Common Mistakes in Spoken English: English Grammar Guide

Spoken English often sounds natural and effortless when used by native speakers, but for learners, it can be tricky. Even people with good grammar knowledge sometimes make small errors when speaking. These mistakes can affect clarity, confidence, and communication. In this guide, we’ll look at the most common mistakes in spoken English, why they happen, and how you can fix them.

1. Mixing Up Verb Tenses

One of the most frequent spoken English mistakes is using the wrong tense. People often switch tenses within the same sentence, especially when telling stories.

❌ Incorrect:
I was walking to school and then I see my friend.

✅ Correct:
I was walking to school and then I saw my friend.

In conversation, it’s easy to forget that once you start describing the past, all verbs should stay in the past tense unless there’s a clear reason to change it.

Tip: Practice storytelling using only one tense at a time. Record yourself to check for consistency.

2. Forgetting Articles (A, An, The)

Articles—a, an, and the—are small but essential. Many non-native speakers skip them, especially in fast speech.

❌ Incorrect:
I bought new phone yesterday.

✅ Correct:
I bought a new phone yesterday.

❌ Incorrect:
She is best student in class.

✅ Correct:
She is the best student in the class.

Tip: When you introduce something for the first time, use a/an. When referring to something specific or already mentioned, use the.

3. Wrong Prepositions

Prepositions are another common spoken English challenge. Different languages use them differently, so learners often transfer their native logic into English.

❌ Incorrect:
I will discuss about this later.
She married with a doctor.

✅ Correct:
I will discuss this later.
She married a doctor.

Other common confusions:

• on vs. in: on Monday, not in Monday

• at vs. in: at the mall, not in the mall (in some cases both are fine but with slightly different meanings)

Tip: Learn prepositions as part of phrases (e.g., interested in, afraid of) rather than isolated words.

4. Using the Wrong Word Order

English word order is quite strict, especially in questions and negative sentences.

❌ Incorrect:
You are going where?
She don’t like coffee.

✅ Correct:
Where are you going?
She doesn’t like coffee.

Word order affects clarity and grammar accuracy. A small rearrangement can completely change meaning or sound unnatural.

5. Overusing Fillers

Native speakers also use fillers like uh, you know, like, or basically, but many learners overuse them when nervous or unsure.

❌ Example:
Like, I was, like, going to the, like, store, you know?

This makes sentences sound uncertain or messy.

✅ Better:
I was going to the store to buy something.

Tip: Try short pauses instead of fillers. Silence often sounds more confident than hesitation words.

6. Incorrect Subject–Verb Agreement

A common error in spoken English is forgetting to make verbs agree with their subjects.

❌ Incorrect:
She go to work every day.
They loves pizza.

✅ Correct:
She goes to work every day.
They love pizza.

Even though spoken English is fast, subject–verb agreement is still necessary. It affects how professional or fluent you sound.

7. Confusing Countable and Uncountable Nouns

In English, some nouns cannot be counted individually, and they don’t take a/an or plural s.

❌ Incorrect:
I need an advice.
There are many informations about this topic.

✅ Correct:
I need some advice.
There is a lot of information about this topic.

Common uncountable nouns: advice, information, furniture, luggage, money, homework, equipment.

Tip: Use quantifiers like some, a lot of, or a piece of with uncountable nouns.

8. Double Negatives

Double negatives are grammatically incorrect in standard English but sometimes appear in casual speech.

❌ Incorrect:
I don’t need no help.
She didn’t say nothing.

✅ Correct:
I don’t need any help.
She didn’t say anything.

In English, two negatives make a positive, which creates confusion.

9. Incorrect Pronunciation

Even advanced learners may mispronounce words they’ve only read. For example:

• comfortable → /ˈkʌmf.tə.bəl/ (not com-for-ta-ble)

• restaurant → /ˈrest.rɒnt/

• clothes → /kloʊðz/, not clo-thes

Tip: Listen to native speakers on YouTube or podcasts, and repeat sentences aloud. Use phonetic dictionaries like Cambridge Online to check pronunciation.

10. Translating Directly from Native Language

Many mistakes come from thinking in your own language first and then translating into English. This can cause unnatural phrases.

❌ Incorrect:
I am here since two hours. (translation pattern)

✅ Correct:
I have been here for two hours.

Tip: Try to think in English. Practice forming simple sentences in your daily life without translating.

11. Overusing “Very”

Learners often rely too much on very to emphasize adjectives, but there are better alternatives.

❌ Incorrect:
It’s very cold.
She’s very beautiful.

✅ Correct:
It’s freezing.
She’s gorgeous.

Expanding your vocabulary makes speech more expressive and natural.

12. Forgetting Plural Forms

Sometimes learners forget to add -s or -es when speaking quickly.

❌ Incorrect:
I have two dog.
There are many car on the street.

✅ Correct:
I have two dogs.
There are many cars on the street.

Tip: Always double-check if the noun refers to more than one thing before speaking.

13. Using “Much” and “Many” Incorrectly

Much is used with uncountable nouns, while many is used with countable nouns.

❌ Incorrect:
I don’t have many money.
There isn’t much apples left.

✅ Correct:
I don’t have much money.
There aren’t many apples left.

14. Forgetting Auxiliary Verbs

In questions and negatives, do/does/did are required in English.

❌ Incorrect:
You like coffee?
She not understand.

✅ Correct:
Do you like coffee?
She doesn’t understand.

Auxiliary verbs help express tense, mood, and negation — without them, sentences sound incomplete.

15. Incorrect Use of “Too” and “Very”

These two words look similar but have different meanings.

• Very = strong degree

• Too = more than enough (negative meaning)

❌ Incorrect:
This coffee is very hot, I can’t drink it.

✅ Correct:
This coffee is too hot; I can’t drink it.

16. Using Wrong Intonation

Spoken English relies heavily on intonation and stress. A flat tone can make sentences sound robotic or confusing.

Compare:

• Statement: You’re going to Cebu. (↘ falling tone)

• Question: You’re going to Cebu? (↗ rising tone)

Tip: Practice listening and repeating natural speech patterns. Mimicking native rhythm improves fluency.

17. Mixing “Say” and “Tell”

These two verbs are often confused in speech.

✅ Say – used without an object: She said that she was tired.
✅ Tell – used with an object: She told me that she was tired.

❌ Incorrect:
She said me she was tired.
He told that he was busy.

✅ Correct:
She told me she was tired.
He said that he was busy.

18. Overusing Passive Voice

In conversation, English prefers the active voice. Passive voice can sound formal or awkward.

❌ Incorrect:
The meeting was attended by me.
✅ Correct:
I attended the meeting.

Use passive only when the doer is unknown or unimportant:
The window was broken last night.

19. Using “Can” and “Could” Wrongly

“Can” is for ability or permission in the present; “could” is used for past ability or polite requests.

❌ Incorrect:
Can you pass me the salt, please? (too direct)
✅ Correct:
Could you pass me the salt, please?

Politeness in spoken English often depends on modal verb choice.

20. Speaking Too Fast or Without Pausing

Many learners rush their words to sound fluent but end up making more mistakes. Clarity is more important than speed.

Tip: Slow down slightly, pronounce endings clearly, and pause between ideas. Confidence comes from clear delivery, not from talking fast.

Conclusion

Spoken English mistakes are natural and part of the learning journey. The key is to notice, practice, and correct them regularly. Focus on patterns — articles, tenses, prepositions, and pronunciation — and build your speaking habits step by step.

Over time, your fluency will improve, your confidence will grow, and you’ll sound more natural when speaking English in daily conversations, work settings, or travel situations.

FAQs

What are the most common mistakes learners make in spoken English?

Typical errors include mixing verb tenses in the same story, dropping articles (a, an, the), using the wrong prepositions, incorrect word order in questions, overusing fillers (like “uh” or “you know”), faulty subject–verb agreement, confusing countable and uncountable nouns, double negatives, mispronunciation, translating directly from one’s first language, and relying too much on vague intensifiers like “very.” Each of these affects clarity, naturalness, or accuracy in real-time conversation.

How can I stop switching tenses while telling a story?

Decide the time frame before you speak and stick to it unless there’s a clear reason to shift. For example, a past narrative should keep verbs in the past: “I was walking and I saw…” Record yourself retelling short anecdotes; then replay and mark any tense shifts. Practicing with time-markers—yesterday, last week, in 2022—also anchors your verb choices.

Why do I keep forgetting articles, and how do I fix it?

Articles are tiny and often absent in other languages, so your brain may skip them in fast speech. Use a simple rule: introduce new, non-specific things with a/an (“I bought a phone”) and refer to specific or previously mentioned things with the (“The phone is expensive”). Read and shadow short dialogues, deliberately emphasizing the articles to build muscle memory.

Which preposition errors are most common in speech?

Frequent issues include unnecessary prepositions (“discuss about”), wrong pairings (“married with” instead of “married”), and time/place confusion (e.g., “on Monday,” “at the station,” “in the city”). Learn prepositions as chunks with verbs and adjectives—“interested in,” “afraid of”—and practice them in short, spoken drills.

How do I form natural questions quickly under pressure?

English questions often need auxiliary verbs and inversion: “Where are you going?”, “Do you like coffee?” Build speed with pattern drills. Convert statements to questions out loud: “You are ready” → “Are you ready?” Over time, inversion becomes automatic.

Are fillers like “um” or “like” always bad?

No. Native speakers use them, but overuse makes you sound uncertain or disorganized. Replace filler bursts with intentional micro-pauses. Plan key words in advance and aim for shorter sentences. If you must use a filler, choose a strategic one—“Well” or “Let me think”—that buys time without cluttering your message.

What is subject–verb agreement and why do I mess it up when speaking fast?

In the present simple, verbs change for third-person singular (“She goes,” not “She go”). Fast speech reduces monitoring, so endings drop. Slow slightly on the verb and stress the -s when the subject is he/she/it. Minimal pair practice—“they go / she goes”—helps wire the habit.

How should I handle uncountable nouns like “information” or “advice” in conversation?

Do not pluralize or add a/an. Use quantifiers instead: “some advice,” “a piece of information,” “a lot of furniture.” Make a personal list of frequent uncountables and keep it visible while practicing.

Are double negatives acceptable in spoken English?

In standard English, double negatives are considered incorrect because they cancel each other out logically: “I don’t need no help” is confusing. Prefer “I don’t need any help.” If you hear double negatives in certain dialects, recognize them, but avoid using them in formal or cross-cultural contexts to ensure clarity.

How can I improve pronunciation without sounding forced?

Focus on stress and rhythm first. English is stress-timed: content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) carry stress; function words (articles, prepositions) are lighter. Shadow short audio clips, mimicking stress and intonation. Check troublesome words in a reputable dictionary with phonetics and audio, and practice them in full sentences, not isolation.

What’s the problem with translating from my native language while speaking?

Direct translation often leads to unnatural phrasing and tense errors (“I am here since two hours”). Train yourself to think in English by rehearsing common daily scripts—ordering food, asking directions, small talk—so the patterns come out automatically without translation.

How can I replace “very” to sound more expressive and natural?

Build adjective pairs: very cold → freezing; very hungry → starving; very tired → exhausted; very small → tiny; very big → enormous. Practice quick substitutions in mini-dialogues to internalize the alternatives.

Why do I forget plural endings when speaking quickly?

Final consonants are easy to drop under time pressure. Consciously pronounce plural endings with the next word: “two dogz are…,” “many carz were….” Linking the plural sound to the following verb keeps it audible and reminds you of agreement.

What’s the difference between “much” and “many” in everyday conversation?

Much pairs with uncountable nouns (“much time,” “much money”); many pairs with countable nouns (“many ideas,” “many apples”). In positive sentences, speech often prefers “a lot of” for both (“a lot of money,” “a lot of apples”), which is a safe, natural choice.

When do I need auxiliary verbs like “do/does/did” in speech?

Use them for present and past simple questions and negatives: “Do you play?”, “She doesn’t like tea,” “Did they arrive?” Exceptions include the verb be and modals: “Are you ready?”, “Can you swim?” Practice quick flips: statement → negative → question.

How do I use “too” versus “very” correctly?

Very intensifies without implying a problem: “very hot.” Too means excessive and often leads to a consequence: “too hot to drink.” In conversation, pair “too” with an infinitive or a result clause: “too noisy to study,” “too late, so we left.”

What role does intonation play in spoken English?

Intonation signals meaning and attitude. Rising tones often signal yes/no questions or surprise; falling tones mark statements and wh- questions. Try echoing native patterns: say the same sentence with a rise and a fall and notice how listeners interpret it differently. Record, compare, and iterate.

How do I correctly use “say” and “tell” in real-time speech?

Use say without an indirect object (“She said that…”) and tell with one (“She told me…”). A quick hack: if you can add a person right after, choose tell (“tell me,” “tell them”). Otherwise, prefer say.

Is passive voice wrong in conversation?

Not wrong, just less direct. Active voice is shorter and more natural: “We finished the report,” not “The report was finished by us.” Use passive when the actor is unknown or unimportant: “My phone was stolen.” In meetings and daily talk, default to active for clarity and energy.

How can I sound polite without long sentences?

Use modal verbs and softeners: “Could you…?”, “Would you mind…?”, “I was wondering if…,” “Could I possibly…?” Pair them with concise requests: “Could you send the file?” Add “please” and a brief reason if needed: “Could you send the file, please? I need it for the 3 pm review.”

What are quick daily exercises to reduce spoken mistakes?

• One-take stories: Speak for 60 seconds about your day in the past tense; then redo in the present.
• Chunk drills: Practice 10 verb–preposition pairs aloud (“apply for,” “depend on”).
• Minimal pairs: Alternate “they go / she goes,” “many ideas / much time.”
• Shadowing: Imitate a 30-second audio clip’s rhythm and intonation exactly.
• Article focus: Read a short paragraph emphasizing a/an/the clearly.

How do I practice pronunciation of difficult words without a teacher?

Look up phonemic transcriptions and audio, then use a three-step loop: listen → repeat → record. Practice the word inside a sentence to capture connected speech (“I’m comfortable with this plan”). Break long words into syllables, then blend them back together. Revisit them across days to reinforce muscle memory.

What should I do if I get stuck mid-sentence?

Use bridging phrases to buy time while staying fluent: “Let me think for a second…,” “What I mean is…,” “To put it another way….” These keep the floor while you reorganize your thoughts and reduce filler overuse.

How can I self-correct gracefully without losing confidence?

Correct briefly and move on: “She go—sorry—she goes to work early.” Listeners appreciate clarity more than perfection. Over-apologizing draws attention to errors; a quick fix maintains momentum.

What mindset helps reduce spoken mistakes over time?

Adopt a “clarity first” approach: aim to be understood, then refine. Track two or three priority patterns for a week (e.g., articles + third-person -s + prepositions). Celebrate small wins—fewer fillers in a meeting, consistent past tense in a story—so improvement feels visible and motivating.

Can I become fluent without sounding robotic?

Yes—balance accuracy with natural rhythm. Prefer shorter sentences, use active voice, vary intonation, and sprinkle precise vocabulary instead of stacking adverbs. The goal is listener comfort: if your message lands smoothly, you’re on the right track.

What’s a simple weekly plan to see progress?

• Mon–Tue: Tense consistency drills + 5-minute story recordings.
• Wed: Preposition chunks + role-play dialogues.
• Thu: Pronunciation focus (10 tough words in sentences).
• Fri: Politeness formulas + request/offer practice.
• Weekend: Shadow one podcast clip; summarize it in your own words.

Repeat the cycle, changing the story topic and word lists weekly. Small, consistent practice compounds into confident, accurate speech.