When people translate the German word “Rückseite,” they often use the word “backside” in English.

In British English, the word “backside” means the part of your body that you sit on.

(Other words we use include “bottom,” “buttocks,” “rear,” “posterior,” “bum” or even“arse”.)

That’s why I recommend using words like “the back,” “the other side” or “the reverse” to avoid confusion.

The English language has many words with different meanings.

Take the word “slip,” for example. It can mean to fall or slide. But it can also mean a piece of underwear.

Imagine saying you had a slip in the office—you might give your colleagues the wrong idea!

Have you ever experienced an embarrassing mix-up of words at work?

Have you set yourself goals for the upcoming year?

I know it might seem a bit cliché to only set goals because a “new” year is beginning (considering every day is a new day). But I find setting annual goals is actually very helpful. It’s much better than going through the year without any specific goals in mind, don’t you think?

So I’d like to share my personal list with you.

This year, I plan to…

• make self-care a non-negotiable part of my routine, whether it’s through exercise, mindfulness or relaxation.
• set boundaries on the time spent on electronic devices to create a healthier balance in my life.
• spend more time with those who support me already instead of seeking new connections.
• say yes only to things that genuinely excite me.
• dedicate time to acquiring a new skill or gaining knowledge in a subject that interests me.
• finish what I start before taking on new tasks.
• compare myself to who I was yesterday, not to others.
• avoid using “should” and make decisions more decisively.
• embrace fear to challenge myself.
• simplify things even when I think they’re ready.

And you? What do you plan to do this year?

It’s time to add some new expressions to our repertoire. Raise your virtual champagne glasses and prepare to dive into the world of “More than just Congratulations“.

But why should we be creative when congratulating someone?

People in professional networks often share a lot about themselves. They might announce a job promotion, celebrate a company achievement or offer useful tips from their industry.

When they accomplish something deserving of congratulations, the praise should be as unique and heartfelt as their achievement.

People tend to prefer unique comments over the typical “Congratulations“. They are likely to appreciate and enjoy an original message more.

But how do we add some pizzazz to our congratulations?

Here are three tips:

1️⃣ Use different words. A simple “Bravo, “ “Hooray,” “Kudos” or “Cheers” can sometimes stand out.

2️⃣ Show respect. Consider phrases like “Hats off to you,” “An amazing accomplishment” or “A round of applause“. They clearly show your admiration.

3️⃣ Explicitly praise the achievement. With sentences like “Well done on completing the course,” “Great job on the project” or “You did it. You reached that impossible deadline,” you show that you know exactly what the person has achieved.

Of course, there’s still room for the good old “Congratulations.” But why should we settle for that? How about “Keep up the good work” to acknowledge the current achievement and express the expectation of future successes?

See how we can use these phrases

• “Bravo, Simon! Your hard work and dedication have paid off.”
• “Hooray! You both are unstoppable.”
• “Kudos to you for your quick thinking and problem-solving skills.”
• “Cheers, Susan, for your unwavering support and infectious enthusiasm!”
• “Hats off to you, Michael, for your courage and resilience.”
• “Winning the national championship is an amazing accomplishment. Well done, Greg!”
• “A round of applause for all the hard-working participants in this course.”
• “Well done, Tom. You completed the marathon in record time.”
• “Great job on your presentation today, Viv. You brought your experiences to life in a humble way.”
• “You did it! You overcame all the obstacles and achieved your goals.”

Here are five commonly mispronounced English words—and how to pronounce them correctly.

1. CLOTHES (Anziehsachen)

You’ve been practising? But it still doesn’t work. It should sound like ‘klowthz’. Too difficult? Just say, ‘klowz’. 

We often “swallow” letters. This is true here too. The -e is a silent -e, and the -s at the end is only lightly pronounced.

2. COLLEAGUE (Kollege/Kollegin)

No, it’s not ‘co-league’ like a football league. And it doesn’t sound like “college.” It’s actually quite simple: Say ‘kol-eeg‘—with a longer -e.

3. FEBRUARY (Februar) 

Many of us find this month difficult to pronounce (and spell). ‘Feb-RU-ary’ is the standard pronunciation. But keeping the first -r silent (almost as if you’re whispering it): ‘Feb-U-ary’ is now perfectly acceptable.

4. WEDNESDAY (Mittwoch)

The middle of the week can be a linguistic challenge! Although the word has an additional letter -d, it’s usually ignored. Therefore, the correct pronunciation is ‘Wenz-Day‘.

5. WOMEN

Beware of this plural! The word ‘women‘ may look like the word ‘woman’ with an -e instead of an -a. But the way we pronounce it is different. In ‘women’, the -o sounds like the -i in ‘hit’.

So, now you know!

Next time you come across these words, you can pronounce them with confidence.

Which English word do you find the most difficult to pronounce?

Let’s explore the puzzling world of English apostrophes.

This tiny punctuation mark may seem harmless, but its usage can be a tricky path to navigate—even for native speakers of English.

The Misunderstood Mark

So what exactly does this tiny squiggle do? Well, it has a few jobs:

• Contractions: One of its favourite gigs is joining two words together and making them shorter. For example, “can not” becomes “can’t.” “Will not” becomes “won’t,” and so on.
• Possession: The apostrophe also likes to show ownership. When something belongs to someone or something, the apostrophe steps in. For example, “my colleague’s books” means the books belonging to my colleague. But if a person’s name ends with an ‘s,’ an apostrophe plus ‘s’ is added. For example, “Charles’s birthday is in June.”

The Tricky Part: Apostrophes and Plurals

The apostrophe goes before the ‘s’ for singular nouns or names. But for plural nouns, it goes after the ‘s.’

For instance, “My colleagues’ books” refers to the books of several colleagues. But “my colleague’s books” are the books of one single colleague.

Remember these tips, and you’ll be an apostrophe pro!

False friends can cause confusion because they look and sound like words you know. But they actually have a different meaning.

Imagine you’re sitting in a meeting with international colleagues. You want to impress them and proudly announce, “I’m actually a chef“. Even though you’ve taken a cooking class, you’re not a professional chef. This could confuse them.

And the word ‘actually‘ means ‘tatsächlich‘, not ‘aktuell‘. Remember?

So, there we have it—pure confusion!

What about the harmless-looking ‘eventually‘?

It doesn’t mean ‘eventuell‘, but ‘schließlich‘ or ‘irgendwann einmal’. If you want to express the idea “Ich werde eventuell kommen“, say “I might come.” Don’t use “I will eventually come.”

You’re telling someone they are wise or smart when you say, “You are sensible.”  It’s a compliment for their ability to think and understand things well. You’re not suggesting that they are easily upset or sensitive.

And finally, we have the word ‘become‘. No, it does not mean ‘bekommen‘ at all, but ‘werden‘! So, if you say, “I become a coffee“, you will certainly get strange looks.

But don’t worry. With a little practice and awareness, you can elegantly avoid these little pitfalls.

Are there other false friends that you have stumbled across?