"Not" — just three little letters, but one of the most common words in English. And yet, many non-native speakers pronounce it in a way that sounds unnatural. In this episode, we break down why that happens, how native speakers actually use and pronounce "not" (hint: they almost always contract it), and how mastering this tiny word can make a huge difference in how natural your English sounds. We'll cover common mistakes, explain why contractions matter, and give you real practice so you can start sounding more fluent today. Let's check it out!

Do people keep mishearing you say "can't" when you say "can"? Are you unsure if you're even pronouncing it correctly? That's probably because there are TWO pronunciations of "can"- the most common version and the less common version, and you're probably using the less common version when you should be using the other version. In this episode, I'll teach you how and when to use the right form!

The word "that" is a super common word, yet many English learners stress it incorrectly, especially if their native tongue is a language with a rhythm that's different from English's. Speakers of syllable-timed languages such as Spanish, French, Polish, Chinese languages, and other East Asian languages, will pronounce it as the full version but it is often pronounced as a reduced version. In this episode we will explore how the two versions of this super common word are pronounced, when to use them, as well as some tips to remember when each version should be used.