Today we’re going to focus on simple tips to speak and understand casual spoken English. In spoken conversations these small and subtle changes will help you sound more fluent, and understand fluent speakers.

The first common spoken casual English tip is that we say yeah instead of yes. If you pay attention to English movies, content and TV shows you’ll be surprised just how often yeah used instead of yes. Sometimes you’ll see this spelled this way (yeah) and sometimes you’ll see it spelled this way (ya).

When do you use yeah instead of yes? Mostly in casual conversations as an answer to a question:

Did you pick up bread? Yeah

Are you going to the office party Friday night? Yeah

Would you like to join me for lunch? Yeah

Yeah, now that I think about it you’re right.

When should you not use yeah? First and foremost, avoid using it in formal conversations. This is a slang version of yes, so you shouldn’t use it in formal, professional conversations or writing. Yeah can also be used as a clarifying question. Yeah? This is used instead of the word really, to make sure what you’ve heard is true.

Another word for yes that you’ll often hear in casual conversations is yep. Again this is most often used as an answer to questions in spoken, informal conversations.

Did you call Jas about the tickets? Yep

Do they know we’re on our way? Yep

Do you have experience working in this sector? Yes. This interview question would be a yes scenario! Not a yeah or yep scenario.

Like yeah, there are words we say instead of no in casual conversations. The first one that comes to mind is nah. Nah is a casual spoken version of no. Nah would be an appropriate answer to the following informal questions:

Are you thinking of going with them? Nah

Did you want to drive there today? Nah

Do you want pineapple on the pizza? Nah

You’ll notice these are all casual questions. Nah is usually used instead of no when someone is asking about your personal opinion.

Another common word for no is nope. Nope, like nah is used mostly in casual conversations, and takes no one step further. It means definitely not.

Do you like anchovies on your pizza? Nope

Are you cutting off all your hair? Nope

Did you know it was a surprise party? Nope

Are you open to contract work? No. If you’re not open to contract work in an interview this would be a no situation. Nah or nope would most likely not be suitable answers in an interview.

If you’re looking for a way to improve your spoken English, go to our website EnglishPerfectus.com and sign up for our 1 on 1, live coaching sessions. We’re here to provide reliable, effective conversation practice and coaching to improve your ability to communicate in English.

A word that you’ll often hear pronounced differently is the word you. As in you and I. It’s often pronounced ya.

Is the soup hot enough for ya?

Does he know ya?

Ya think so?

I appreciate ya.

This difference is only in the pronunciation of the word you. It’s still spelled the same. You should always spell you Y O U. There are regional differences in how often you hear ya instead of you, but you will hear it.

Often times understanding and speaking English naturally is not about what is said, it’s about what’s not said.

For example you’ll notice with fluent English speech, we often drop words. Like in the following questions.

Do you think so?

You think so?

Think so?

These are all ways of asking the same thing. The words do and do you are commonly left out of spoken questions.

Do you want to go see a movie Friday night?

Want to see a movie Friday?

Dropping words like this makes someone’s speech a little more efficient. It’s also rather common to drop parts of words, to use shortened versions.

Just a second is often shortened to just a sec. The word legitimate is commonly shortened to legit. Comfortable becomes comfy. Prepare becomes prep. Promotional is shortened to promo. Advertisement becomes Ad. Carbohydrates becomes carbs. Picture is shortened to pic. The list of shortened words is almost endless and it’s growing all the time.

The use of contractions is another thing to get used to. In spoken English contractions aren’t just common, they’re typically used more than their non-contracted versions. A contraction is when two words are put together to form one word. It’s, they’re, I’m, I’d, shouldn’t, wouldn’t, the list goes on. Identifying the use of contractions, how they sound, is important when listening to people who speak English at a natural, faster pace.

It’s common to pronounce two words together as one word. Some examples are wanna, gotta and gunna. Wanna is want to. In the example, I wanna take a break. Gotta is short for got to or have to like in the example, I gotta get some more coffee. And gunna. Gunna is short for going to like in the example, are you gunna go?

The final thing I’d point out is that fluent English speakers don’t use more complicated words just because they’re more complicated. In everyday speech the key is to use the appropriate word. While an extensive vocabulary is a key component of fluent English and something worth striving for, avoid using a more complex word if you’re not certain as to what it means. Sometimes the words nice, good, and very are the best ones for the situation.

Thank you for clicking on this video and allowing us to be a part of your goal to become fluent in English. Subscribe if you’d like to see our future content on English fluency and if you’ve enjoyed this video or found it helpful please like it. Until next time keep learning and we’ll talk soon.

If you’re looking for ways to improve your English faster go to our website and download the free PDF we’ve created on twelve strategies to improve your English. We’ll leave a link to the PDF in the description box below.