One vowel sound, but so many spellings in English! English spelling is not phonetic, which means that just because it has one spelling, doesn't mean it always sounds the same way! In this video, we're going to talk about the 15 (!) different spellings that just ONE sound has in English. Crazy, right? For more information about this vowel, check out these episodes: How to pronounce 'water': https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/water/ /ah/ as in father (and coffee, job and office): https://hadarsheme...
Dec 02, 2025•9 min•Ep. 489
In this lesson we'll practice together how the same text can sound happy, sad, serious, or excited, only by changing your voice! I'll read two paragraphs in different ways so you can hear how tone, pitch, and rhythm change the meaning. Then we'll shadow together and you can practice your own intonation. Shadow with me, repeat after me, and train your voice to tell the story you want! If you want more practice with intonation, pronunciation, and real speaking skills, check out my free 14-day pron...
Nov 25, 2025•12 min•Ep. 488
Unlock the parts of you that stay quiet in English and finally show up as your full self. In this episode, we talk about the habits and thoughts that limit your expression and how to break them so you can speak with clarity, confidence, and freedom. You will learn how to: • Notice the beliefs that hold you back • Shift from fear to curiosity • Practice in simple daily ways that build real confidence • Express yourself with more presence and ease Want to keep practicing and building your true voi...
Nov 18, 2025•18 min•Ep. 487
Struggling with prepositions in English? In this lesson, we'll discover the most common preposition mistakes and practice them together with clear drills so you can use them confidently in real life. Learn with me in my courses 🤝 https://bit.ly/4oBeZzC
Nov 11, 2025•9 min•Ep. 486
Do you struggle to pronounce words like "girl," "term," "certain," and "earth"? In today's lesson, we're going to talk about how the American English R really sounds in these words! We'll also talk about spelling patterns, and how you can identify the pronunciation easily. Download the R practice sheet here: https://bit.ly/3Alq9Eq Get my 14-day Pronunciation Plan: https://bit.ly/3YAWcJ5...
Nov 04, 2025•13 min•Ep. 485
Do you want to stop translating, and start thinking in English? This episode will show you 5 steps you can do every day to build the connection in your brain in English, and make it yours. Here are the resources mentioned in the episode: Join my membership, Beyond, and get access to HadarAI! https://bit.ly/4nrfM5N Practice with daily Sprints: https://bit.ly/4qtZJ8P Practice shadowing: https://bit.ly/4fx9j4t...
Oct 28, 2025•10 min•Ep. 484
Want to improve your grammar, but you're not sure how? Chances are, you KNOW the grammar rules, but when it comes time to speak, you overthink which tense to use. That's why I created this Grammar Sprint, a series of drills I've developed, aimed at building pronunciation confidence in new tenses and common grammar structures. The repetition builds muscle memory so it becomes easier to use these tenses and internalize the grammar used. Want more Sprints just like this? Join The Grammar Master! ht...
Oct 22, 2025•20 min•Ep. 483
Ready to put your authoritative tone to the test in English? In today's episode, we're shadowing an infamous scene from The Devil Wears Prada. We will focus on clarity, pace, stress, and that cool, contained confidence that makes every line land. 👠💙 Download the PDF to practice along here: https://bit.ly/4nT59Zy
Oct 15, 2025•17 min•Ep. 482
Today we have a video where you'll get a chance to test your English skills with this test! I've collected a list of common mistakes that English speakers make, and your job is to discover what the mistake is, and then we'll practice the correct form together! Remember, mistakes aren't bad, but they CAN be annoying if we repeat them over and over, even when we know the correct form. So this video will help you discover common mistakes you might be making, and practice so you can retrain your bra...
Oct 08, 2025•14 min•Ep. 481
In today's episode, we're going to cover some of the top, must-know idioms that you'll hear in English! These idioms are great to sprinkle into your own conversation, but it will also help your comprehension when you understand other speakers better. Idioms are those funny little expressions that don't always make sense word-for-word, but they bring your English to life. We'll go over what they mean, how to use them naturally, and practice together so you can start using them right away....
Sep 30, 2025•12 min•Ep. 480
Join me to get inspired by REAL students who have seen REAL results! I'm interviewing some very special New Sound alumni students! In this live, you'll get to hear stories from Yessika, Alejandra, Monico, and Robin about their experience and change in English.🔥 With the right strategy, practice technique and mindset, they made an incredible transformation with their English. If you want to work with me to level up your English, doors are open to my transformational program, New Sound! Click her...
Sep 19, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 479
If you've been studying English for a long time, you may be looking for creative and challenging ways to get to the next level. This episode includes new strategies and techniques that I use with my advanced students to get them to the next level! If you want to work with me to level up your English, doors are open to my transformational program, New Sound! Click here to learn more https://bit.ly/46fJ3bS Check out these other episodes for more advanced learning: The Fluency Wheel: https://hadars...
Sep 17, 2025•11 min•Ep. 478
"Difficult doesn't mean impossible, and direction is more important than speed." That's a quote from the wonderful interview I'm having today with my dear student, Luciana! Her story will inspire you to keep going, no matter where you are on your English journey. In this episode, Luciana, a UX designer from Brazil now living in Portugal, shares how she went from avoiding speaking English and feeling awkward in meetings… to hosting conversation groups, creating videos, and speaking confidently ev...
Sep 12, 2025•40 min•Ep. 477
Have you watched the TV show, Severance? In today's episode, we're learning and shadowing common phrases from the show!
Sep 09, 2025•20 min•Ep. 476
In this interview, I have the opportunity to speak with my student, Laura, who shares her remarkable journey of transformation, from feeling shy and introverted with social anxiety, to being an active member of my community, hosting conversation groups, and organizing in-person events. In this conversation, Laura shares her limiting beliefs she overcame, the social anxiety that once made even simple interactions feel impossible, and the mindset shifts that helped her break free from self-doubt. ...
Sep 05, 2025•43 min•Ep. 475
In this episode, we'll explore different linking words that you can add to your English vocabulary. You'll get more ideas to express your thoughts differently, beyond words like "however" or "or"! You'll learn how to connect your ideas more naturally and fluently, making your speech and writing more dynamic and engaging.
Aug 19, 2025•15 min•Ep. 474
Confidence doesn't magically appear overnight, it's something you build, one step at a time. The truth is, confidence is a skill, and just like any other skill, you can learn it, practice it, and get better at it. In this episode, I'll share the most common things that get in the way of your confidence when speaking English, so you can finally recognize and overcome them. You'll discover practical tips, mindset shifts, and real-life strategies that will help you stop second-guessing yourself and...
Aug 12, 2025•13 min•Ep. 473
Have you ever used music to boost your English pronunciation? 🎶 In this week's video, I'm introducing you to Olivia Rodrigo's song Traitor to practice the different T sounds in American English… especially the Flap T! I'll break down lines from the song, show you how to pronounce them, and I'm certain you won't be able to resist singing along with me 😉 Want to keep practicing prosody? Check out this playlist: https://bit.ly/4fx9j4t Here are the lyrics of the part we did together: Brown guilty ...
Aug 05, 2025•19 min•Ep. 472
Pronouns in English: I, you, he, she, we, they: It's one of the first things we learn when starting to study English, but do you know how they are REALLY pronounced? The answer might surprise you. In this episode, we'll uncover the real pronunciation of English pronouns in everyday speech, and spoiler alert! It's probably NOT the way you learned them in English class. Download the free PDF (+ audio) to practice pronouns in English! https://bit.ly/4nOhXkf...
Jul 16, 2025•18 min•Ep. 471
Now with the rise of AI, everything has become FAST. We look for short videos, quick wins, and AI tools that do everything for us. And while that's amazing in so many ways, it can also make us believe that fluency should be something that's easy, instant, or effortless. But here's the truth: some things still take time, intention, and consistency. And English is one of them! In this episode, I talk about the five must-have qualities you need to truly master English. Not tools. Not grammar rules....
Jul 08, 2025•16 min•Ep. 470
In this interview, I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Katya, one of my amazing students who started learning English from scratch seven years ago. What's even more incredible is that she did it all without ever living in an English-speaking country!! Katya takes us through her journey, from feeling stuck and frustrated to finding the breakthrough that led her to become a leader in our communities. We dive deep into how pronunciation work, especially prosody, not only helped her speak w...
Jul 01, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 469
Improve your vocabulary, pronunciation and pace while reading a book out loud with me! We're reading the 'Let Them' book by Mel Robbins. Not only is it an excellent practice, it's also a great way for us to understand how WE can adopt this theory in our lives. Download the PDF here to follow along and improve your vocabulary [Free!] https://bit.ly/4likIrM More 'read out loud' videos: https://bit.ly/4fx9j4t...
Jun 24, 2025•29 min•Ep. 468
Shadowing is a great way to practice your pronunciation, prosody, grammar and so much more, but the key is knowing what to focus on. Today, we're going to focus on a few key sounds, and connected speech from the hit show, The Last of Us. I also prepared for you a free PDF with the shadowing analysis and notes so you can practice this speech on your own. Download my shadowing analysis from the hit show The Last of Us: https://bit.ly/4kGPz1k...
Jun 17, 2025•26 min•Ep. 467
In this episode, we're tackling some of the trickiest words in English pronunciation, like 'queue', 'colonel', 'subtle' and more! These words are especially tricky because of their confusing spelling. But today, we'll practice them out loud together to build your pronunciation confidence and be able to say these words with ease. Want more practice? Get my FREE 14-day pronunciation plan to keep practicing! https://bit.ly/3YAWcJ5
Jun 10, 2025•12 min•Ep. 466
There are 50 states in the US. Do you know how to pronounce all of them? In this episode, I'm teaching you how to pronounce each one…and some might just surprise you! A quick side note, there can be many different regional pronunciations of each state, so in this episode, I've covered the most common! Check out a list of all the states with IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription on my website: https://bit.ly/3YR2zc1
May 20, 2025•16 min•Ep. 465
Get ready to read Atomic Habits by James Clear out loud with me! Follow along and improve your vocabulary and pronunciation with an excerpt from Atomic Habits! Personally, I love this book. It's such a great book all about building habits that last (and these tips are great for language learning too!) Get a 30-day Audible free trial using my referral code and get Atomic Habits for FREE: https://adbl.co/2ESq3ro Read Atomic Habits: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits Practice with my Sprints: htt...
May 13, 2025•25 min•Ep. 464
Have you ever tried to practice rhythm in English before? In this episode, we're diving into the rhythm of English, an essential part of speaking with fluency and confidence. English is a syllable-timed language, meaning that the rhythm is based on the time between syllables, not on individual words. Let's practice together today with a metronome to help you develop rhythm in English in several different exercises! More episodes on rhythm: Rhythm of English words: https://hadarshemesh.com/podcas...
Apr 23, 2025•13 min•Ep. 463
Struggling to show up with authority in English? In this episode, you'll learn how to build authority and confidence as a nonnative speaker: without trying to sound perfect. Discover practical tips to own your voice, speak with impact, and get the respect you deserve in any conversation. Learn more about my audio course, My English Mindset here: https://bit.ly/47wXuYD Get started with my free 14-day pronunciation plan: https://bit.ly/3YAWcJ5...
Apr 15, 2025•17 min•Ep. 462
Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss. Read along with me and improve your pronunciation in English! This is no easy challenge. Are you up for it? For more pronunciation practice, grab my free 14-day pronunciation plan https://bit.ly/3YAWcJ5
Apr 08, 2025•28 min•Ep. 461
ChatGPT is a game-changer for English learners. Whether you're working on speaking, writing, or pronunciation, this guide will help you unlock its full potential. Today, follow along with me and learn just how you can use it for your English practice! Looking to improve your English with ChatGPT? I've got you covered! Get my brand-new ChatGPT English Practice Guide here https://bit.ly/3FPT5qJ This step-by-step guide includes: ✅ 4 video trainings on optimizing grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, ...
Apr 01, 2025•15 min•Ep. 460
