What words should be avoided to make your English speech more modern and natural

Any modern language is a living system that is constantly updated and changed. It is not surprising that some words simply become obsolete or just rarely sound in everyday communication, and new words appear in their place. Catch a selection of such words and their more modern versions from a native speaker.

What is already out of date

Disclaimer: we do not say that these words should not be used, or that they never ever sound in movies or songs, and so on, just try to help make your speech more modern and lively.



Automobile / auto - better to replace with car . It’s not that it made other English-speaking people baptized and run away from you in fear, but more often you can hear other options in the style of vehicle, car, ride, and so on.



Disco - this word in the sense of "disco" is used quite rarely and more often refers to the direction in the music. Yes, and people often go to the nightclub , where they dance.



What's your occupation - remember the question “who are you by profession”? Now this option is often not heard, so it is better to replace the occupation with the word job - What's your job?



Pardon me - "sorry" or "sorry." The phrase came from French and lingered for a long time. It can now be heard (like its analogue - I beg your pardon ), but less and less often. It is better to say excuse me , for example, if you need to get attention or ask to be missed.



Pupil is also a rather old variant for the word “student”. Although the word is excellent for the meaning “student” (for example, for some master or specialist), it is better to say schoolboy (girl) or even student for students of schools, universities.



Refrigerator - refrigerator. In everyday communication, carriers, as a rule, are looking for opportunities to shorten all long words. This is how hippo instead of hippopotamus , rhino instead of rhinoceros and fridge instead of refrigerator appeared . But in the technical literature is often found exactly the full version of this word.







Shall - this verb is preserved more in rules and instructions, but not in ordinary speech. Of course, everyone remembers the famous You shall not pass! This is true, in the literature, cinema this verb still occurs. And in phrases like Shall I help you or Shall we go to the bar tonight , when we offer either our help or a pleasant pastime tonight. But to designate a simple future, will .



Telephone - this word is associated in carriers with disc phones and old telephones. Since everyone is much more likely to use cellular, better phone, mobile or cell .



Television - the situation here, as with the word fridge - is used to reducing everything, so TV sounds more often, and not its full analogue.



What a pity and what a shame - such phrases can be heard less and less if you are upset about something. It is better to replace them with it / this sucks - that sucks.

What sounds too formal

In formal communication, formal vocabulary is the absolute norm. But in a dialogue with friends and acquaintances it will be superfluous, so you should use more simple and common vocabulary.



Depart is too formal a word for leave . Yes, at the airport and similar places this word is used, but in everyday communication this can be heard quite rarely.



Enter a building - enter the building. It is important to understand that in English only some celebrities and royals enter the building with the word enter . Or, when you need to add pathos and give more importance to someone's arrival. In other cases, they usually say come in .



Exit is the same, but in the opposite direction (exit). It is better to replace it with leave to say that someone is leaving or leaving.



How do you do - this phrase has not been used for a long time in the sense of “how are you doing?”, And even became just an analogue of “hello” - How do you do? - How do you do . Therefore, to find out how someone is doing, ask What's up, How's it going .



Locate - in the sense of “to find” is often used in military subjects, technical communications. But in everyday speech, say find will be more natural.



Receive - receive something. In email clients, of course, there is a word received for incoming messages. But, if you do not want to sound formal, say get . Even the film exists with the same name You've got mail .



Participate - to participate. When it comes to conferences, debates, this word is appropriate. And if we are talking about a game of football, poker games with friends, it is better to just say play .



Of course, if you decide to use more formal or obsolete words and phrases, they will understand you. Only here the younger the generation with which you will communicate, the more likely it is that you will have to clarify something or ask again. Do you remember similar English words and phrases that are not very clear to your foreign friends or colleagues ?

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