Top 10 Speaking Errors: Habits Even Native Speakers Have

📅 March 02, 2026 ⏱️ 10 min read

Top 10 Speaking Errors: Habits Even Native Speakers Have

In the US, spoken English is much more "relaxed" than the English you find in textbooks. Because we speak at a fast pace, our brains often take shortcuts. Rod might use these in a casual Friday meeting, and Anna definitely uses them when she's out with friends.

If you want to sound exactly like a native, you can use these. But if you want to sound correct, you should avoid them. Here are the 10 most common "slips of the tongue" in the English-speaking world.

1. "Me and Rod" vs. "Rod and I"

This is the most frequent speaking error in America.

The Native Habit: "Me and Rod are going to the meeting."
The Reality: You should always put yourself last and use the subject pronoun.
The Test: If you remove "Rod," you wouldn't say "Me am going." You would say "I am going."
Correct: "Rod and I are going."

2. Using "Good" instead of "Well"

If you ask an American "How are you doing?", 99% will say "I'm doing good."

The Error: "Good" is an adjective (describes a noun). "Well" is an adverb (describes an action).
Correct: "I am doing well."
Rod's Tip: In the US, saying "I'm doing well" sounds very formal. Saying "I'm good" is the standard social response, even if it's technically incorrect.

3. The "Double Negative"

This happens when people want to emphasize that something isn't happening, but they accidentally cancel out the meaning.

The Native Habit: "I don't know nothing."
The Logic: Mathematically, two negatives make a positive. So, you are saying you do know something.
Correct: "I don't know anything" or "I know nothing."

4. "There's" with Plural Nouns

Because "There's" (There is) is so easy to say, natives use it for everything, even when there are multiple things.

The Native Habit: "There's five people in the lobby."
The Correct Form: "There are five people..." or "There're five people..."

5. "Amount" vs. "Number"

This is a classic "Countable" vs. "Uncountable" mistake.

The Native Habit: "A large amount of people showed up."
The Rule: Use Amount for things you can't count (water, money, time). Use Number for things you can count (people, cars, ideas).
Correct: "A large number of people."

6. "I seen it"

You will hear this a lot in certain regions of the US or in informal contexts.

The Error: Using the past participle (seen) without an auxiliary verb (have).
Correct: "I saw it" (Past Simple) or "I have seen it" (Present Perfect).

7. "Who" instead of "Whom"

As we mentioned before, "Whom" is dying in spoken English.

The Native Habit: "Who are you talking to?"
The Correct Form: "Whom are you talking to?"
Anna's Strategy: Most people find "Whom" sounds a bit "snobby" in casual conversation. Stick to "Who" unless you are writing a legal document.

8. "Lay" vs. "Lie"

Natives get this wrong every single day.

The Error: "I'm going to lay down for a nap."
The Rule: Lay requires an object (You lay the book on the table). Lie is an action you do yourself.
Correct: "I'm going to lie down."

9. "Hone in" vs. "Home in"

When Rod wants to focus on a specific detail in a meeting, he might use this phrase.

The Native Habit: "We need to hone in on the target market."
The Reality: "Hone" means to sharpen a skill. "Home in" comes from homing pigeons finding their way back.
Correct: "We need to home in on the target."

10. "Could of / Would of" (Spoken)

While this is a writing error, it stems from the way it sounds when we speak. Because the contraction "Could've" (Could have) sounds like "Could of," natives have internalized the wrong word.

Correct: "I could have helped you."

Common Speaking Errors Summary

The Native Slip	The Grammar Rule
"Between you and I"	Should be "Between you and me" (Object of the preposition).
"He ran quick"	Should be "He ran quickly" (Adverb).
"I graduated college"	Should be "I graduated from college."

Conclusion: Listen with a "Grammar Filter"

Now that you know these secrets, you will start hearing them everywhere—in movies, podcasts, and even from your American boss. Don't correct them! It’s better to be the one who knows the rule but chooses to be "cool" and speak like everyone else.

Next Step Challenge: Try to spot one "Double Negative" or a "There's + Plural" in the next English video you watch. It's like a game of "Grammar Spy!"

Happy Learning!

The Rod English Academy Team