Episode 21 - Why Is Learning English Vocabulary So Hard?

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Episode 21 - Why Is Learning English Vocabulary So Hard?

Allen: Hey everyone, welcome back to Effortless English Podcasts!

Allen: I’m Allen, your host, and with me is Luna.

Luna: Hi guys! It’s great to be here again.

Allen: Today, we’re talking about something every English learner struggles with—vocabulary.

Allen: Learning new words is not easy, and there are a lot of challenges along the way.

Luna: Yeah, like pronunciation, spelling, confusing words, and even forgetting what you learned yesterday.

Luna: Sounds familiar, right?

Allen: Exactly. Even advanced learners have problems with vocabulary.

Allen: And if you're just starting, it might feel impossible to remember so many words.

Luna: Ugh, I know that feeling.

Luna: You learn a word, and the next day—poof! Gone from your brain.

Allen: That’s because our brains are not made to memorize random lists of words.

Allen: We need better ways to learn and remember.

Luna: And today, we’ll talk about those better ways.

Luna: Plus, we’ll share our own struggles and how we deal with them.

Allen: Yeah, because we’ve both been there.

Allen: Even though English is my first language, I still mix up words sometimes.

Luna: And I’ve had my fair share of embarrassing mistakes while learning English.

Luna: Like that time I confused “beach” with… well, you know.

Allen: Oh no. I can already imagine how that went.

Luna: Let’s just say, my English teacher was not impressed.

Allen: That’s a common problem—words that sound similar but have completely different meanings.

Allen: But pronunciation isn’t the only issue.

Luna: Nope! Spelling can be a nightmare too.

Luna: Like “accept” and “except.” Why do they look so similar?

Allen: Or “their,” “there,” and “they’re.”

Allen: Even native speakers mess those up.

Luna: And don’t get me started on words with multiple meanings.

Luna: Like “run.” How can one word mean “to move fast” and also “to manage a business”?

Allen: English is weird, I know.

Allen: But the good news is, there are ways to make learning easier.

Luna: Yep! We’ll share some tips, resources, and personal experiences to help you.

Luna: So if you’ve ever felt stuck with vocabulary, this episode is for you.

Allen: And before we start, just a quick reminder—

Allen: You can find the full transcript of this episode in the description below.

Luna: And we also have subtitles in multiple languages!

Luna: So if you need them, just turn on the CC option.

Allen: Alright, let’s dive in.

Allen: Alright, let’s start with one of the biggest struggles—pronunciation.

Luna: Ugh, English pronunciation. It’s like a guessing game!

Luna: Why don’t words sound the way they look?

Allen: Good question. English spelling and pronunciation don’t always match.

Allen: That’s because English borrows words from many languages, and each has its own rules.

Luna: Yeah, and the result? Chaos.

Luna: Like, why does “though” sound different from “tough” and “through”?

Allen: Or why does “read” in the present sound like “reed,” but in the past, it sounds like “red”?

Luna: Seriously, who designed this language?

Allen: It just evolved this way over time.

Allen: But I get it—it’s frustrating for learners.

Luna: Oh, totally.

Luna: I remember when I first learned English, I was so confused about word stress.

Luna: Like, should I say “DEsert” or “deSERT”? Turns out, both exist, but they mean different things!

Allen: Yeah, that happens a lot.

Allen: Stress changes meaning, like “CONtract” (a noun) and “conTRACT” (a verb).

Luna: And let’s not forget silent letters.

Luna: Why is there a “K” in “knife”? It doesn’t do anything!

Allen: Or the “L” in “salmon.”

Luna: Right?! And don’t get me started on “colonel.” That word makes no sense!

Allen: Haha, yeah, “colonel” sounds like “kernel.”

Allen: English pronunciation is full of weird surprises.

Luna: And it’s not just the words—it’s also the sounds themselves.

Luna: Some English sounds don’t exist in other languages, so they’re hard to pronounce.

Allen: Like the “th” sound in “think” and “this.”

Allen: Many learners replace it with “s” or “z” because their native language doesn’t have it.

Luna: Yeah, I used to say “sink” instead of “think.”

Luna: People thought I had plumbing problems.

Allen: Haha, well, at least you didn’t say “tink.”

Allen: Some people replace “th” with “t” or “d,” so “this” becomes “dis.”

Luna: Oh, I’ve heard that!

Luna: And the “r” sound is another nightmare.

Luna: Some languages roll their “r,” but English has a different kind of “r” sound.

Allen: True. And don’t forget vowel sounds.

Allen: English has so many vowels that sound similar but are actually different.

Luna: Like “ship” and “sheep.”

Luna: One little sound change and suddenly you’re talking about farm animals.

Allen: Or “bit” and “beat.”

Allen: That small difference can completely change a word’s meaning.

Luna: So yeah, English pronunciation is tricky.

Luna: But the good news is, there are ways to improve it.

Allen: Right. One of the best ways is listening and repeating.

Allen: Find a native speaker, a podcast, or a video, and mimic the sounds.

Luna: Yeah! Shadowing is a great technique.

Luna: You listen to a sentence and repeat it immediately, copying the pronunciation.

Allen: And recording yourself helps too.

Allen: When you listen to your own voice, you can hear what sounds different.

Luna: Another tip—use pronunciation apps.

Luna: Some apps let you practice sounds and even correct your mistakes.

Allen: Oh, and don’t forget phonetic symbols!

Allen: They look weird, but they actually help you know how to pronounce words.

Luna: Hmm… I never really liked phonetics.

Luna: I just learn by listening and repeating.

Allen: Yeah, everyone has their own method.

Allen: But the key is practice—lots of practice.

Luna: So don’t be afraid to sound silly!

Luna: Just keep practicing, and one day, English pronunciation won’t feel so scary.

Allen: Alright, now let’s talk about spelling.

Allen: English spelling is another huge challenge for learners.

Luna: Huge? It’s a complete disaster!

Luna: I mean, why do words that sound the same have different spellings?

Luna: “There,” “their,” and “they’re”—why do we need three versions?!

Allen: Yeah, homophones are tricky.

Allen: But even words that don’t sound the same can be confusing.

Luna: Oh, for sure.

Luna: Like “accept” and “except.” They look almost the same, but they’re totally different.

Allen: Or “affect” and “effect.”

Allen: People mix them up all the time.

Luna: I still get confused sometimes!

Luna: And don’t get me started on silent letters.

Luna: “Receipt” has a silent “p.” Why?

Allen: English spelling rules come from different languages.

Allen: That’s why they don’t always make sense.

Luna: So basically, there are no real rules?

Allen: Well… there are rules, but there are also a lot of exceptions.

Luna: Great. Super helpful.

Allen: Haha, I know it sounds bad.

Allen: But there are ways to make spelling easier.

Luna: Like what?

Allen: One trick is using word patterns.

Allen: For example, words ending in “-tion” usually sound like “shun.”

Allen: Like “nation,” “station,” and “action.”

Luna: Hmm… that actually makes sense.

Allen: Another tip—break words into parts.

Allen: If you struggle with “necessary,” remember: it has one “c” and two “s’s.”

Luna: Oh, I always mix that one up.

Luna: I either put too many “c’s” or not enough “s’s.”

Allen: That’s normal.

Allen: Some people use memory tricks, like “Never Eat Cake, Eat Salad Sandwiches” for “necessary.”

Luna: Haha, I love that!

Luna: But what about words with double letters?

Luna: Like “accommodation”? Why does it have two “c’s” and two “m’s”?

Allen: That’s just something you have to memorize.

Allen: But sometimes, knowing the word’s origin helps.

Luna: Ugh, that sounds too complicated.

Allen: Okay, then here’s a simple method—just type the word and see if autocorrect fixes it.

Luna: Now that is my kind of strategy!

Allen: Haha, I thought you’d like that.

Allen: But let’s move on to another tricky topic—word forms.

Luna: Oh boy. You mean like how “happy” turns into “happiness”?

Allen: Exactly. Changing a word’s form can be confusing.

Luna: Yeah! Like, “beauty” is a noun, but the adjective is “beautiful.”

Luna: Why not just say “beautyful”?

Allen: English loves making things harder than necessary.

Luna: No kidding!

Luna: And sometimes, different forms have totally different spellings.

Luna: Like “choose” and “choice.” Where did the “o” go?!

Allen: It’s just how the language developed.

Allen: But you can learn these by studying common patterns.

Luna: Patterns again, huh?

Allen: Yep. For example, adjectives ending in “-y” usually change to nouns ending in “-ness.”

Allen: Like “happiness,” “kindness,” and “sadness.”

Luna: Okay, that’s useful.

Allen: And some verbs ending in “-e” drop the “e” when adding “-ing.”

Allen: Like “make” becomes “making.”

Luna: Alright, that one makes sense too.

Allen: See? English spelling isn’t completely random.

Luna: Mmm… I’m still not convinced.

Luna: But at least now I have a few tricks to remember things better.

Allen: That’s the goal!

Allen: Now, let’s talk about another big challenge—words with multiple meanings.

Luna: Oh, you mean like “run”?

Luna: One word, a million different meanings?

Allen: Exactly. “Run” can mean to move fast, to manage a business, to operate a machine…

Allen: It even works for liquids, like “the water is running.”

Luna: Right! And don’t forget “run out,” like when you have no milk left.

Allen: Yep! That’s a phrasal verb.

Allen: English has tons of words like this.

Luna: It’s so confusing!

Luna: I see a word in one sentence, and I think I understand it.

Luna: Then I see it again, and it means something totally different!

Allen: That’s normal.

Allen: The key is to learn words in context, not just memorize meanings.

Luna: Okay, but sometimes even context doesn’t help!

Luna: Like “bank.” Is it a place for money or the side of a river?

Allen: Haha, true.

Allen: You have to pay attention to the whole sentence.

Luna: And some words don’t just have two meanings.

Luna: They have five, six, or more!

Allen: Yep! Like “set.”

Allen: It has over 400 meanings in English.

Luna: Wait… what?!

Allen: I know, it’s crazy.

Allen: But native speakers don’t think about all 400 meanings at once.

Luna: Lucky you.

Luna: Meanwhile, we learners are just out here struggling.

Allen: Haha, well, the best way to learn is by seeing words used in different situations.

Luna: Alright, but what about words that seem the same but aren’t?

Luna: Like “big” and “large”?

Allen: Ah, same meaning, different usage.

Allen: “Big” is more common in daily speech.

Allen: “Large” sounds a bit more formal.

Luna: So I can say “big dog” and “large dog”?

Allen: Yep, but “large” sounds more serious.

Allen: Like, you’d probably say “a big mistake,” not “a large mistake.”

Luna: Ohh, I see.

Luna: So some words just feel different?

Allen: Exactly. It’s not just meaning, it’s also how we use them.

Luna: English is so sneaky.

Allen: Haha, yeah. But you can learn these differences over time.

Luna: Yeah, yeah. Any tips for remembering them?

Allen: Read a lot.

Allen: The more you see words in context, the better you’ll understand them.

Luna: Okay, that makes sense.

Luna: But can I just avoid hard words and use simple ones?

Allen: Sure, but sometimes the right word makes a big difference.

Allen: Like “see,” “watch,” and “look.”

Luna: Oh no, I always mix those up!

Allen: “Look” is when you focus on something.

Allen: “Watch” is when you look at something moving.

Allen: “See” just means your eyes notice something.

Luna: So I “watch” a movie, but I “see” a bird?

Allen: Yep! And you “look at” a photo.

Luna: Wow. English is so picky.

Allen: It is, but once you get used to it, it feels natural.

Luna: I’ll believe that when it happens.

Allen: Haha, just keep practicing!

Allen: Alright, now let’s talk about something that makes vocabulary even harder—culture and context.

Luna: Oh, you mean when a word doesn’t have a direct translation?

Luna: Like how English has “awkward,” but some languages don’t?

Allen: Exactly. Some words are tied to culture.

Allen: If a language doesn’t have the same idea, there’s no perfect translation.

Luna: Yeah! I remember struggling with “awkward.”

Luna: It’s not just “uncomfortable” or “strange.” It has this feeling to it.

Allen: Right! “Awkward” is a mix of embarrassing, uncomfortable, and socially weird.

Luna: And feelings are hard to explain with just words!

Allen: That’s why translation apps don’t always work.

Luna: Oh, I’ve seen some bad translations.

Luna: Like menus that say weird things because they just used Google Translate.

Allen: Haha, yeah, direct translation can be a disaster.

Luna: But okay, if some words don’t translate well, how do we learn them?

Allen: The best way is through context.

Allen: Instead of trying to find a perfect translation, learn how the word is used.

Luna: Hmm… so I shouldn’t ask, “What does this word mean?”

Luna: I should ask, “How do people use this word?”

Allen: Exactly! Meaning comes from how words fit into real situations.

Luna: That makes sense, but it’s still hard.

Luna: What if I just memorize dictionary definitions?

Allen: That won’t help much.

Allen: You need to see words in action to really understand them.

Luna: Okay, so how do I do that?

Allen: Read books, watch movies, listen to real conversations.

Allen: Pay attention to how words are used in different situations.

Luna: Hmm… I do watch a lot of Netflix.

Luna: So basically, I’m studying when I binge-watch?

Allen: Haha, well, if you’re paying attention to the language, then yes!

Luna: Nice! Best study method ever.

Allen: But seriously, immersion is key.

Allen: The more English you’re exposed to, the more natural words will feel.

Luna: Yeah, I’ve noticed that.

Luna: Some words I never memorized, but I just know them because I’ve heard them a lot.

Allen: That’s because your brain picks up patterns.

Luna: So the trick is to surround myself with English?

Allen: Exactly.

Allen: If you only see words in a textbook, they won’t feel natural.

Luna: But what if I don’t live in an English-speaking country?

Allen: No problem!

Allen: You can create an English environment—change your phone to English, watch English content, listen to English music.

Luna: Ohh, so trick my brain into thinking I’m in an English world?

Allen: Yep! That way, English words won’t feel so foreign.

Luna: Alright, I like that.

Luna: Time to change my phone settings!

Allen: That’s the spirit!

Allen: Now, let’s talk about something every learner faces—forgetting words.

Luna: Ugh, the worst feeling!

Luna: You study a word, you feel smart, and then—poof! It’s gone the next day.

Allen: Yeah, that happens to everyone.

Allen: Our brains are built to forget things we don’t use often.

Luna: Well, that’s not very helpful.

Luna: Can’t my brain just keep what I learn?

Allen: Haha, I wish!

Allen: But memory works best with repetition.

Luna: Oh, so that’s why teachers make us review words over and over?

Allen: Exactly!

Allen: Repetition strengthens memory.

Allen: But the trick is to space it out.

Luna: You mean like study today, then again tomorrow, then later in the week?

Allen: Yep! That’s called spaced repetition.

Allen: It helps you remember words for a long time.

Luna: Hmm… but repeating words sounds so boring.

Allen: Then make it fun!

Allen: Use flashcards, apps, or even games to review words.

Luna: Ohh, like those vocabulary apps that test you every few days?

Allen: Yep! Apps like Anki or Quizlet use spaced repetition.

Luna: Okay, but sometimes I remember a word almost correctly.

Luna: Like, I know I’ve seen it before, but I can’t quite recall it.

Allen: That’s actually good!

Allen: Struggling to remember helps you learn better.

Luna: Wait… struggling is good?

Allen: Yep! It makes your brain work harder, so you remember longer.

Luna: Hmm… interesting.

Luna: But sometimes I memorize a word, and I still don’t remember when to use it.

Allen: That’s because knowing a word and using it are different.

Luna: So how do I fix that?

Allen: You have to practice using words in real life.

Luna: Ohh, like writing sentences with them?

Allen: Exactly!

Allen: Or speaking them in conversations.

Allen: The more you use a word, the stronger it sticks.

Luna: Okay, that makes sense.

Luna: But I’m kind of lazy… any shortcuts?

Allen: Haha, well, here’s one—connect new words to things you already know.

Luna: Like making word associations?

Allen: Yep!

Allen: For example, if you learn “bark” (the sound a dog makes), connect it to a real dog in your life.

Luna: Ohh, so when I hear “bark,” I imagine my neighbor’s loud dog.

Allen: Exactly!

Allen: Your brain loves stories and pictures, so use them to remember words.

Luna: I like that!

Luna: I’ll start making weird mental pictures for every new word.

Allen: Go for it!

Allen: The weirder, the better.

Luna: Nice! Finally, a fun way to remember stuff.

Allen: Learning should always be fun!

Allen: Alright, now let’s talk about something really important—motivation.

Luna: Oh, you mean when you want to study, but your brain says, “Nah, let’s watch YouTube instead”?

Allen: Exactly!

Allen: Learning vocabulary can feel boring, and that makes it hard to stay motivated.

Luna: Yeah! Just looking at a long list of words makes me want to take a nap.

Allen: That’s because memorizing random words isn’t fun.

Allen: Our brains like learning things that feel useful or interesting.

Luna: Okay, so how do we make vocabulary learning not feel like a chore?

Allen: First, connect new words to things you care about.

Allen: If you love movies, learn words from movie scripts.

Allen: If you like cooking, learn food-related words.

Luna: Ohh, so instead of just memorizing, I should link words to my hobbies?

Allen: Yep! That way, learning feels natural, not forced.

Luna: Hmm… so if I love travel, I should focus on travel-related vocabulary?

Allen: Exactly!

Allen: You’ll learn faster because you actually want to use those words.

Luna: I like this idea!

Luna: But what if I still get bored?

Allen: Then turn it into a game!

Allen: Use flashcard apps, quizzes, or challenge yourself to learn a certain number of words a day.

Luna: Ooh, I love challenges!

Luna: Maybe I’ll try learning five new words a day and see how long I can keep it up.

Allen: That’s a great idea!

Allen: And don’t forget rewards—give yourself a treat when you reach a goal.

Luna: Like… if I learn 50 words, I get cake?

Allen: Haha, exactly!

Allen: Rewards make learning more fun and keep you motivated.

Luna: Okay, but what if I just feel stuck?

Luna: Like, I want to learn, but I’m not seeing progress?

Allen: That’s normal.

Allen: Language learning takes time, and progress isn’t always obvious.

Luna: Ugh, that’s so frustrating!

Allen: I know, but here’s a tip—track your progress.

Allen: Keep a journal or use an app to see how much you’ve learned over time.

Luna: Hmm… so if I write down words I’ve learned, I can look back and feel proud?

Allen: Exactly!

Allen: Seeing progress helps you stay motivated.

Luna: Okay, that sounds smart.

Luna: Any other tips for staying motivated?

Allen: Find a study buddy!

Allen: Learning with a friend makes it more fun and keeps you accountable.

Luna: Ohh, I love that!

Luna: Competing with a friend sounds way more exciting than studying alone.

Allen: Yep!

Allen: The key is to make learning feel like a game, not a task.

Luna: Got it! No more boring vocabulary lists for me.

Allen: That’s the spirit!

Allen: Alright, now let’s talk about something super helpful—online resources.

Luna: Ooh, I love this topic!

Luna: Because let’s be honest, studying alone with a textbook is boring.

Allen: Exactly.

Allen: Luckily, there are tons of great websites and apps that make learning more fun.

Luna: Okay, give me the best ones!

Luna: I want the lazy way to learn.

Allen: Haha, alright.

Allen: First, if you want to expand your vocabulary, try Anki or Quizlet.

Allen: They use spaced repetition, so you remember words longer.

Luna: Ooh, flashcards! I like those.

Luna: But sometimes I just want to hear the words.

Allen: Then you should check out Forvo or YouGlish.

Allen: Forvo lets you hear real people pronouncing words.

Allen: And YouGlish finds YouTube videos where the word is used in a sentence.

Luna: Ohh, so I can hear words in real conversations? That’s cool!

Allen: Yep!

Allen: And if you want to practice pronunciation, try Elsa Speak or Speechling.

Luna: Ooh, do those apps tell you if you sound bad?

Allen: Haha, yeah.

Allen: They analyze your speech and tell you what to improve.

Luna: Hmm… that sounds helpful and kind of scary.

Allen: Don’t worry, no one else hears it.

Allen: It’s just you and the app.

Luna: Okay, that’s good.

Luna: But what if I don’t want to study?

Luna: I just want to absorb English naturally.

Allen: Then listen to podcasts, watch movies, and read blogs.

Luna: Ooh, any favorites?

Allen: For podcasts, besides ours, I recommend “The English We Speak” from BBC.

Allen: It’s short and teaches real expressions.

Luna: Nice! What about movies?

Allen: Anything with subtitles.

Allen: Netflix even has a Chrome extension called “Language Reactor” that shows subtitles in two languages.

Luna: Ohh, I need that!

Allen: Yeah, it’s great for picking up new words.

Luna: Okay, but sometimes I just want to chat with real people.

Allen: Then try language exchange apps like Tandem or HelloTalk.

Allen: You can chat with native speakers and help each other learn.

Luna: Ooh, that sounds fun!

Luna: But what if I’m too shy to talk?

Allen: No problem!

Allen: Start with text messages, then move to voice messages.

Allen: And when you feel ready, try a voice call.

Luna: Hmm… sounds like a good plan.

Allen: The key is to use different resources.

Allen: Don’t just rely on one method—mix things up!

Luna: Yeah!

Luna: Learning should never feel boring.

Allen: Exactly!

Allen: Alright, we’ve covered a lot today!

Allen: Let’s do a quick recap of what we talked about.

Luna: Yes! So first, we discussed pronunciation struggles.

Luna: English has weird spelling rules, silent letters, and tricky sounds.

Luna: But the best way to improve is by listening and practicing.

Allen: Right! Then we talked about spelling and word forms.

Allen: Some words look confusing, but breaking them into patterns helps.

Allen: And of course, memory tricks make things easier.

Luna: Oh, and then we tackled multi-meaning words.

Luna: Some words have way too many definitions!

Luna: The key is to learn them in context, not just memorize meanings.

Allen: Exactly!

Allen: And speaking of context, we also discussed cultural differences.

Allen: Some words don’t translate well, so immersion helps a lot.

Luna: Yeah!

Luna: That’s why watching movies and listening to conversations is so important.

Allen: Then we covered the biggest enemy of language learners—forgetting words.

Allen: Spaced repetition, word associations, and daily practice really help.

Luna: And let’s not forget motivation!

Luna: Learning words can feel boring, but making it fun keeps you going.

Allen: Yep! Use games, challenges, and rewards to stay engaged.

Luna: Oh, and we shared some great apps and websites too!

Luna: So no excuses—there are tons of resources out there.

Allen: Exactly!

Allen: The most important thing is to find a learning method that works for you.

Luna: Right! So, what about you guys?

Luna: What’s the hardest part of learning vocabulary for you?

Allen: Let us know in the comments!

Allen: We’d love to hear about your experiences.

Luna: And if you found today’s episode helpful, don’t forget to like and share!

Allen: Thanks for joining us today!

Allen: Keep practicing, and we’ll see you next time!

Luna: Bye, everyone!