Episode 351
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Hi! I'm Georgiana, and I'm back with a new episode. I'm here to help you speak English more easily and with confidence.
Great! Let's start!
Last time, we talked about false friends—words that look similar in English and your native language, but mean something very different.
Today, we’ll look at more examples so you can avoid common mistakes and speak with more confidence.
Let’s get started!
Example 1: Actual
This one’s a classic false friend.
In Spanish, “actual” or in Portuguese “atual” means “current” or “present.”
But in English, “actual” means real or true — not “current.”
So if you say:
👉 “My actual job is very interesting,”
you probably mean: “My current job.”
But in English, it sounds like:
“My real job is interesting… as if I had a fake one before!”
What should you say instead?
✅ “My current job is very interesting.”
Example 2: Sensible
This word can be confusing.
In Spanish "sensible"or French "sensible", means someone who is emotional or sensitive.
But in English, “sensible” means practical and reasonable.
So if you say:
👉 “I’m a sensible person,”
you mean you’re emotional.
But in English, it sounds like:
“I always make smart, logical decisions.”
What should you say instead?
✅ “I’m a sensitive person.”
Example 3: Lecture
In English, a lecture is a class or a talk — usually at a university.
But in Spanish or Portuguese, “lectura” or “leitura” means “reading.”
So if you say:
👉 “I had a long lecture at home yesterday,”
you probably mean you spent time reading.
But in English, it sounds like:
You were attending a university talk at home!
What should you say instead?
✅ “I did a lot of reading yesterday.”
Example 4: Library
This one causes confusion all the time.
In English, a library is a place where you borrow books.
But in Spanish, “librería” means bookstore — a place where you buy books.
So if you say:
👉 “I went to the library and bought a book,”
people might look at you strangely.
What should you say instead?
✅ “I went to the bookstore and bought a book.”
Example 5: Fabric
This one sounds similar, but it’s the meaning is completely different in English.
In English, fabric means cloth or material.
In Spanish, “fábrica” means factory — a place where things are made.
So if you say:
👉 “There’s a big fabric outside the city,”
people will imagine a huge piece of cloth on the road!
What should you say instead?
✅ “There’s a big factory outside the city.”
Example 6: Exit
This one sounds motivational in Spanish or Portuguese — but not in English.
In English, exit means the way out.
In Spanish and Portuguese, “éxito” or “êxito” means success.
So if you say:
👉 “He finally had his exit in life,”
you probably mean he succeeded.
But in English, it sounds like:
He left… forever!
What should you say instead?
✅ “He finally had success in life.”
Now, let’s practice.
Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.
IMPROVE YOUR SPEAKING
Mini-Story: Speaking Practice
Answer the questions aloud with short and quick responses. Repeat the Mini-Story several times to improve your speaking and listening.
He wanted to improve his English and speak more naturally.
Where was Carlos from?
From Spain. Carlos was from Spain.
Did he move to the U.S. or to Canada?
To the U.S. He moved to the United States.
Why did Carlos move? For vacation or for work?
For work. Carlos moved to the U.S. for work.
On his first day at work, Carlos told a coworker,
“My actual boss is very friendly.”
The coworker asked, “Do you mean your real boss or your current boss?”
Carlos was confused. He meant his current boss.
What word did Carlos use?
Actual. He said, “My actual boss.”
Did he mean ‘real’ or ‘current’?
Current. But he said “actual,” which means “real” in English.
Later, he said,
“I’m a very sensible person.”
His colleague smiled and said, “That’s great! We need logical people here.”
But Carlos meant he was sensitive, not logical.
Did Carlos say he was sensible or sensitive?
Sensible. He said, “I’m a sensible person.”
What did he mean?
He meant he’s sensitive—someone who feels emotions easily.
That afternoon, Carlos said,
“I assisted the meeting this morning.”
His manager looked surprised and said, “Thanks! What did you help with?”
Carlos laughed. He didn’t help. He just attended the meeting.
What did Carlos say he did?
He said he assisted the meeting.
Did he help organize the meeting?
No. He only attended the meeting.
What should he have said?
“I attended the meeting.”
The next day, he had a cold. He went to the pharmacy and said,
“I’m constipated.”
The pharmacist looked shocked and gave him medicine for stomach problems!
Carlos just wanted tissues. He meant to say, “I have a cold.”
What did Carlos say?
“I’m constipated.”
Was he talking about his stomach or his nose?
His nose. He had a cold, but he used the wrong word.
What should he have said?
“I have a cold,” or “I’m congested.”
That night, his roommate was upset.
Carlos tried to comfort him and said,
“I’m very sympathetic.”
His roommate looked confused and asked, “Are you sad too?”
Carlos meant “I’m a nice guy,” but “sympathetic” means you understand someone’s pain.
Did Carlos say he was sympathetic or friendly?
Sympathetic. He said he was sympathetic.
What does sympathetic mean in English?
It means you feel compassion when someone has a problem.
What did Carlos want to say?
That he was a nice or friendly person.
On Saturday, Carlos went to the library to buy a book.
The librarian said, “Sorry, we don’t sell books here.”
Carlos realized he had confused the library with a bookstore.
Did Carlos go to the library or the bookstore?
Library. But he wanted to buy a book.
Can you buy books at a library?
No, you borrow books at a library.
On Sunday, he visited a town near the city.
He saw a big building and said,
“That must be a huge fabric!”
His friend laughed and said, “Do you mean a factory?”
What did Carlos call the building?
A fabric.
Was it a fabric or a factory?
A factory. “Fabric” means cloth, not a building.
That night, Carlos told a friend,
“This trip has been a big exit for me.”
His friend looked confused, thinking Carlos was leaving.
Carlos meant it was a big success.
What word did Carlos use?
Exit. He said it was a big exit.
What did he mean?
Success. He meant the trip was a big success.
On Monday, he made a new plan to improve his English.
He said,
“Eventually, I’ll speak like a native!”
But his friend asked, “You will for sure? Or are you not sure?”
Carlos meant maybe—but in English, “eventually” means definitely, just later.
What did Carlos say?
“Eventually, I’ll speak like a native.”
Did he mean maybe or definitely?
Maybe. But “eventually” means finally, not maybe.
What should he have said?
“Maybe I’ll speak like a native.”
Despite all the confusion, Carlos learned a lot from his mistakes.
He wrote each new word in his notebook and smiled.
Did Carlos quit learning English?
No, no. He kept learning.
Did he get upset or laugh about the mistakes?
He laughed. He learned from each mistake.
What helped him the most?
Experience. Making mistakes and learning from them.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
false friend
a word that resembles a word in another language but has a different meaning.
actual
real or true; not current.
eventually
finally, after some time.
assist
help someone do something.
sensible
showing good judgment; not sensitive.
library
a place where books can be borrowed or read.
embarrassed
feeling uncomfortable because of a mistake.
learn from a mistake
use an error to improve in the future.
Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.
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