Native speakers mix these up every day. Not because their English is bad… because their fingers are fast.

A client sends me something to review. And there it is: their instead of their.

When I point it out, the reaction is always the same: embarrassment. As if it reveals something about their English.

It doesn’t. There and their sound identical. Your ear has never confused them. Only your fingers have.

This mistake shows up in emails from senior managers, in published articles, in messages from people who’ve spoken English their whole lives.

Quick win: If you’re unsure, read the sentence out loud. Your ear knows which one fits.

Some Denglish is confusing.

But some Denglish is perfectly fine – and even native speakers use it without noticing.

A client told me this week: “I keep stopping myself because I’m afraid something sounds too German.”

When we looked closer, half of what she was worried about wasn’t wrong. It was just… English with a German flavour.

And here’s the thing:

Plenty of everyday English phrases sound like Denglish but aren’t.

“Make a photo” is wrong.

“Make a plan” is perfect.

“Control the process” is fine.

“Discuss about it” isn’t.

The goal isn’t to eliminate every German influence.

The goal is to know which parts matter – and which don’t.

Most Denglish doesn’t block understanding.

Stopping yourself does.

Quick win:

Pick one phrase you often hesitate over because it “sounds German.”

Check if it’s actually wrong.

If it isn’t, use it freely this week – without the pause.

This week, someone told me something I hear surprisingly often:

“My English is fine… but I never know if my punctuation is ‘right’.”

She speaks clearly. She writes well.

But every time she sends an email, she hesitates – because of the commas, the quotation marks and the full stops.

And here’s the truth: Most professionals mix UK and US punctuation without realising it – because they’ve learned English from everywhere at once.

So I created a short guide that makes it simple:

UK vs US English punctuation – clear, visual and easy to use.

You can find it here: https://theenglishtrainer.gumroad.com/l/UKvsUSPunctuation

If punctuation is one of those tiny things that slows you down, this might give you a bit more calm and clarity.

P.S. If you’d like to work on your written English in your real work context, you can book a free call. Only if and when it feels right.

I’ve heard my German accent in English for decades. At some point, I stopped treating it as a flaw.

A client once said something that stayed with me: “You have an accent. So does everyone I respect in this company.” Then he listed them – French, Indian, Spanish. All senior. All confident.

Your accent tells people something real. You’re doing something most people never attempt.

The discomfort comes from comparing yourself to a standard you were never meant to meet.

Quick win: Next time you catch yourself apologising for your accent – in your head or out loud – pause. The accent stays. The apology doesn’t need to.

You build the sentence in German, translate it, check if it sounds right – and by then, the moment has passed.

I hear this from clients regularly: “By the time I have the English version ready, the conversation has already moved on.”

The cause is almost always the same: word‑for‑word translation.

Phrases are faster. “As far as I know.” “That’s a good point.” “Let me check and get back to you.” These arrive as ready‑made units – before the translation process can slow you down.

Quick win: Pick one phrase you use often in German. Find its English equivalent. Learn it as a unit – and use it this week.

A client told me this once: “I lose two seconds every time I decide between I work and I am working. Two seconds doesn’t sound like much. In a meeting, two seconds is a pause.“

He was right. Both forms work. Colleagues understand either one. The form you choose matters far less than finishing the thought.

The hesitation costs more than the “wrong” form ever would.

Quick win: Next time that moment of doubt arrives, say whichever comes first and keep going. Nobody in the room is keeping score.