Wadjasay? American English Pronunciation Practice

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Important note: This podcast is the audio portion of a video you can watch on my YouTube channel. So if you hear me say "video", that's why. I have added a transcript if you'd like to read along as you listen. I hope you enjoy it.BarryPS You can watch the original video here:  https://youtu.be/cD5SEoif7bsIntro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Keep the podcasts coming! Thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Listen and repeat. Please do NOT read and repeat. The spelling won't help. Use your ears and your brain. 1. I saw a balloon in a cartoon.2. It was cool in the swimming pool.3. The table top was very smooth.4. The kook lived in an igloo.5. There was a lagoon at the zoo.6. Which booze did you choose?7. He climbed the roof and stood aloof.8. At school he liked to play the fool.9. Soon he will snooze in his booth at the fair.10. The room was dark and gloomy.11. She stood for a while and read her book.12. I heard a dog woof in the dark.13. Boogie woogie is a style of piano playing.14. He's a good man with good ideas.15. The chimney was full of black soot.16. We brought in some firewood.17. I dropped a rock on my foot. Ouch!18. I have a new hoodie with a purple hood.19. Let's look in the new cookbook. 20. You look bushed.21. This coffee is full of sugar.22. We took off after our friends on foot.23. I stood outside for an hour.24. It does no good to say “shoulda, coulda, woulda.”25. A goat's foot has a hoof. The plural is hooves.26. We live in a spooky neighborhood. 27. I put off my doctor's appointment. 28. If it keeps raining, the river could flood.29. He fell out of the tree but shook off the pain and ran into the woods.30. The accountant said he would cook the books for us.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Keep the podcasts coming! Thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!The present perfect and present perfect continuous  generally allow us to talk about things which start in the past and continue into the present.1. I've lived in Turkey for three years. I've been living in Turkey for three years. 2. She has studied English since 2023. She has been studying English since 2023.3. He has worked for the French government for twenty years. He has been working for the French government for 20 years.4. It has rained all day. [It started this morning and it hasn't stopped yet.]It has been raining all day.5. I'm tired. I've been working since 7am without a break.6. I have never studied Arabic.7. Have you ever heard of the singer, Joan Baez?8. Have you guys finished your homework yet? No, we're still working on it.9. Scientists have not yet discovered a cure for cancer.10. Where is John? I haven't seen him for weeks. — He has gone to Berlin for the summer to study German.11. Have you misplaced your car keys again? Yes, I've been hunting for them all morning. 12. She has played guitar ever since she was thirteen.13. How long have you had that cat? This one? This is Annabelle. I got her about six months ago.14. Have you ever visited Italy? - Not yet, but I've traveled to France many times.15. Have you seen your mother today? No, I think she's at the mall with some friends.16. He's [he has] been on the phone for two hours.17. She's [she has] been waiting to see the doctor for forty-five minutes. 18. We've [we have] just finished eating dinner.19. They've [they have] recently moved to Brazil.20. I've [I have] stopped studying French and started learning Czech.21. The children have been playing outside all day.22. We've been thinking about the future since we were young.23. Have you read any good books recently?24. Some professors have said that American college students can't read serious books any more.25. Have you ever watched a rocket take off? No, but I saw one blow up on the launch pad once.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Keep the podcasts coming! Thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Verb tense review: the present continuous (also called the present progressive.The present continuous is mostly used for actions which are happening right now. Sometimes we also use it for future actions. Compare these two sentences:A) We're going to the zoo.B) We're going to the zoo on Saturday. The sentences are exactly the same, but adding the word “Saturday” tells the listener that the trip to the zoo will happen in the future.Instructions: When you're listening and repeating DO NOT READ the sentences. Close your eyes, look away, listen as carefully as you can to the sounds of the words. Train your ears!1 - I'm doing my homework.2 - She's cooking dinner.3 - He's walking the dogs. He's taking the dogs for a walk.4 - We're playing tennis.5 - They're at the supermarket shopping for food.6 - I'm taking the bus to work.7 - We're surfing in Hawaii.8 - He's studying for a chemistry exam.9 - She's listening to a podcast.10 - We're waiting for the plane to take off.11 - They're visiting the Museum of Modern Art.12 - He's sleeping late.13 - We're going to a birthday party. 14 - I'm cleaning my apartment. We're having a dinner party tonight.15 - She's traveling to Los Angeles next month.16 - We're thinking about going to see a movie tonight.17 - What are you doing tomorrow?18 - Are you still working? (Or) Are you still at work?19 - Are you children fighting again? Just stop!20 - There's something wrong with the car. It's making a terrible sound. 21 - He's coming to visit us in June.22 - Germany is holding national elections in a few weeks.23 - She's giving a piano concert the day after tomorrow.24 - I'm thinking about what to have for dinner tonight.25 - Our President is telling lies again, as usual.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Keep the podcasts coming! Thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Verb tense review: the simple past.The simple past is used for actions that took place in the past and are finished. For example:“Yesterday I went to the gym after work.”“Last week I met a woman who is a yoga instructor.”Here are some sentences to practice with:1 - I lived in Los Angeles for three years. (Then I moved to Miami.)2 - She studied Turkish when she was living in Ankara. (Then she moved to Berlin and started studying German.)3 - My mother worked in a hospital for 20 years. Then she retired.4 - I studied piano when I was a teenager. In college I switched to guitar.5 - I played basketball a lot when I was in high school.6 - She spoke Italian as a child, but stopped when she moved to Germany.7 - My uncle was an Olympic athlete in his youth.8 - I worked hard today—too hard!9 - My grandson rode his bike to school this morning. 10 - After school we watched a football game.                                                                  11- I rode my motorcycle to work yesterday.12 -  I listened carefully to all the sentences.13 - We shopped for two hours and bought some new clothes.14 - Where did you work last year? I worked in Belgium.                                                  15 - Who did you invite to your party? I invited all my favorite people.16 - Where did you find that lovely painting? I bought it at an art gallery.17 - When did you get back from Germany? The plane landed early this morning. 18 - How did you learn to speak French? I married a French woman.19 - Why did you come home so early? The party was really boring.20 - I quit my old job last month. Yesterday I found a new job and it's going to be great!Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Keep the podcasts coming! Thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!In writing, regular English verbs add “ed” to the infinitive to show past tense. So hope becomes hoped, grab becomes grabbed, and wait becomes waited. Now close your eyes and listen to the ending sound of these three verbs.Hoped, hoped, hoped.Grabbed, grabbed, grabbed.Waited, waited, waited.The past tense of hope ends with a T sound.The past tense of grab ends with a D sound.The past tense of waited ends with an ‘ed' sound.There are rules which determine which verbs end with each sound. Basically it has to do with the final sounds of the infinitives. Let's look at the first case.  If a regular verb ends in a voiceless sound, then pronounce -ed as /t/.Listen to the following sentences and concentrate on the final sound of the verbs. I'll read each one five times.1) I hoped she would come.2) He locked the door.3) I missed you!4) He touched the baby's nose.5) She brushed her hair and left the house.6) Our boss briefed us on the day's schedule.7) My sister mashed the potatoes.8) We watched a movie.9) I introduced my father to my new boss.10) The balloon popped.Many many common verbs end in voiceless sounds and so add /t/ for the past tense: look, cook, walk, talk, peek, fetch, hop, etc.Now the second rule:If a regular verb ends in a voiced sound, then pronounce -ed as /d/.(All vowel sounds—including diphthongs--are voiced, plus b, g, l, m, n, r, w, and v).11) We agreed that the movie was too long.12) They carried the boxes to the truck.13) He grabbed the rope and started pulling.14) The bridge sagged under the weight of the train.15) She hummed the melody of the song.16) We listened to the orchestra.17) He called me on the phone.18) They remembered my name.19) We sawed down the tree with a big chainsaw.20) They lived in London for many years.21) Mary played piano very well.22) She showed us her apartment.23) He raged at his captors.24) The train slowed as it entered the station.Finally, the third possible pronunciation.If the verb ends with “D” or “T” sounds, -ed is pronounced /uhd/.25) I accepted his job offer.26) We needed some help.27) He waited for a long time.28) The doctor wanted to test her blood.29) We decided not to go on vacation.30) I reported the fire to the fire department. To conclude this podcast, I'm going to read a random list of regular verbs in the past tense. You can use it for ear training—see if you can hear the ending of each verb. Is it a T sound, a D sound, or UHD? You can try to repeat the words. You can try writing them down. The most important thing is to know that “ed” can be pronounced three different ways and to practice them so that they become automatic.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Keep the podcasts coming! Thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!I wrote this poem this morning to use for reading and pronunciation practice in my class on Tandem. I didn't write it deliberately to be good for teaching English, but it turned out that it was. Hope you like it.I'VE LOST MY MINDI've lost my mind.I asked my wife.“Look in your jacket pocket,” she said,Like my mind was a wallet or keys to the house.No dice.I asked my son:“Check in the freezer,” he said.“Maybe it fell in there when you were looking for ice cream.”I looked. Not there, But I did find a mango-strawberry popsicle.I asked my daughter.“Did you look in the car?” she asked. “You're always leaving stuff in the car.”I checked on the seats and under the seats and behind the seats—no luck. I even checked in the trunk. My mind wasn't there, but I found a lot of trash.I bagged it and tossed it. I even vacuumed Up all the sand from our last trip to the beach.Finally I asked my dog.He stood on his hind legs and looked into my head.Then he barked, licked my ear and VOILA!My mind rebooted!It wasn't lost at all. Just napping or maybe MIA.Man's best friend, the dog.Only one thing worries me.Did he find my mind by sight—Or smell?By B. Kahn© 2025Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Keep the podcasts coming! Thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!More simple present: the verb “to be”1- I am from Costa Rica. He is from Cuba.2- This is my brother. His name is Jack.3- This is my adopted cat. Her name is Nefertiti.4- How old are you? I'm twenty-seven.5- Are you hungry? No, not yet. Well, actually I am a little bit hungry.6- Are you my new teacher? Yes, I am. My name is Mr. Johnson.7- The sky is blue, except when it's cloudy. Then it is white or gray.8- Her dress is green and blue.9- This camera is very expensive.10- All these sentences are in the simple present tense.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Keep the podcasts coming! Thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Another quickie podcast. Over the next week or two or three, I will record short podcasts going through the most commonly used English verb tenses. In this one the examples are from the simple present. This tense is used to describe habits and states of being: I get up early every morning. I go to the gym after work. I like to read after dinner. I have a small dog and two cats. I live in Los Angeles.Verb tense review - part one: simple present1- I live in Boston. My sister lives in Barcelona.2- I go to the gym every day. My brother only goes twice a week. 3- My mother is a doctor. She works in a hospital.4- My daughters take piano lessons. My son studies violin.5- My wife and I play tennis on weekends. She plays better than me.6- Bob and Julie like to eat out. They prefer to eat Italian food.7- I commute to and from work by bus. I listen to English podcasts on my way to work.8- I admire my uncle. He is a talented athlete.9- How many languages do you speak? What about your sister?10- I speak French and German. My sister speaks French and English. If your English is good enough, you can take my sentences, and try to form the negative version. So if I say, "I admire my uncle," you reply, "I don't admire my uncle," etc.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Keep the podcasts coming! Thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!(This podcast is for Irma who reminded me about this construction.)Note: this podcast has fewer repetitions than usual. That DOES NOT mean you shouldn't play it and practice is many times. It just means my time is limited.In English we can take two questions:a) Do you know….?b) Where are my keys?And combine them into one question: Do you know where my keys are?Let's practice:1- Do you know where my brother is? [where is my brother?]2- Do you know if she speaks Spanish?[does she speak Spanish?]3- Does he know what time he'll be home? [what time will he be home?]4- Does she know where my family lives? [where does my family live?]5- Do you know when dinner will be ready? [when will dinner be ready?]6- Does his girlfriend know that he's moving to California?[is he moving to CA?] *7- Do you know where my dog is? [where is my dog?]8- Do you know which house they own? [which house do they own?]9- Did you know he got a new job? [did he get a new job?]10- Do you know how she learned so many languages? [how did she learn so many languages?]*In a conversation, this might be asked as two questions. First, “Is he moving to California?”and then: “Does his girlfriend know?”Extra practice: See if you can change the questions to negative statements like: "I don't know where your brother is."Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Keep the podcasts coming! Thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!1- I have never seen or met an abominable snowman, also known as a Yeti.2- I.R.S. is the abbreviation for the Internal Revenue Service.3- My uncle is an aeronautical engineer.4- I put the books in alphabetical order. 5- My son doesn't like to bathe, and as a result, dirt is accumulating in his ears.6- The doctor told me to take an antidepressant, but I was too depressed to follow his advice. 7- She lives approximately seven kilometers from the office where she works.8- My uncle does biomedical research. 9- In the cafeteria I sat next to a cardiologist. 10- My fiancee is a computational engineer in New York.11- He communicates his curiosity about criminology at every opportunity. 12- Have you ever heard of the cosmological constant?13- Fractions have a numerator and a denominator. 14- Dermatologists study dermatology. (But perhaps their interest is only skin deep…).15- She was disinterested in the documentary about snails.16- Mr. Johnson is working on a project involving the eradication of mosquitoes. 17- The doctor gave me an exceptionally thorough examination.18- The police erroneously accused me of stealing a double decker bus.19- I am trying to achieve a state of emotional equilibrium. 20- My allergies were exacerbated by a bumper crop of pollen.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Suggestion: Read the sentences first and then put them away. Do NOT try to read the words while you listen and repeat. Reading will NOT help your pronunciation. Train your ears. Repeat: train your ears. 1- The fires in Los Angeles are out of control. 2- She came to my birthday party and ate too much cake.3- My mother is flying from Miami to New York. 4- My sister got married at the age of twenty-seven.5- Charlie found a wallet full of money in the street.6- I'm thinking of buying an E-bike.7- The damage from the fires will take decades to repair.8- We are not familiar with the customs of Albania.9- Her birthday is on the thirteenth of September. 10- Now that I live on an island, I go to the beach every day.11- Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. Everything I said is true.12- If I come work for your company, you'll double my pay?13- He had a great time visiting Ireland and he wants to go back again soon.14- She wished me a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.15- I'd love to have a dog, but I don't have time or money to take care of one.16- I stayed up too late last night and now I'm falling asleep in my armchair.17- I'll stay at work until I finish this project.18- My dog will be my faithful friend until the day he dies.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!It's okay to read the sentences if you need to, but please do NOT try to read them while you're repeating with the podcast. English spelling is a distraction. It's NOT a useful guide to pronunciation.* Close your eyes (unless you're driving!) and use your ears. Train yourself to really hear the sounds, rhythm, stress and intonation of my speech.1- I went downtown to pick up some food.2- He visited his mother in the late afternoon. 3- She cleaned her apartment for most of the day.4- We drove to the lake and swam for a few hours.5- I worked on my homework until it was finished.6- Where did you find such a good book?7- John takes his dog Rex for a walk twice a day.8- During the week I work 9 to 5.9- I started studying English many years ago.10- Whoever you invite is okay with me.11- Math and science are my favorite subjects.12- What kind of pizza would you like to have?13- Green is not my favorite color.14- I ate chicken; my mom chose pasta.15- My father works too much. It's getting him down.16- If you don't understand me I'll speak more slowly.*(If you have any doubts about this, have a native speaker say these words for you:tough, though, house, pour, group, cousin, loud, fourth... Yeah, what a mess.)Note: the podcast website lets you send me a text message but (WHY???) it doesn't let me text you back. So please use the email link if you'd like to hear back from me. Thanks!Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!November 2, 2024Hello everybody. I've been meaning to record a short podcast to tell you what's going on, and here it is. I've been very busy the past month and November and December are shaping up to be even busier. So I'm not going to record any new podcasts during that time. I will continue to pay for the podcasts to be hosted so you can listen to any of them you like and download them. But I'm not planning to record new ones, at least for the next two months. However, if you follow me on Telegram, I have been putting up short recordings which you can play as loops. So if you start them playing, you can listen one time or ten times or a hundred times. I personally, for my own language practice, think loops are great. They let you really key in on the pronunciation and the rhythm and how something really sounds. Much better than anything else. Repetition, as far as I'm concerned, is magic. So if you're not following me on Telegram, the link is below. If you don't use Telegram, you might consider getting it. It's handy for this purpose. I know it's also used by all sorts of bad people to do bad things, but that's out of my control. So give it a try. Set up a little Telegram account and follow English with Barry. I have been posting two sentences a day most of the time on weekdays. So Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Two, I should say two loops because some of them are more than one or two sentences. So that's it. No new podcast planned for the next two months. And I will try to post at least one, if not two, new loops every weekday on my Telegram channel. If you have any questions, there's a link below for sending me a message. And I'll put an email so you can email me also if you want to. Thank you, and happy November and happy December. Take care!BarryIntro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!If your native language doesn't include many consonant blends, English can be a challenge. An example is “st” as in the word “test.” These blends can appear at the beginning of a word, in the middle, or at the end. Let's practice. 1- The first test was the worst test; the last test was the second worst.2- My task was to cover the disk on my desk with my mask.3- Old Mr. Gold told me he had a cold from the mold.4- I used my wand to send sand to the pond.5- Do you think I should dunk the skunk in the sink or the tank?6- I heard the sound of a hound running around and sniffing a mound.7- As a prank, the drunk drank his drink in a trunk.8- Would you, could you scold a child in a field?9- Mr. Smart stood apart in the court and held a chart of his heart.10- The bored blond was armed with a can of baked beans.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!(From - Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: beginning of Chapter 7.)There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. “Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse,” thought Alice; “only, as it's asleep, I suppose it doesn't mind.”The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it: 1- “No room! No room!” they cried out when they saw Alice coming. “There's plenty of room!” said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.2- “Have some wine,” the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. “I don't see any wine,” she remarked.3- “There isn't any,” said the March Hare.“Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it,” said Alice angrily.“It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited,” said the March Hare.4- “I didn't know it was your table,” said Alice; “it's laid for a great many more than three.”“Your hair wants cutting,” said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.“You should learn not to make personal remarks,” Alice said with some severity; “it's very rude.”5- The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he said was, “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?”“Come, we shall have some fun now!” thought Alice. “I'm glad they've begun asking riddles.—I believe I can guess that,” she added aloud.6- “Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?” said the March Hare.“Exactly so,” said Alice.“Then you should say what you mean,” the March Hare went on.7- “I do,” Alice hastily replied; “at least—at least I mean what I say—that's the same thing, you know.”“Not the same thing a bit!” said the Hatter. “You might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat' is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see'!”8- “You might just as well say,” added the March Hare, “that ‘I like what I get' is the same thing as ‘I get what I like'!”9- “You might just as well say,” added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, “that ‘I breathe when I sleep' is the same thing as ‘I sleep when I breathe'!”10- “It is the same thing with you,” said the Hatter, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute, while Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks, which wasn't much.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Here are three more Phrasal Verbs based on “take”:1- As soon as all the passengers were seated and buckled in, the plane took off. [the plane left the ground]2- When the burglars heard our key in the lock, they took off through the back door and raced down the street. [They ran away quickly]3- The doctor told me to take off my shirt so he could listen to my heart and lungs. [to remove]4- I take after my mother. We have the same color hair and eyes, we are the same height, and we both wear glasses. [to resemble]5- John doesn't take after his father. His dad likes to read and play guitar, while John enjoys playing sports and fixing old cars. They are very different from each other. [they don't resemble each other in their tastes]6- I took apart this old clock, but now I can't put it back together again. [to take apart = disassemble]7-  What happened to your car's engine?—My friend and I took it apart. We're going to rebuild it next week. [disassemble]Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Imaginary businesses with tricky-to-pronounce names. Use this podcast as an exercise to warm up your pronunciation. Go slowly before you try to go fast!1- Rudy's Radioactive Radiator Repair2- Thea's Thursday Seances Featuring Thinking, Theorizing, and Theremin Lessons3- Skip's Sports Emporium and Unicycle Service Center4- Terry's Tried-and-True Temporal Toaster Tinkering 5- Harold's Handcrafted Heated Hand Warmers 6- Bob's Refurbished Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers7- Joe's Janky Junk Generators of New Jersey8- Carl's Cardboard Carton Crushing Company9- Frank's Infrared French Fries and Fricasseed Fertilizer Factory10- Arnold's Ambling Artificial Alien Alligators  Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!To “take over” has a couple of meanings. It can mean to “take control of” something, but it can also mean to control by being bossy.1- While I was sick, weeds took over the garden. Now it looks terrible.2- When my father died, I had to take over running the company.3- Our children have taken over my life. I have no free time for myself.4- One student in our class does most of the talking. He completely takes over our discussions.5- Every time we have a meeting, my boss takes over and doesn't let anyone else speak.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Another expression with the verb take. Let's practice with “to take advantage of.”To “take advantage of” can be good or bad. Here's an example of the bad kind: “He took advantage of his friend's generosity by borrowing money and never paying it back.”And the good kind: “She took advantage of every opportunity to practice her English with fluent speakers.”1) My friend took advantage of my ignorance to sell me defective merchandise.2) The car salesman knew we didn't know anything about cars. He really took advantage of us. Now we have no money and a crappy car.3) Our supermarket is having a sale on pasta. I'm going to take advantage of the low prices and stock up.4) My mother is friends with all the local politicians. If I ever decide to get into politics, I'll take advantage of her connections.5) Let's take advantage of the beautiful weather and go to the beach this afternoon. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Let's continue our practice with the verb “take”, this time with “take place” which means to “happen”, usually for organized events.1) The next summer Olympic Games will take place in Los Angeles. I hope it won't be too hot.2) The next performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra will take place on September 8th.3) The 2024 US presidential election will take place on November 5.4) I would like our wedding to take place as soon as possible. 5) We had a long business meeting, but the serious decisions took place later during dinner.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showEmail me: swift.water3883@fastmail.comYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!The verb “take” is very common in English and it's used in many ways. One of the expressions is to “take a look.” Here are some examples:1) “Doctor, please take a look at this X-ray.”2) He took one look at the snake and said, “It's a Burmese Python.”3) “We need to take a look around your apartment,” said the policeman.4) She took one look at my hand and said, “That's a nasty cut. You're going to need some stitches.”5) My professor said he would take a look at my essay later.To get the most benefit from this podcast, practice it once or twice, then put it away for a day or two--and then practice it again. If you can, make a recording of yourself saying these sentences and compare your pronunciation with mine. Repeated listening and speaking is the key.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!August has been very busy but here's a podcast so you won't think I've run away somewhere. We use the word "so" in many ways. Here are some sample sentences.1- That is a beautiful painting?Do you really think so?2- Is it time for dinner? Is the food ready?I think so.3- She speaks French and so do I.4- And so off to the movies we went, arm in arm. (So = then)5- She had never felt so happy before in her life.6- I can only exercise so much in one day.7- I didn't do it!You did so!8- I so don't want to travel with him. (Informal)9- You can't count on her. She is so unreliable.10- Most television shows are so boring.11- I lived in Spain not so long ago.12- She was so good in math and science that she became a chemist.13- He has perfect pitch, so he always sings in tune.14- My son says he hates broccoli so he won't eat it.15- So here we go again: arguing about something stupid.16- You say I shouldn't run a marathon and I say, “So what? It's my decision.”17- “So THAT'S who ate all the cookies!”18- His room is very neat and he keeps all his things just so.19- If you need to talk to your teacher, do so as soon as possible. 20- I'll stay in Paris for a week or so.21- So now we've come to the end of this podcast. Bye!Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!This podcast contains 26 sentences. Each sentence includes at least one 4-syllable word. The words are in alphabetical order, so the 4-syllable word in the first sentence is “alligator” beginning with “A” and so on. Sentence number 26 contains the word “zoology”.Note that some of the sentences are silly and nonsensical while others are perfectly normal. Don't worry about the ones that don't make sense. Your job here is to practice pronouncing English.  Let's start:1. I was eaten by an alligator.2. She married a benevolent barbarian.3. He battled a cantankerous cauliflower.4. You can't deactivate a dandelion.5. We rode up on an entertaining elevator.6. She was flabbergasted by my fettuccine.7. I donate generously to gastronomic startups.8. His harmonica playing was heartbreakingly sad.9. I will now introduce you to the isosceles triangle. 10. She doesn't put jellyfishes in her jambalaya. 11. The kindergarten children of Kalamazoo are knowledgeable about Kookaburras.12. Our librarian spoke lyrically about her favorite books.13. Nobody wants to eat microscopic macaroni.14. The naturalist was also a skilled navigator. 15. My grandmother was a phone operator in Oklahoma. 16. I told the doctor about my peculiar palpitations.17. The politician's quick-wittedness was questionable. 18. We had to regularly repair our car's radiator.19. When we put out their dinner dishes, the dogs began synchronizing their salivation.20. Who put the teriyaki in the terrarium?21. Her ukulele playing was unbearably bad.22. A vacationer from Venice vaccinated me.23. Our watermelon was wonderfully juicy.24. I don't know what a xylotomist is.25. She used to work in Yosemite Park.26. Is zoology the study of zoos?If you need to translate any of the words in this podcast, DeepL is a good translator.This podcast took several hours to write, record, and edit. Whaddya think? Is it worth a few dollars to you? Should I continue this work or quit? Your support will answer that question. Thank you.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Fixed expressions are little English phrases that native speakers use all the time. If I were in your shoes, I would learn lots of fixed expressions.For variety, this podcast uses several synthetic voices to read the sentences. 1. The fact that she speaks five languages doesn't mean she's qualified to be president. 2. The fact that I just saw a rat means we're not eating dinner in this restaurant. 3. The fact that our next door neighbor owns three cars proves that he has more money than sense.4. On the way to work, a bird flew into my car.5. On the way to Paris, our plane developed engine trouble.6. On the way to the beach, it started to rain cats and dogs.7. To my amazement, dinner was ready and waiting for me when I got home.8. To his amazement, he got a perfect score on his physics exam.9. To our amazement, the storm passed by quickly and the weather was perfect for our picnic.10. To their amazement, their new film won first prize at the film festival.Plea for support... I need help keeping wadjasay available. Details in the podcast.11. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't move to Bombay. It's too hot there.12. If I were in your shoes, I'd marry someone more intelligent than your current girlfriend.13. She said that if she were in my shoes, she'd quit her  job and go to graduate school.  14. Without warning, dishes began to rattle on the shelves. It was an earthquake!15. Without warning, his mother began to cry. "What's the matter?" asked Maria.16. Without warning, the car in front of us hit a patch of ice and skidded off the road.17. That's the kind of thing that drives me crazy.18. Poorly prepared food in a restaurant is the kind of thing I can't tolerate.19. Drinking alcohol and driving is the kind of thing that should be severely punished.20. I got off to a fast start but after a few kilometers, other runners began to catch up with me.21.  She was out sick at the beginning of the semester, but after she returned to school she soon caught up with the other students in her class.22. I had to work late but I caught up with my friends at the mall later in the evening.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Practice with the DJ sound, as in “judge” and “ginger.”1 - His travel agency has a large budget for advertising. 2 - Have you ever heard of an angel with an allergy?3 - The archaeologist apologized to the biologist. 4 - She lives on the edge of Egypt.5 - The earthquake caused a lot of damage. It was a huge emergency.6 - The engineer decided to enlarge the bridge.7 - In general he is a generous man.8 - My geography professor is a genuine genius.9 - My grandmother baked a gigantic gingerbread man.10 - The doctor suggested a diet of more vegetables and extra oranges.Episodes of the wadjasay podcast have now been downloaded more than 50,000 times. I am amazed.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Here's a short poem to help you practice S, Z, and SH sounds. Dessert Time at the Zooquarium.A zebra sipped a milkshake.A serpent swam in cream.Hippos splashed and frolicked.In a gurgling chocolate stream.The zoo was full of visitors who buzzed like busy bees.And watched the sharks swim lazily through orange soda seas.The sounds were like an orchestra.As creatures chewed and slurped.At closing time, the whole place shook.An elephant had burped.© 2024 Barry KahnPermission is hereby granted to use this poem for educational purposes only with attribution to the author. Please see the transcript for the full podcast text.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!English has V sounds and W sounds. But some languages only have one or the other. If your native language is missing one of these sounds, you need to learn it. Otherwise we won't know if you want to say “wet” or “vet”. To help you practice, I wrote this poem:Mind Your Vs and WsOur teacher is a vampire,He wobbles when he walksHis voice is kind of funnyBut we like the way he talks.“I want to drink your blood,” he says,“It's so invigorating.”But he says ‘vant' instead of ‘want'And so ‘inwigerating'.“Mind your Vs and Ws,” We tell him with regret,“It's ‘while' and ‘went' and ‘west' and ‘wary'And ‘whale' and ‘worse' and ‘wet'.”“Just so!” he says, “I see, I see,I'll get them right I bet:It's ‘vile' and ‘vent' and ‘vest' and ‘vary'And ‘veil' and ‘verse' and ‘vet'.”“No!” We shout, and laugh and yellAnd act like we will riotUntil he shows his shiny fangs—And then—like graves—we're quiet.© 2024 Barry KahnPermission is hereby granted to use this poem for educational purposes only with attribution to the author.                                                                                                          Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Let's continue with English reductions where the pronunciation of the word "and" changes to 'n. Here's another example: “She's out and about, shopping at the mall,” changes to …”out 'n about”…11. Our cat wandered off again but she'll come home by and by.12. Now and then we like to eat dinner at a fancy restaurant. 13. In this day and age, buying a house at the beach is asking for trouble.14. We have an off and on friendship.15. I explained the homework over and over again.16. After he fought with an alligator, he was black and blue all over his body.17. I'm willing and able to move to London for the right job.18. My brother arrived home safe and sound after six months traveling around Africa.19. The boat went up and down and up and down until everyone was seasick.20. He's an up and coming young artist.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!English is full of reductions. We write “going to” but we say “gonna” for example.The conjunction “and” is often reduced to an /n/ sound. So “hot and cold” becomes “hot 'n' cold” and so on. Here are ten sentences to practice with.These phrases are sometimes called “fixed” and phrases. Ask any American to finish these:“Rock and _____.”“Bright and ______.”“Pros and ______.”Yes, they are effectively collocations. 1. She often listens to rock and roll.2. My grandson like to eat bread and jam.3. “I now pronounce you man and wife.”4. They got up bright and early.5. She cared for her grandmother night and day.6. He wasn't interested in the ins and outs of local politics.7. Professor Jones studied the rise and fall of ancient empires.8. It was a matter of life and death. 9. I need to think about the pros and cons before I decide.10. There's too much hustle and bustle in a big city. I prefer living in the country. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Regular verbs in English add “ed” to show past tense.So “walk” becomes “walked”, “cook” becomes “cooked”, etc.There are three ways the “ed” can be pronounced. In this podcast we will—again—practice verbs where the past tense ends with the /t/ sound. So in #1, look becomes looked [lookt] and drop becomes dropped [drohpt]. Note: this podcast includes several synthetic voices. (Due to a bad cold and sore throat, my voice is on vacation.)If you need to practice this podcast, then you should also practice this one with the /d/ sound.1 .  I looked for my phone but apparently I had dropped it into the lake.2 .   We baked an apple pie and I brushed some butter on the crust.3 .   I cracked some eggs into the pan and we cooked breakfast. 4 .   I kissed her hand and she dropped me a curtsy.5 .   He finished work at six and then hiked home.6 .   The prisoner jumped out the window and escaped.7 .   I guessed what was wrong and then I fixed his car.8 .   My uncle laughed as he smoked a cigar.9 .   My sister and I talked as we shopped.10 .   The man stopped and looked out the window.11 .   Mr. Jones slipped on the ice, fell down, and knocked himself out.12 .   He picked some flowers for his mother and pressed them into her hand.13 .   We locked the door and hoped there were no burglars around. 14 .   The ballerina danced like an angel.15 .   His car crashed into a tree.16 .   What a crowd of people! The room was packed.17 .   I missed the bus so I walked home from work.18 .   I pushed the baby carriage. We passed lots of other carriages. So many babies!19 .   He joked with me as he dressed in a tuxedo.20 .   I relaxed and watched the men working across the street.21 .   I thanked the doctor for his help.22 .   She peeked into the oven. The cake was not baked yet.23 .   I touched him on the shoulder and he jumped.24 .   I passed him my binoculars so he could look at the lion.25 .   Our websites are now linked.If you're listening to this, I assume you've practiced most or all of the sentences in this podcast. And if you've done that, you must believe it's helping you to improve your English. That's great! But Barry has a question for you: should this podcast be free? It's not free for him to create: it takes time to write and record, often 2-3 hours per podcast. He pays monthly fees to the company that hosts the podcasts. He pays monthly fees for the software that he uses to record and edit the software. As a business, this podcast is a failure. The money it costs Barry is much greater than the few dollars he gets every month from supporters. And that's why he's thinking of stopping. If you care, become a supporter or at least donate by buying the occasional cup of coffee. If you don't care, then stopping the podcast won't make any difference—except that Barry will have more free time.If you'd like to share your thoughts, please use the link at the top of the podcast text. And if you're wondering why Barry didn't record this in his own voice, it's because he has a terrible cold and no voice to record with. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!Final consonant clusters with "r"What's a consonant cluster? Simple: take the "r" sound, combine it with another consonant like "d", as in the word "yard" and you have a small group or cluster of two consonants. In the sentences below you'll find words like these:  hard, guard, stirred, part, third, park, clerk, etc. Depending on your native language these may be easy to pronounce, or sometimes quite difficult.  (In another podcast we'll practice some of the longer, harder clusters. Can you say "desks" for example?)1- English is not so hard to learn.2- The guard watched us as we approached the door.3- My mother stirred the pot of soup.4- My brother gave me part of his sandwich.5- Please spell the third word in that sentence.6- She parked her car in the dark.7- I work as a clerk.8- Slurp is a verb.9- The horse ran around the race course.10- The nurse was carrying a purse.11- There are no cars on Mars.12- My cat purrs all the time.13- His dog snarled at me.14- I called her the ‘Girl with the pearl earrings.'15- Did you hear the alarm at the farm?16- I warned them of the approaching storm.17- She lives on a farm.18- He walked away from the accident unharmed.19- My friends got divorced last year.20- My first job was the worst.21- The horse was pulling a cart full of garbage.22- I like the girl with the curly hair.23- She poured out her heart to her sister.24- The world is warming.25- How much is that diamond worth?Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!See the transcript for the text of part 2.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Click on the transcript link to read the text as you listen. Enjoy!Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the Show.You can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Syncope (loss of unstressed vowels after a stressed syllable.)Example “chocolate” [CHAWK-uh-luht] becomes [CHAW-kluht]1- I like to eat chocolate. [CHAW-kluht]2- She visits her mother every weekend. [EV-ree]3- He bought a new camera. [KAM-ruh]4- We go for a walk in the evening. [EEV-niŋ]6- Are you interested in ancient history? [HIS-tree]7- We have a vegetable garden. [VEJ-tuh-buhl]8- Those two ideas are not comparable. [KOM-pruh-buhl]9- She works in a laboratory. [LAB-ruh-tor-ee]10- What an interesting person he is. [IN-truhs-tiŋ]11- I got the flu last week. I felt so miserable. [MIZ-ruh-buhl]12- Generally I only drink coffee in the morning. [JEN-ruh-lee]13- I have a headache. I'm going to take an aspirin.14- Mexican Spanish is different from Argentinian Spanish.15- What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?16- Let's go to a restaurant for dinner.17- Is coffee your beverage of choice?18- I'd like to introduce you to my family.19- That seems like a reasonable solution to our problem.20- Ireland is nicknamed the “Emerald” Isle.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

One of the science podcasts I listen to regularly is Astronomy Cast hosted by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay. In today's lesson, you'll hear a short excerpt from Episode 705: Water Worlds - Looking for Life Beyond Earth. First you'll hear a clip from their podcast, and then I'll break their speech into shorter fragments so you can listen and repeat. You'll hear that Fraser Cain in particular speaks quite rapidly. It would be hard to repeat at his speed!1- Wherever we find liquid water on Earth, we find life.2- So it makes sense to search for water across the universe, and hopefully, we can find evidence of life.3- But what about worlds which are completely covered in water?4- Oceans, hundreds of kilometers deep. Can there be too much water?5- So this idea of water worlds, I mean, we learned everything we needed to know from that Kevin Costner movie, right?6- No, no, one of the things that I was thinking about preparing for this show 7- is just how magnificently wrong in pretty much every way that movie appears to have been, 8- except from a climate change perspective.9- And really, if you want one thing to be wrong, you want it to be the climate change part that's wrong.10- Yeah, but climate change causes sea levels to rise by a couple of hundred feet in the worst case scenario.Let's listen to the original podcast excerpt again.11- Right, no, that's true. It won't eat the entire planet. There will still be soil.12-  The coastlines will be roughly where they were, especially in places that are very mountainous.13- So it won't be hard where you're trying to find evidence of islands.14- No, no. But this idea of water worlds, we know they exist here in the solar system, and so we assume that they're out there.15- So give us sort of like an idea, what is the quintessential water world here in the solar system?You've listened to the original speakers, you've listened to me, and you've had a chance to listen and repeat. Now listen to the original one more time. Remember: you can't listen too much when you're studying a new language!Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

The phone rings and it's a stranger trying to sell you something. This is part one of a multi-podcast series based on a real script. Have fun!Hi, this is Barry calling from Scam-O-Rama Car Services. I'm calling regarding your 2016 Chevrolet Survivor. How is your 2016 Chevy Survivor running? Do you know the approximate current mileage? Great! I'm calling because the original factory warranty that was on your vehicle has expired. We're running a promotion today for reinstating your original factory coverage. We're going to add 12 months of service at no additional cost. You can take your vehicle to the DownTown HotShot dealership. Are you familiar with them? Do you know where they're located? For the next 12 months you'll take your vehicle there for all your service needs, all your oil changes, tire rotations, and they will also provide you with roadside assistance. 1- Hi, this is Barry calling from Scam-O-Rama Car Services. 2- I'm calling regarding your 2016 Chevrolet Survivor. 3- How is your 2016 Chevy Survivor running? 4- Do you know the approximate current mileage? Great! 5- I'm calling because the original factory warranty that was on your vehicle has expired. 6- We're running a promotion today for reinstating your original factory coverage. 7- We're going to add 12 months of service at no additional cost. 8- You can take your vehicle to the DownTown HotShot dealership. 9- Are you familiar with them?  Do you know where they're located? 10- For the next 12 months you'll take your vehicle there for all your service needs, all your oil changes, tire rotations, and they will also provide you with roadside assistance. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

This is the first in a series of lessons about connected speech. One of the ways in which we link syllables and words together is with "glides" -- for example a Y sound is added between "be" and "able" so it sounds like "bee yable".  Listen to the sentences and you'll get the idea of these glides.Y glides:/iy/1) I would like to be able to speak fluent English.2) Will you be able to come?3) She likes to create small sculptures. 4) Let's create something new.5) My dog loves being in the house.6) Mary is seeing her French cousin for the first time./ey/5) Please say it again.6) Lay it down over there.7) He's paying for the new table.8) We'll be staying at a hotel. 9) Don't stay up too late.10) She's praying for her father./ai/11) She's in her room crying.12) I can hear him sighing.13) My son is trying out for the basketball team.14) She is very naive.15) I will bring my own soup. 16) He will be flying here from Naples.17) The cat is eyeing my dinner. It's fish./ɔy/18) He has a new toy airplane.19) The cat was toying with the mouse.20) His name is Roy Adams.21) He has a boyish face.22) My sister is annoying me.==========================W glides:23) His car is a bluish color.24) Where are you going?25) However, she does speak Hungarian.26) You should do it now.27) I wish that dog would go away.28) Now is the time for us to leave./uw/ 29) I'll sign my name in blue ink.30) Are you in the kitchen?31) His name is Stuart./ow/ 32) There's no art in that room.33) The word “Noel” is often heard in Christmas songs.34) No one is listening to us./aw/ 35) How is it going?36) We need some more flour.37) How're you doing?Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Here are some sentences with six-syllable words.1- In the 1960s people experimented with hallucinogenic drugs. 2- Covid 19 has resulted in the hospitalization of too many people.3- Please do NOT eat mushrooms which are not identifiable as safe and harmless.4- Alien organisms might not be easily categorizable.5- After lengthy reconsideration of your proposal, my answer is still NO.6- I was the beneficiary of my late uncle's largesse. He was a generous man.7- I would like to study extraterrestrial biodiversity. 8- She is planning to write a lengthy autobiography. 9- Please show us your identification. 10- Is it possible to be a humanitarian revolutionary?11- Deep sea creatures often exhibit bioluminescence. 12- Sometimes people overgeneralize when they telecommunicate.13- I am studying the electromagnetic spectrum.14- Lack of precipitation is leading to the desertification of the American southwest.15- She was easily identifiable by her short purple hair and long pointy nose.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Crazy English. We pronounce "ough" in too many ways...I thought microbiology was a tough course, but my professor was a thorough teacher. I studied hard throughout, and in the end I learned what he taught even though it was a challenge.1- I thought microbiology was a tough course…2…but my professor was a thorough teacher. 3- I studied hard throughout…4…and in the end I learned what he taught…5…even though it was a challenge.You did it! Good job.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

1- Do you think you know what a parachute looks like? 2- Guess what: There are tons of parachute types out there, and you probably don't know 'em all! 3- Here's a rundown of several of the normal and not-so-normal types of parachutes… 3a- …that help skydivers (and far-flung cargo) make their way softly back down to terra firma.4- Round parachutes were the first tools for fabric descent. 5- If your mental image of a parachute involves a big, inverted pouch of fabric… 5a-…suspended over a helpless jumper, then it's a round parachute you're thinking of. 6- Round parachutes served a purpose for a very long time (and still do, in some very specific circumstances)…7-…but there were a few issues with this design that caused them to eventually fade from regular use. Commercial break ! Do you ever wonder what it costs to produce and share a podcast like wadjasay? Let me tell you. Putting my podcasts online so you can listen and download them costs $12 per month for up to 3 hours. If I want to go over 3 hours, It costs more. The software I use for recording and editing costs about $16 per month. So my current cash out-of-pocket expenses total $28 dollars per month. Then there's my time. Each recorded hour of the podcast requires on average two to three hours of time for research, preparation, recording, editing, and uploading the finished podcast. So if I upload three hours of podcasts each month, and pay myself an imaginary $20 per hour, and I'm very efficient so it only takes me 6 hours to make the 3 hours of podcasts, I owe myself $120 per month. So the grand total? I'm investing at least $150 per month in cash and my time to keep wadjasay running.In the first week after I upload a new podcast, it is usually downloaded between 50 and 100 times. I am recording this on March 16th, and I presently have two monthly subscribers to wadjasay. (Thank you, and thank you!) But what about everyone else? If you take the time to download the podcast, I can only conclude that you find it helpful. If that's true, please help support it. A few dollars a month would tell me that I'm not wasting my time and that my efforts are worth continuing. Thank you! Now back to practicing English.8- First off: They're (gulp!) unsteerable. Secondly, they're (double gulp!) not super-likely to land lightly.9- Cruciform parachutes can be seen as kinda-sorta a subset of round parachutes. 10- They're not round, per se, but they're certainly not the square modern parachutes we use for most purposes today. 11- The difference is this: their squared-off profile decreases oscillation 12- …and ends up resulting in fewer landing injury rates for the jumpers and cargo that dangle helplessly below. 13- The bump at the end is about 25% softer than the cruciform's rounder cousin, 14-…but it's still nowhere near as good an idea as the modern skydiving parachute, so this one also stays firmly in the military world.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

What parachute types are there? Do you think you know what a parachute looks like? Guess what: There are tons of parachute types out there, and you probably don't know 'em all! Here's a rundown of several of the normal and not-so-normal types of parachutes that help skydivers (and far-flung cargo) make their way softly back down to terra firma.1. ROUND PARACHUTESRound parachutes were the first tools for fabric descent. If your mental image of a parachute involves a big, inverted pouch of fabric suspended over a helpless jumper, then it's a round parachute you're thinking of. Round parachutes served a purpose for a very long time (and still do, in some very specific circumstances), but there were a few issues with this design that caused them to eventually fade from regular use. First off: They're (gulp!) unsteerable. Secondly, they're (double gulp!) not super-likely to land lightly.2. CRUCIFORM PARACHUTESCruciform parachutes can be seen as kinda-sorta a subset of round parachutes. They're not round, per se, but they're certainly not the square modern parachutes we use for most purposes today. The difference is this: their squared-off profile decreases oscillation and ends up resulting in fewer landing injury rates for the jumpers and cargo that dangle helplessly below. The bump at the end is about 25% softer than the cruciform's rounder cousin, but it's still nowhere near as good an idea as the modern skydiving parachute, so this one also stays firmly in the military world.3. ROGALLO WINGSYou'll pretty much never see a rogallo parachute in the sport skydiving world — but you just might see one in paragliding, where they're commonly used as rescue parachutes. The wing design is highly recognizable: two partial conic surfaces with both cones pointing forward, vaguely triangular or hang-glidery in appearance. Springy and flexible, the Rogallo wing is most often seen in toy kites, but has been used to construct descent parachutes for spacecraft, as well as provide an airfoil for ultralight powered aircraft like trikes.4. RAM AIR PARACHUTESSo what are you most likely to see on a skydiving dropzone? Far and away, you'll be looking at the venerable ram air parachute. As a matter of fact, just about everyone in the sky today uses ram air canopies to get down. You'll recognize them instantly: a square or rectangular fabric wing, wherein a top and bottom sheet of nylon are attached by a set of fabric ribs between them.That's the magic, right there: The ribs divide the parachute into a set of individual cells that inflate when fast-moving air is pushed in through the front, and inflates the parachute all the way to the back. When that inflation happens, the wing inflates to the point that it becomes a steerable airfoil. Bingo! A stable flying machine that slows you down, steers like a dream and “flares” to land you as softly as a pretty little fairy princess.My thanks to the folks at Long Island Skydiving for permission to share this information. To learn more about skydiving, please visit their website.To see the page on their blog about parachute types, click here.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

1 - Gymnasts have broad, muscular backs.2 - I worked in the garden all morning and now my back aches.3 - He broke his back in a terrible car accident.4 - Have you ever read The Hunchback of Notre Dame?5 - My dog always stretches his back and yawns when he wakes up.6 - My cat arched his back and hissed loudly at the neighbor's dog.7 - She leaned her back against the door and looked at me suspiciously.8 - He patted and scratched his dog's back affectionately. 9 - Tall people are prone to back trouble.10 - I need an office chair with good back support.11 - If there's a problem, please tell me to my face. Don't go behind my back.12 - He got a bad case of Covid and was flat on his back for weeks.13 - What are you carrying on your back?14 - She stood with her back to the fire, sipping hot chocolate. 15 - Watch your back—there are people who would like to get you fired.16 - The boss gave me a slap on the back and told me I was going to get a raise soon.17 - The children were sitting back to back in a large cardboard box.18 - We could only get seats at the back of the stadium for the Taylor Swift concert.19 - I prefer to sit near the front of the bus, not at the back.20 - The dog wasn't out front, so we went around back and looked for him there.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

There are some words in English which change their meaning when you change the stress. Here's an example:Perfect - free of mistakes, problems, errors.1 - The teacher said my homework was perfect. (PER-fect)2 - She got a perfect score on the exam.3 - Your pronunciation is perfect.4 - It's hard to be perfect all the time. 5 - That painting looks just like my grandmother. It's a perfect likeness.6 - The forger copied my signature perfectly. Uh oh!7 - What a smile! She has perfect teeth.8 - The criminal had a perfect alibi.9 - The doctor said I was in perfect health.10 - This is the perfect place to begin our discussion of aliens.To perfect something:  per-FECT - to make something or do something as well as you can11 - It took her years of practice to perfect her violin technique. 12 - I have tried for years to perfect my pronunciation of French.13 - The car company is trying to perfect a new type of engine.14 - The chef has perfected his recipe for chicken Kiev.15 - My wife goes ice skating every day, but she has not yet perfected her jumps. Support the showIntro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

 1 - I enjoyed myself when I visited Mexico. 2 - She hurt herself playing basketball. 3 - You're working too hard. Don't kill yourself! 4 - John is going to make himself a sandwich. 5 - We encourage ourselves to practice English every day. 6 - I own my own small company. I pay myself four thousand dollars per month. 7 - It is important for children to learn to behave themselves. 8 - If you get hungry please help yourself to anything in the refrigerator. 9 - He entertained himself by playing chess against a computer. 10 - She likes to do things herself and not ask other people for help. 11 - The cat scratched itself and then ran away. 12 - My dog looked in the mirror and barked at itself. 13 - The food was delicious so we helped ourselves to more. 14 - I was chopping carrots in the kitchen when I cut myself. 15 - When you play violin, you have to listen carefully to yourself. Some sentences with “yourself” Before you buy a new car, ask yourself if you really need it. When you go to a job interview, just be yourself. Did you cook dinner all by yourself? The accident wasn't your fault, so don't blame yourself.  So a flying saucer landed in front of your house? I think I need to see that for myself.  Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

The full text of this podcast along with additional information about job scams can be found on the US Federal Trade Commission website.Here are some sentences to use for pronunciation practice. They are at the end of the podcast.1- Scammers advertise jobs the same way honest employers do — online (in ads, on job sites, and social media), in newspapers, and sometimes on TV and radio. 2- They promise you a job, but what they want is your money and your personal information. 3- Here are some examples of jobs scams and advice on how to avoid them.4- Scammers place ads, often online, claiming that they have jobs where you can make thousands of dollars a month working from home with little time and effort.5 - Sometimes the scammers try to get you interested by saying that you can be your own boss, start your own business, or set your own schedule.6 - But instead of making money, you end up paying for starter kits, so-called training, or certifications that are useless. 7 - You might also find that your credit card is charged without your permission.8 -  Or you get caught up in a fake check scam, where you deposit a check from your new employer.9 - The employer then asks you to send some money back due to “overpayment,” but the check will ultimately bounce, and the bank will want you to repay the full amount of the fake check, while the scammers keep the real money you sent them.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

There are many collocations in English using the word “pain”. Here are a few to practice with.1) He immersed himself in the music and for a little while forgot the pain of losing his father.2) She took medications for a few days to ease the pain in her leg.3) It took me a long time to get over the pain of getting divorced.4) We shared both the joy and pain of raising our children.5) Her husband is a soldier. She knows the pain of separation. 6) Her addiction to drugs caused her family a lot of pain.7) I would like to spare you the pain of getting fired.8) He tried to conceal the pain in his foot.9) My boss is a huge pain in the neck. And HIS boss is a pain in the ass.10) Dr. Jones specializes in medications to manage pain. 11)  I have a high tolerance for pain.12) On a scale of one to ten, what is the level of your pain?13) A sharp pain shot up my arm.14) The pain increases when I try to lift something heavy.15) The pain goes away after I take a hot shower.16) She groaned with pain and pushed the baby out.17) I ignore the pain in my knees when I go for a walk.18) She wants to learn guitar so she puts up with sore fingers.19) My father was rushed to the hospital suffering from severe pains in his lower abdomen. 20) Sitting all day makes the pain in my back worse. 21) He stayed in bed all day with back pain.22)  The bee stings caused my sister extreme pain.23)  The soldier feels phantom pain in his missing leg.24) I have read that snow blindness can cause excruciating pain.25) The cause of my mother's intermittent pain is a mystery.[I like DeepL for translations.]And a thank you to my supporters who help me pay the costs of running this podcast. Every penny helps! Buy me a coffee for a one-time donation or use the support link below:Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived with her mother in a small house at the edge of a big forest.The girl had a bright red cape with a hood and it was so striking that everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood.One day her mother said, "Sweetie, I'm preparing a basket of treats for your dear grandmother. She's not feeling well and a visit from you would cheer her up.”Soon the basket of treats was ready.Little Red Riding Hood put on her cape and her mother gave her final instructions."Sweetie, remember, follow the path through the woods until you reach your grandmother's house. And remember, do not stop along the way and do not talk to strangers. Stay on the path. Do not wander in the woods. Do not stop and pick flowers. Stay out of trouble, please.”"Yeah, yeah,” said Little Red Riding Hood. "No problem.”Please see the transcript for the rest of the story.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

1) Our teacher gave us some grammar exercises for homework.2) The translation exercises were difficult.3) I do yoga exercises every morning.4) His doctor recommended some exercises to strengthen his back.5) Learning a new language is a good mental exercise.6) Mary does daily breathing, stretching, and relaxation exercises. 7) I like to listen to rock and roll music during exercise.8) My wife gave me an exercise video for my birthday. 9)  I don't have any exercise equipment at home.10) My uncle doesn't get enough exercise.11) I prefer outdoor exercise like running with my dog.12) The doctor said I needed more cardiovascular exercise.13)  Has your company ever run team-building exercises?14) In the end the entire discussion went nowhere. It was an empty exercise.15) The US soldiers took part in joint exercises with NATO troops.16) Please exercise discretion and keep this secret from your grandmother.17) Preparing for the next pandemic is not just a theoretical exercise.18) We have conducted emergency training exercises in every part of the country.19) I'll record some listening comprehension exercises for you.20) I hope this podcast has given your brain some exercise.Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

1) We go to dinner at a fancy restaurant when we're feeling extravagant. 2) Spending $200 on a pair of shoes seems extravagant to me.3) She's only extravagant when she's on vacation and then she throws caution to the winds.4) After winning the lottery, he became the most extravagant person I know. He spent millions on his new house.5) The lifestyles of the rich and famous are often wildly extravagant. 6) Mr. Jones is a conservative man, but his wife is very extravagant. 7) He's cautious with money at home, but at the casino he's rather extravagant.8) I'm slightly extravagant when choosing birthday gifts for my children.9) Lucy is tight-fisted with her own money, but quite extravagant with mine.10) Politicians make extravagant claims when running for re-election.11) My boss praised me extravagantly last month. A few weeks later, our company went bankrupt.12) There are dangers in an extravagant lifestyle. 13) He's a connoisseur of fine wines, and he praised my collection extravagantly.14) His taste in cars is extravagant. He owns a Ferrari and a Porsche.15) I'd rather own ten good books than an expensive car. I'm not what you'd call extravagant.  Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Some sentences with "happy":1) He has a successful business with many happy customers.2) Meeting you here in the airport was a happy accident. 3) The boy was whistling a happy tune.4) That movie had a happy ending. 5) Alex and Joanna are a very happy couple.6) My grandson has had a happy childhood.7) I have happy memories of my first trip to Europe.8) She had a productive day at work so she's in a happy mood.9) This restaurant has a happy atmosphere. 10) You have a happy face and a happy smile.This will probably be my last podcast of 2023. Thank you for listening. I hope you find these podcasts useful and if you're not a supporter, please consider a small donation to help me with the cost of keeping wadjasay available. Happy New Year to everyone!Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the showYou can now support my podcasts and classes:Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!