no dates back to Middle English and means “not in any degree, not at all, not ever.” Though it’s a short word with only two Read More >>

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]]> Order From Tragedy: Roget and The Origin Of The First Thesaurus https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/history-rogets-thesaurus/ Thu, 27 Aug 2020 14:56:35 +0000 https://blog.pimsleur.com/?p=18754 Beautiful Tools Borne Out of Less Beautiful Circumstances – Peter Mark Roget (1779-1869) Peter Mark Roget was a remarkable man. A lexicographer whose invention has helped almost everyone who speaks English at some point or another. Don’t believe us? You’ll almost definitely have used an item he created. There may even be one on your Read More >>

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]]> Use and Abuse of the Word Literally – A Crisis of Language? https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/use-of-word-literally/ Tue, 04 Aug 2020 18:51:35 +0000 https://blog.pimsleur.com/?p=18181 How the Term ‘Literally’ has Changed Over Time “That chili was so hot it literally blew my head off” “She literally flew off the handle” “That person literally makes my blood boil” Literally. It’s the infamous term that infuriates editors, academics, linguists, publishers, and journalists alike, with people using it when they actually mean ‘figuratively’ Read More >>

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]]> What Are World Englishes? https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/what-are-world-englishes/ Fri, 17 Jul 2020 01:04:54 +0000 https://blog.pimsleur.com/?p=17499 Lingua Franca – Why English is the Global Language Picture an English speaker. What image pops into your mind? An American shop owner, perhaps? An Australian teenager, Canadian mother, or British businessman? Of course, these are all valid examples of native English speakers. Replicating these accents is the ultimate aim of many English learners. There Read More >>

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]]> Talk Like a Brit With Our Favorite British Slang Words https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/british-slang/ https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/british-slang/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2020 00:52:46 +0000 https://blog.pimsleur.com/?p=17452 Ever wondered what the difference is between US and UK English? Apart from everyday words—like trainers instead of sneakers and holiday instead of vacation—you’ll see the most difference in the slang. British lingo has a reputation for cleverness and originality that rivals even the most imaginative American slang. Language isn’t a set thing; there are Read More >>

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]]> https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/british-slang/feed/ 1 Where Do Accents Come From? https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/where-do-accents-come-from/ https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/where-do-accents-come-from/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2020 13:34:00 +0000 https://blog.pimsleur.com/?p=16656 The Birth of a New Accent – Antarctic English Accents are truly fascinating. A recent study in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America has found the beginnings of a new English accent among the residents of the British Antarctic Survey, a group of researchers who spend months alone in isolation. Over the course Read More >>

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]]> https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/where-do-accents-come-from/feed/ 1 What is the Official Language of the United States? https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/official-language-united-states/ https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/official-language-united-states/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2020 18:47:28 +0000 https://blog.pimsleur.com/?p=16575 Ask any random person to name the official language of the United States, and you’re bound to get English as the answer. But it’s actually the ultimate trick question. Most countries have an official language – and some have dozens! Bolivia has 37, Mali has 13, South Africa has 11, Zimbabwe has 16, and even Read More >>

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]]> https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/official-language-united-states/feed/ 3 Words for Father Around the World https://www.pimsleur.com/blog/words-for-father-around-the-world/ Wed, 17 Jun 2020 17:08:09 +0000 https://blog.pimsleur.com/?p=16400 How to Say Dad in Different Languages Father’s Day is approaching, so this week on Word Nerd I thought it would be fun to explore the various words for father in languages from around the world. Origins of the Words for Father in English In English, we have several words for referring to our dads. Read More >>

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