Spoken English

A few bits and pieces

Common English slang

words
Slang words are not
universally used, but they
are commonly heard in
informal conversation.
Bobs Your Uncle There
you go, youve got it!
Gobsmacked Amazed,
awed by something

Give You A Bell

Call you
Blimey! My
Goodness
Gutted Devastated
Chuffed Proud
Fancy Like

Lost the Plot Gone

Crazy
Fortnight Two Weeks
Sorted Arranged
Bees Knees Awesome

Dodgy Suspicious
Wicked Cool!
Whinge complain, moan
Tad Little bit
Tenner 10
Fiver 5
Quid 1
Skive to avoid doing
something

Cockney rhyming slang

Cockney rhyming slang
originated in the East End of
London.
This is a dierent world to
normal English - but
sometimes on tv shows etc.
you hear these phrases:
Butchers look, from
butchers hook - Would you
like to have a butchers?

Adam and Eve believe Would you Adam and Eve

it?
Apples and pears stairs Im o up the apples and
pears to bed.
Barney Rubble trouble Youre going to be late home
again, youre in for some
Barney Rubble from the wife.

Plates of meat feet Sit down

and take the weight o your
plates?
Ruby Murray curry Do you
fancy having a ruby murray
tonight?
Trouble and strife wife Time to go and pick up the
trouble and strife
Skin and Blister sister
Thats my skin and blister over
there

A few websites that

might be helpful in
Learning English
Excellent general sites:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/

More general sites:

http://www.okey-dokey.co.uk/index.php
http://www.learnbritishenglish.co.uk/
Specifically for speaking with a British accent:
http://www.wikihow.com/Speak-in-aBritish-Accent

These videos looking at English language are on

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_jNXdVbRIAGDl27NPLKA
https://www.youtube.com/channel/
UCwk6ifONlkvqnoMF2uyA05g
This one focusses on culture:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/
UCAm0yDpqqVEvBbqwlTAJNfg

If you like football this is a fun site to learn

English:
http://
premierskillsenglish.britishcouncil.org/
An online pronunciation dictionary:
http://www.howjsay.com/

Different words
English and American
people speak the same
language but use
dierent words:
A film becomes a movie,
a wardrobe is a closet, a
toilet / lavatory
becomes a restroom

Trousers

Pants

Nappy

Diaper

Rubber

Eraser

Holiday

Vacation

Petrol

Gas / Gasoline

Flat

Apartment

Biscuit

Cookie

Bonnet

Hood

Windscreen

Windshield

Boot

Trunk

Reversing lights

Back-up lights

Exhaust

Tail pipe / Muer

British English words

that end in -re often end
in -er in American
English:
centre

center

fibre

fiber

litre

liter

theatre

theater

British English words

ending in -our usually end
in -or in American English:
colour

color

flavour

flavor

humour

humor

labour

labor

neighbour

neighbor

Other examples include:

Words ending in -yse are
always spelled -yze in
American English:
analyse

analyze

breathalyse breathalyze
paralyse

paralyze

Other examples include: Words that

include two (or more) vowels together are
spelled without one of the vowels in
American English:
leukaemia leukemia
manoeuvre maneuver
oestrogen

estrogen

paediatric pediatric

And so on
defence

defense

licence

license

offence

oense

analogue analog
catalogue catalog
dialogue dialog