Ima Ocon

English can be a weird language.

Are you supposed to put an Oxford comma or not?

“Dough” and “rough” also have almost all of the same letters, but they don’t even rhyme.

Why are there so many irregular plural nouns, such as “goose” to “geese” and “child” to “children?”… Read more “5 T Pronunciation Rules for Clear American English”

“The tiger was sitting down, but it looked at me as if ready to attack. Even though I’d just drank water, my mouth went dry.”

This is only a couple of sentences, but the letter T appears more than ten times – and it’s pronounced here in five different ways.… Read more “Learn How to Pronounce T in American English”

How can you tell apart a robot from a human? 

Around 20 years ago, this question was easier to answer. When you talked to them, robots had a certain way of speaking: Hello. Human. I. Am. Happy. To. Assist. You.

There were sharp pauses between each word.… Read more “Your Guide to Linking Consonants to Vowels in English for Smoother Speech”

One wrong step and you’ll fall to your doom. That’s what it’s like to be on a tightrope.

With English too, you might say every word carefully because you’re scared of making a mistake. And you might dread coming up blank when you can’t remember the right word–with everyone looking at you. … Read more “10 Tips to Speak Confident English and Conquer Your Language Fears”

Your phone’s ringing.

You check your phone and your eyes widen.

It’s an important client, calling you out of the blue.

“Good afternoon,” you say a bit breathlessly.

Instead of a face-to-face meeting with your client, you’re now discussing your proposal over a phone call.… Read more “41 Key Phrases and Expressions for Handling English Phone Call Conversations with Confidence”

Business interactions can hinge on just a few key moments.

When you meet someone new, you barely know anything about them–but your mind makes snap judgments right away. 

The person you’re talking to could be a potential customer, a peer from the same industry, an investor, or a potentially useful contact.… Read more “17 Top English Greetings and Introductions for Starting Successful Business Conversations”

You’re about to go home from work. There’s a colleague standing next to you as both of you wait in front of the office elevator.

If you choose to stay quiet, it can get awkward – almost as if you’re ignoring each other. … Read more “The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Greetings and Small Talk in English”

Your palms are sweating. 

For a moment, your mind goes blank. 

All eyes are on you.

That moment right before you start presenting – as you take in your audience – is usually the scariest. The nervousness lessens with practice, but even the most frequent public speakers still get butterflies in their stomach sometimes.… Read more “35 Powerful Presentation Phrases in English for Engaging Your Audience”

Imagine asking two people how they are, and both of them answer with, “I’m fine.”

However, Person A says this with a smile, making direct eye contact with you with palms open by his side. On the other hand, Person B looks away and shrugs while rolling her eyes.… Read more “11 Essential English Gestures You Should Know to Advance Your Career”

$1 billion per minute – that was how fast Masayoshi Son, one of Japan’s wealthiest businessmen, managed to raise money in a meeting in Saudi Arabia.

Masayoshi Son spent 45 minutes talking to former Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.… Read more “30 Top Phrases to Excel in Business English Meetings”