I said it perfectly. That was the problem.

My first week in Germany, on a student job in Stuttgart, I went to the greengrocer’s and asked for “ein Pfund Granny Smith”.

The woman had no idea what I wanted. I pointed at the green apples.

“Ach, Sie meinen Gränny.“

I had said it perfectly. That was the problem. She was listening for the sound she knew, and mine wasn’t it.

Being correct and being understood are two different things, and the second one takes two people. She heard something unfamiliar, looked where I was pointing, and had it in about a second. That’s what listeners do all day, in every language, without being asked.

Quick win: When a word doesn’t get through, put a plain description next to it. “The green apples.” “The report about costs.” One extra second, and you’re understood.