The Level Up English Podcast (Natural British English) #370 Mistakes That Native Speakers Make
Apr 1, 2026
A lively look at common native-speaker slips and why learners find them confusing. Topics include pronunciation quirks like TH fronting, casual word choices such as using adjectives instead of adverbs, and double negatives. There are tips on contractions (could've vs could of), tricky spelling pairs, fewer vs less, pronoun order, and why people say there’s with plurals.
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Learn Rules Before You Break Them
- Learn the rules before breaking them: master correct grammar and pronunciation first.
- Michael recommends avoiding creative or incorrect English until you're confident in the standard forms.
Host's Struggle With The TH Sound
- Michael describes his lifelong difficulty with TH sounds, often producing F or V in words like think and brother.
- He links this to TH fronting common in Cockney and admits he still practices the correct tongue placement.
Why People Say Go Slow Instead Of Go Slowly
- Native speakers often use adjectives where adverbs belong, e.g., go slow instead of go slowly, especially in casual speech and signs.
- Michael notes it's shorter, widely accepted in conversation, but learners should use adverbs until fluent.