☕️ "Is There a Black Purse In Here?" 💓TOP 1 Feature of "Connected Speech" or Why You DON'T Understand Native English Speakers

Ever wondered why you understand the text while reading and cannot get the same text when you hear it?
The answer is: 5 features of "Connected Speech"

1. Linking
2. Elision
3. Assimilation
4. Intrusion
5. Weak Forms

Today, we demonstrate #1 Top Feature of "Connected Speech" — Linking

🐐 LINKING is when words "hold hands" in speech — the end of one word connects to the start of the next

Linking Formula: Consonant + Vowel = smash them together

Linking Examples:
👁‍🗨"Turn off" sounds like "Tur-noff"
👁‍🗨"Not at all" sounds like "No-ta-tall"
👁‍🗨 "Big apple" sounds like "Bi-gapple"

🎧 Now play the video again. Congratulations! You recognise Linking in action!
Crazy thing: pronunciation and listening are linked too ;) As you start pronouncing words linking them, you'll get better at recognising others doing it.
Quick profit: better listening skills

Which feature of "Connected Speech" should we deconstruct next?

🪴Send this to friends dreaming of a trip to Africa. Or just like designer purses. You can never be sure!
🪴Come to a Wednesday Open Sub Meeting to drill that pesky "Connected Speech" together

⭐ Time Flies, but so Does your English with @EnglishForImpact 💓TOP 4 posts that you appreciated in July

This Friday, August, 1, 2025, take a moment to thank yourself for commitment to your English learning goals. Take a pause to review the materials that you've liked the most over last 30 days. Commit them to memory by applying the vocabulary and learning tips to your speech right now.
And if you don't have anyone around to practice with — start up a conversation in comments! There're 600+ like-minded people to respond and help you to sustain your English growth

☺️ Top July post by views, post #333

1 question Intermediate+ English learners can ask themselves to build meaningful connections when speaking English
🫧Review to shift your focus from pure grammar drills to communication mastery

🌷 Top July post by comments, post #326

Which dog has a chance to learn English?
🫧Review to have a minute of light-hearted fun and... adopt better learning strategies

🎀Top July post by reactions, post #351

Your personal angel-guardian
🫧Review to get to know our team member, an S2S assessor delivering personal feedback reports after your speaking sessions with other learners

🐄 Top July post by shares, post #348

10 common slack abbreviations
🫧Review to get confident with American work communication culture

Great work, keep going! You've got this, @EnglishForImpact reader! You're here, and we believe in you

💓Have you been a good reader this week? The Quiz below will show!

Check if you remember vocab from this week's Post Glossaries

💷 English Level of 125 Richest English Non Native Immigrants to the US - Forbes List broken down to you

These 125 people have been crazy enough to become "unrealistic" and "unreasonable"

These 125 people — men, predominantly, ha! We love men and working with them, any business-minded girlies reading this, though? Give us a shout-out!

Key Stats:

36 countries of origin
Age of Immigration ranging from 1 to* 40
25 Industries ranging from Aviation to Tech
3 English Proficiency levels:

- 6 Intermediate (B1-B2) speakers ❗️
- 5 Advanced (C1) ones
- 112 Fully Fluent (C2) ones

Which proves: you shouldn't delay using English to your advantage* till later

💅 Access the Full Break-Down on 125 Richest Immigrants to the US [spreadsheet]

English Speech Samples of 4 Non Native Immigrant Billionnaires
📌Sergey Brin, Russia 🇷🇺 Fluent, a public figure*
Speech sample: Why I returned to Google
📌Peter Ma, China 🇨🇳 Intermediate. A public figure, uses the services of an interpreter
Speech sample: The core difference between Tencent and Alibaba
📌Vinod Khosla, India 🇮🇳 Fluent,a public figure
Speech sample: The Future of Work in an AI-driven world
📌Dieter Schwartz, Germany 🇩🇪 Not a public figure
Speech sample: Not found

*Post Glossary. Pay attention: we'll quiz you later
🫧a public figure — a well known person with a strong media presence
🫧to range from ... to... — to vary between 2 things
"125 immigrants' net worth ranges from $30M to $110B"
🫧use (sth) to your advantage — use (English) in your best interests

🫧 Share this with your most ambitious friend
PS: spent 4 hrs prepping the materials - hoping more people than usual will see and like them!

☺️ What do you think: would these people still become billionnaires if they hadn't left their countries of origin?
I can't wait to learn what you think in comments!

🚬 TOP 3 most Challenging to Pronounce Words that Start with "P"

Based on 1000+ Feedback reports, these "3-P" words trigger 60% of pronunciation mistakes among S2S users. Happy to share the 411* with you, so that you don't repeat their mistakes!

1. Pleasant — something that feels nice
/ˈplɛzənt/ (PLEH-zuhnt)

2. Psychologist — you all know or even have one, right?
/saɪˈkɒlədʒɪst/ (sye-KOL-uh-jist)

3. Pseudo (E.g., Pseudo-science) — not real, fake
/ˈs(j)uːdoʊ/

🎧 Tap the video to get rid of the "3-P" mispronunciations once and for good. Is this new info for you or are you all clear on the "3-P"?

*Post Glossary
🫧411 - Information, the scoop. Before smartphones, people called 411 for phone numbers, addresses, and business info

English pronunciation for you is...

🚬 Challenging - need help!
🌷 Easy-peasy - don't need posts on pronunciation

💅 7 Meme Numbers Explained | Did you know that numbers can be words?

Yesterday, after 411 explained, @ybeymlina received more than usual (3!) DMs with thanks for 411 (pun intended). Don't be shy - you can leave comments with thanks, you know ;) Today, we explain +7 meme numbers

🍄DIsclaimer
You may be misunderstood if you use meme numbers. Sad, not every one is a meme lover. Tread carefully, start with recognising meme numbers, only then use them

🫧101 (One Oh One) - Basic, Introductory [Every day English]

Origin: Beginner courses're coded 101 in the US, e.g. Philosophy 101
Meme Use: That's Dating 101

🫧404 (Four Oh Four) - Clueless, lost, no idea [Every day English/Techies]

Origin: HTTP's 404 Not Found error you see on websites
Meme Use: Startup's business model's 404

🫧42 - The answer to life, universe, and everything [Every day English/Techies]

Origin: From Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979), where a supercomputer calculates this as life's ultimate answer
Meme Use: Tech culture reference. Google searches for "the answer to life" used to return "42"

🫧420 (Four Twenty) - Weed culture, code for cannabis [Teens, 🚬 lovers]

Origin: 1971, when a group of California teens ("The Waldos") met at 4:20 PM to smoke
Meme Use: It's always 4:20 somehere!

🫧0 to 1 (Zero to One) - From the beginning to the first results [Startupers]

Origin: Pieter Thiel's philosophy on building startups
Meme Use: Are you doing 0 to 1 or scaling?

🫧(5)8008 - Boob(s) [Teens]

Origin: Teen calculator meme, upside down calculator spelling
Meme Use: Well, you have to be in high school to know!

🫧r/196 - Randomness [Random people]

Origin: Reddit subreddit where you must post before leaving
Meme Use: Surreal, chaotic dumping ground

💓Over to you

- Which meme number's your favourite?
- Challenge you to pick 1 meme number from the image, google it up, and share what you learn in comments

🐁 What about all the hats? Brainrot visual to grab attention or...?

"To wear multiple hats" = to take on different roles or responsibilities, often at the same time. It means you're handling many tasks or functions that are normally assigned to different people

Examples:
🫧 An employee in a startup "wears multiple hats" - manages both customer support and social media
🫧 A parent "wears multiple hats" - a caregiver, teacher, and cooks at home

Origin:
The expression comes from the idea that different 🧢🎓🪖👒 stand for different roles

Other ways of using it:
🫧Let me put on my [strategist] hat
🫧Take off that [boss] hat, we're chilling!

Similar Expressions:
🫧Juggling many roles
🫧Being a multitasker
🫧Jack of all trades

Your turn

🐁 - Wearing so many hats is so tough — I feel for the guy
💓 - It's his choice — He can leave at any moment, no handcuffs