Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation when you couldn't think
of the word you wanted to use?
You're searching and searching and trying to find the right word to express your thoughts.
Don't worry - it happens to all of us.
In a previous video, I encouraged you to "use your words" to
find another way to express your ideas.
Continuing to explain yourself helps you sound more fluent because you're not panicking when
you can't come up with the precise word.
After all, English isn't always a precise language.
We often use descriptions in order to express the idea that we mean.
But what if you substitute another word or find a more lengthy way to explain yourself,
but you still want to know the precise word or term you can use in order to
express this idea more effectively?
In most cases, the person that you're speaking with will supply or volunteer
the correct word that you want to use.
But what happens if they don't say the other word because they understand you and they
don't want to interrupt the flow of thoughts?
In that case, you want to ask the other person to give you the specific word you're missing.
This is a great way to improve your vocabulary because you're going to find out the precise
term a native speaker would use in this situation.
In this video, I'm going to share natural sounding questions that you can use in order
to invite the other person to share the precise word, term, phrase or expression you can use
in order to express yourself more accurately.
As we go through the examples, pay attention to your intonation.
In order to show curiosity, be sure to use rising intonation.
This encourages the other person to give you more details and shows you're truly interested
in hearing the best way to express yourself in English.
So let's talk about the questions.
I'll repeat each question three times.
Please repeat after me.
Is there a better way to say that?
Is there a better way to say that?
Is there a better way to say that?
Is there another way to say that?
Is there another way to say that?
Is there another way to say that?
Is there a better word for that?
Is there a better word for that?
Is there a better word for that?
What do you call that?
What do you call that?
What do you call that?
In most cases, native speakers wouldn't worry about not knowing the words, so they just
substitute "whatchamacallit," which is a quick, reduced way of saying, "What do you call that?"
Whatchamacallit?
I probably wouldn't suggest you say that, but it's helpful to understand it.
What should I say instead?
What should I say instead?
What should I say instead?
You could also include the term you used.
What should I say instead of that?
What should I say instead of that?
What should I say instead of that?
What's the word I'm trying to think of?
What's the word I'm trying to think of?
What's the word I'm trying to think of?
What's the word for that?
What's the word for that?
What's the word for that?
This may actually be the question a native speaker is most likely to ask.
What's the word for that?
Simple, to the point.
Another variation is what's another word for that?
What's another word for that?
What's another word for that?
When you ask for another word, another way, you're inviting the other person to provide
more vocabulary for you.
They won't feel embarrassed about correcting you.
Most people are too polite to correct you if you say something wrong.
If you encourage the other person by saying you want to hear another way to say that or
another word to say that, they may get more enthusiastic and
start sharing the most precise terms.
As you can see, even if you are able to put your idea into other words and keep going,
even though you don't know the precise term, you may still want to improve your vocabulary
and sound a little more natural when choosing the correct word to express this idea.
In this case, you can use any one of these questions to invite the other person
to supply the word for you.
Don't be embarrassed about asking for the correct way to say something.
There are all kinds of terms I can't think of even as a native English speaker.
If it's not a word that's part of our active vocabulary, it may not come to mind that quickly.
It's perfectly acceptable to ask the other person to give you the correct term.
In fact, this is a technique I use in order to sound more like a native speaker
when I'm speaking Spanish.
For example, I spent years going to Starbucks in Lima, Peru and Santiago, Chile, and every
time I went to Starbucks I tried to find a way to express the type of tea I wanted.
And I didn't have the precise word because I know what it is in English, tea bag, but
I didn't know what it was in Spanish.
So I would find another way to express myself, but finally I just wanted to use the right
term, so I asked the barista how I should say it, and they told me.
Super easy!
I wish I had done it earlier so that I could trust I was saying the right word.
After watching this video, I hope you feel more confident knowing that you can invite
the other person to supply the correct word for you.
Sometimes native speakers just need a little more encouragement to correct you.
Nobody wants to be rude or make you feel like you can't speak English.
It's OK if you find another way to express your thoughts.
You don't always need the precise terms.
Just a quick reminder, if you want more guidance on how to improve your vocabulary naturally,
please be sure to check out my three workshops where I share all of my top tips to help you
sound more like a native English speaker.
If you're looking for a specific word, don't be afraid to comment below the video, express
the idea a different way, and encourage me to supply the word for you.
I'll be happy to help.
Once again, I'm Kim from englishwithkim.com.
I'm your guide to the essential communication skills you need to sound more natural in English.
If you like this video, please give it a thumbs up and share it with a friend.
Have a good one.
Goodbye.
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