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This is an all English podcast, episode one thousand five hundred twenty three, keep it real, use this filler word to sound natural.

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Welcome to the All Ears English podcast downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts. Linda McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York Radio Girl coming to you from Colorado and New York City U. S a and to get Real-Time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try our Iooss app, start your seven day free trial at all airs English dot com forward slash bonuses.

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I want to show someone that you're the real deal when it comes to speaking naturally in English today. Find out how to use real as a filler word for a smooth and authentic connection in English.

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How's it going, Michelle? How are you feeling today? Hey, Lindsey, I'm good. I'm good. How are you? Really good. Just living life, you know, I mean, pandemic live, but I think that will be coming out of this soon. And yeah. Things are OK. Yeah. Yeah.

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Making our way make a chugging along. Yeah. So yeah. Well I'm excited for today's episode because it's a follow up sometimes guys. What happens is we'll be doing one episode and then we have something really natural come up and that's how we kind of create our episodes organically.

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So it's kind of cool when like one episode rolls into another. So this is an example of one of those.

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It is cool when that happens because I mean, it's all language right at all. They all roll together and I love it. So I'm excited. I mean, did we talk about Episode 15? Let's go back to Episode 15 15. What do we talk about there, Michelle?

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Yeah, well, that was how to use body movements to describe a feeling in English.

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So so we were using words like nail biter, head turner. You guys, you got to listen to that one.

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Yeah, that was a really good one. Yeah, that was a lot of fun. So but I realized that in, like, the role plays, I think that I had always been writing. It's a real something. It's a real head turner.

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It's a real this is like so and I had that kept on happening and I said, oh, real goes with these a lot. But then I realized that real Alino Real is a very powerful word, kind of a powerful filler word. So yeah, we wanted to talk about this today.

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All that's so fun. I just thought of a good title for today's episode. We'll go back to it in a second. But that's good stuff. Yeah. Guys, guys.

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So guys, before we get into this today, this very important usage of the word real, I want you to go ahead and hit subscribe.

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Now, wherever you listen to podcast, write any platform, wherever you are listening, make sure you are subscribe to our show, because we do put out bonus episodes, announcements about Web classes that you definitely don't want to miss, right, Michelle? Absolutely. Absolutely.

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So make sure you hit subscribe. Don't miss anything from all year English.

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Excellent. So, Michelle, what is this Wardo real. Yeah. So I mean, if I say something was a real head turner instead of just a head turner, like, what does that kind of convey. Like why don't I just say, oh, it is a head turner.

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It's so funny, like you said, I mean in the role plays, you're right. So even when we don't have it, they're all at it to make my language sound more natural.

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So I will throw that in to make you guys feel that like that the role play itself is less prescriptive.

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Yeah, right. That makes sense. So. Right.

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So what it really does is that it makes it natural, makes language natural. Right.

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It kind of fills a space. You know what's interesting? Because sometimes we talk about being concise. Right. And like not using extra words, but sometimes the extra words end up being more natural.

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It's like sometimes extra words to make things more flowery and it's too much, but sometimes used strategically. They make things even more natural or more relatable, like when I hear it's a real something, it adds up. It adds more personality to it.

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It's more fun. It's more spunky.

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Right. It gives you the speaker. Right. It makes you have more personality specifically. Right. Less of what you're saying, but more what who you are. And that's kind of fun. Guys, I know you guys are looking for a way to express your personality in English. We don't want to be a textbook. We're trying to get away from that here at all in English. This is a way to do it. So it makes it sound natural.

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It's kind of a filler in this in this episode today, the word real is being used as a filler, wouldn't you say, Michel? Yeah, I think so. It kind of exaggerates things also.

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Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Exactly.

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And again, like I said before, it adds personality for the speaker and what's being said.

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Exactly. Exactly. So that's really what it does. I mean, of course, we know the word real as like the actual word like true. Right. So if I say a real Rolex. Right. Not fake.

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Right. That's a different episode for a different day. That's a different episode for a different day. So we know that one. I mean, you've probably heard that one, but this one is kind of similar, which is why I brought up the other definition, because it's saying that it's true. It's not fake. Right. If you really kind of go down to what are you saying when I say it's a real head turner, it's like it's a truly a head turner.

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And that would be another way to say the same thing. It's truly a head turner. Exactly. Exactly. So this is all kind of similar with going back to the original meaning of real. So let's do a few examples of other ways we can do it besides with the head. Turner Well, OK, cool. So I'm sorry I can't come.

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It's a real bummer for sure. Yeah, I could have said it's a bummer for sure. That would have been just fine. But again, this just adds more emphasis. Emphasis. Right, right.

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Right. A real bummer saying I this is truly how I feel. I'm really sorry. Right. Yeah.

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Or I could say it's a real mystery why she didn't show up.

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Yeah. Oh, I think I'm looking at the wrong part of our notes. But Michelle, I mean, guys, keep in mind that this is also about intonation. Right. About the way you're saying to. Distinguish this as a filler and as a way of emphasizing it's a real mystery, right? You know, it's a real bummer.

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OK, so internation is really important here. Mm hmm. Exactly.

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Or if somebody is like the class clown from from school because he was a real class clown, I remember him.

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Exactly. Or now this one is sarcastic and we should do more episodes. Michelle, on sarcasm in English. But, you know, he's a real winner, right.

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So did you hear my sarcasm, guys? Oh, my gosh.

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Yes, definitely. Yeah. When you I mean, that's kind of a chunk actually like to call someone a real winner, like, oh, he's a real winner.

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Right.

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Like, he got fired from five jobs five days in a row or something. He's a real winner. Right. Right, right. Right, right, right. Exactly, exactly. So, yeah. I mean, Lindsay. So you use this word real, right? Yeah, for sure.

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For sure. This is in every native speakers tool box, guys, and that's why we want to give you these tools to speak naturally. OK. Definitely.

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Definitely. OK, so let's do a couple other expressions with real Walwa doing real well or getting real good. Yeah, getting real.

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Keeping it real. Love it. OK. All right. So the first one, guys, is the real deal. Now, these are kind of idioms, expressions, chunks, a little different from how we used real as a filler just just now. OK, we're going moving into the second part of the episode here.

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Mm hmm. Mm hmm. So, yeah, the real deal. It's true. Not fake. Right. So sometimes it's used to say something is amazing or great in some way. So, like, I thought they'd break up after two days. But it looks like this is the real deal. Exactly.

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And again, I just want to emphasize for our listeners, this is not putting that in as a filler. This is the chunk. OK, so we're not talking about like this is the real deal, not like we did before in the episode. It's a chunk in itself, OK? Exactly.

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So I wanted to give you some of these tools so that you kind of can navigate when you hear them because it's not always used in that one particular way.

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So now we have some chunks, some idioms to also hang on to. And nice.

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Do you believe in connection, not perfection like we do then you are in the right place. So go ahead and hit subscribe wherever you listen to a podcast to get updates every time we publish a new episode. Don't miss out and hit subscribe now.

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OK, what's the next one, Michelle? All right, the next one is it's been real, so that's used to say something was a good time, a good experience, or you could be using it in a sarcastic way to say it wasn't so great, right?

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Yeah, you could be. Yeah, it would be a little confrontative if you did that to say that to someone directly or if you had a bad experience with someone who does that. Yeah, it's been real. I'm not here. I'm leaving. Right.

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Right, right. So but if you're being genuine, you could say something like, OK, well, I'm going to head off. It's been real, right?

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Yeah. Yeah, exactly. It doesn't have to be sarcastic. Negative in that sense. It could be positive. Yeah, yeah.

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Yeah it certainly could be. Or what's another one. Lindsy keep it real.

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I love this. Keep it real meaning be true to yourself. Be who you are, be in integrity. Just keep things good ok. Yeah. Yes.

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So I like people who keep it real. I want genuine people in my life. Should we do one or two more.

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Let's just do one more. So I like this next one. It's getting real. I feel like we'll do this one instead of the next one. Michelle, because this one is more common now I think. Yeah, yeah.

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I see it a lot like greeting cards actually with a curse word. Do you know what I'm talking about.

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Yeah. Yeah. Totally know what you're talking about. We don't curse on the show, but you guys may see it around a couple in a chunk with a curse word. I actually think I use this. I got some bad news from something going on in my family live. And I used that expression with that curse word in that conversation. And basically I said, oh, man, this is getting real, right? It's getting real. Like, stuff is getting bad.

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All right.

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So, I mean, it's basically that's everything is kind of taken up a notch, like getting more intense. Sorry. I see it a lot for, like, people getting engaged like you, they might say, like it's just getting real or it just got real.

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So it's not always it's getting real. It could be it just got real.

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So when you say that, OK, so let's talk about it in the positive or the negative sense, let's split those two to be clear.

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So when you say in that way, what do you mean? Like if someone just got engaged, just got real things, just got real. Yeah.

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It's like, oh, that's just got really serious, but in a good way. Right. It's like. Yeah, like oh wow. They've been dating for ten years that they just got engaged so it just got real. It's like it's not meant to say that it wasn't serious before. That's not what this is about. It's just kind of a fun. It's just really it's just a fun expression. Like it just got real like.

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Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And then on the negative side of something's been happening repeatedly and someone hasn't been held accountable, let's say, and then all of a sudden they're going to be held accountable. You could say that, yeah, things are going to get real or things are getting real for this person right now.

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Right, exactly. Exactly. So you guys, these are all really, really useful ones that we're going to do a role play in just a second. But again, we wanted to remind you definitely, definitely anywhere you get your podcasts or you listen to audio hit subscribe so that you don't miss anything from all his English. Exactly. Michelle.

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OK, guys. Now let's get into the role play. We know that you guys love these role plays, so let's go into it. So what's happening here, Michelle? All right.

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Well, we are saying goodbye after a long visit. Oh, bummer. OK, here we go. Oh, man. Michelle, this was so much fun.

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Yeah, I had a great trip. It's been real. Definitely. It was a real fun fest, that's for sure.

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I wasn't sure it would be good travel buddies, but we are the real deal. I agree. I think it's because we both like to keep it real. We don't need glitzy stuff on vacations. Good point.

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Oh, my goodness. Steve and Rachel are engaged. Wow. It just got real. I think they're a good match.

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OK, let's go back to these. So in the beginning you said, yeah, I had a great trip. It's been real personally. It's not in my personality to say that so much in the positive sense.

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Right. Or in the negative sense. But I suppose it's kind of funny.

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It's kind of like I don't know, it's very silly. I think it's more used more in a sarcastic, like, negative way.

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No, I think either positive or negative. Negative. It's just very slangy. Like it's more slang than I mean do you use it. Michala. Just personal style.

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It's funny because like I don't, I guess I don't say it like completely genuinely. So I guess in those way of saying like oh it's been real like, like I don't know if I would say that was like oh you know I might be like Yeah. To like a friend like yeah it's been real, you know, in a fun way like that. So I might.

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I might. Yeah. I love that. I love that.

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OK, and then the next one you said, OK, here we are using real in the first way we went about one in. OK, could you say that again Michelle. The one. So I said you said it was a real fun first.

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Yes exactly. It was a real fun fest. Got it. OK, yes.

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And then you said I wasn't sure if we'd be good travel buddies, but we are the real deal. Yeah.

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So that means it works like we're good. That's fine. I haven't heard that described between, like two friends or like a group, but I have definitely heard it to describe a person.

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And in terms of their expertise like that, too. Yeah, that's where I hear that the most. If someone is trying to teach something and, you know, maybe someone's not sure if they want to trust that person because they know he's the real deal.

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He's done X, Y, Z. He has credibility. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yes.

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That is a great way to use it as well, for sure, Mom. And then you said, I think it's because we both like to keep it real. We don't need glitzy stuff. Right.

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To like kind of keep it genuine, maybe down to earth or I mean, not even necessarily down to earth, but just like we are true to ourselves. We're true to each other. Exactly.

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But this is very subjective what this means, because if you and I were very like glitzy Trami travelers, we might say we're a great match for traveling. We keep it real. We go to the spa, we shop for jewelry like it also could be used there. It's it's you know, it just depends on it means that we see things the same way in that sense.

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Yeah, yeah.

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Yeah, I agree. Yeah, you're right. You're right. It depends on who you are, how you use us. And then I saw two friends got engaged and I said it just got real. I think they're that match. Yeah.

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Things are getting serious. They're, you know, they're blending their lives together. OK, this is great. This is great. OK, awesome.

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Well this was fun. Lindsey, what's the takeaway for today?

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All right, so, guys, this is a very natural use. We've talked about really two uses of the word real. In the beginning, it was as a filler to emphasize. And towards the end of the episode, we showed you chunks, chunks of how to use real that are super common and relevant nowadays, guys. So use them in both ways, grab one or two chunks and practice them and try filling in your expressions with that filler word of real right, Michel?

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Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. OK, so now you know, you can kind of pick out like if it's a filler word, if it's an idiom. So lots of things to think about there. But definitely listen for that because you're going to hear this kind of stuff all the time.

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Absolutely awesome.

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Very good, Michelle. All right. Thanks for hanging out today. And guys, remember hit subscribe wherever you listen to a podcast.

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All right. Have a good one. Thanks, Will. Take care. Bye bye.

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Thanks for listening to all ears English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz. Go to all ears. English dot com forward slash fluency score. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit. Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.