You’re invited to a black-tie event. You tell your English-speaking colleague you’ll wear your smoking.

They pause. “Your… what?“

In German, a Smoking is that elegant formal jacket. In English, “smoking” only means the thing you do with a cigarette. Say it about clothes, and you’ll get a polite, puzzled look.

The English words are ‘dinner jacket‘ (more British) or ‘tuxedo‘ or ‘tux’ for short (more American). Both mean exactly what your Smoking means. (The German word actually comes from an old English “smoking jacket”, which is why it feels like it should work. It just stopped working a century ago.)

Quick win: Next black-tie invitation, say “I’ll wear a dinner jacket” or “I’ll wear a tux. ” Same outfit, no confused looks.

💬 Which English false friend has caught you out?

You’re in a meeting, about to mention your company’s main office. You reach for the word and pause. Is it “headquarter” or “headquarters“?

It’s always ‘headquarters‘, with the ‘s’. English keeps it even when you mean a single building. (German drops it, which is exactly why the ‘s’ often goes missing.)

So both of these are fine: “Our headquarters is in Munich” or “Our headquarters are in Munich“. Singular or plural verb, your choice. The ‘s’ stays either way.

And if you’d rather sidestep it, “head office” works just as well and sounds simpler.

Quick win: Next time you mean the main office, say “headquarters” or “head office“. Both are right, and no one will blink.

💬 Which English word always trips you up?

You saved the article. “Watch English shows. Find a language partner. Stay curious.”

None of it was new. You’d heard it before.

Here’s the catch. Reading advice feels productive. You finish the article feeling like you’ve made progress.

But reading isn’t practice.

You already know enough ways to improve your English. What makes the difference is saying that sentence out loud, even when it feels a bit uncomfortable.

That might mean sending one message. Asking one question. Speaking up once in a meeting.

That’s where progress starts.

You’re not behind. You’re one sentence away.

Quick win: Think of one English sentence you’ve been saving for “later”. Use it today. One message, one comment, one reply.

💬 What’s one sentence you could use today instead of waiting for the perfect moment?

Speaking your own language feels easy.

It isn’t.

It’s one of the hardest jobs your brain does. You just got so good at it that you stopped noticing.

Now do it in English.

You’re looking for the right word. Building the sentence as you go. Checking your grammar. Reading the room. Speaking, all at the same time.

That’s a lot for your brain to handle.

So if your English slows down or your mind goes blank, nothing is wrong.

You’re not bad at English.

You’re doing something your brain has to work much harder to do.

Give your brain a second to catch up. The pause you’re embarrassed by is just the sound of it working.

Quick win: If you lose your train of thought, say, “Give me a second. I’m looking for the right word.” Most people won’t think twice about the pause.

💬 When does English feel hardest for you: meetings, calls or small talk?

You mean well, so you say, “You should try this.” Or, “You should speak up.“

The problem is that “should” can sound like advice. Even with good intentions, it can sound like you’re telling someone what they ought to do.

A small change makes a big difference.

Instead of “You should try this”, say, “You might find this helpful” or “This worked well for me.“

Instead of “You should say something”, try, “If it feels right, you could say something.”

You still offer the idea. You just leave the other person room to take it or leave it.

Next time you’re about to say “should“, see if “might” or “could” fits instead. It often makes the conversation feel lighter.

💬 What’s your favourite way to replace “should“?

Picture a meeting.

A German, Brazilian, Korean, Finn. None grew up speaking English. The call runs in English anyway.

Someone says, “Sorry, my English isn’t very good.”

Good by what standard? No one in the room is the judge. They’re all speaking the same thing. Plain, shared, get-it-done English. The kind that works when no two people learnt it the same way.

That’s what international business English is. Not a weaker version of someone else’s language. Its own language, built for exactly this room.

So you’re not falling short of “real” English. You’re already using the English that works everywhere.

Next time you want to apologise, try, “Let me put that simply.” Same warmth, no apology.

💬 Ever caught yourself apologising for English no one was judging?