fluent in speech or writing

Fluency in Language

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In composition , fluency is a general term for the clear, smooth, and seemingly effortless use of language in writing or speech . Contrast this with dysfluency .

Syntactic fluency (also known as syntactic maturity or syntactic complexity ) refers to the ability to manipulate a variety of sentence structures effectively.

Etymology:  From the Latin fluere , "to flow"

In Rhetoric and Composition: An Introduction (Cambridge University Press, 2010), Steven Lynn presents "some illustrative activities that research or direct experience or compelling anecdotal evidence indicates can help students to improve their stylistic fluency and general writing ability." These activities include the following:

- Write often, and write all sorts of different kinds of things for different audiences . - Read, read, read. - Nurture students' awareness of the effects of stylistic choices. - Explore various approaches to characterizing style. - Try Sentence Combining and Erasmus's copiousness . - Imitation --it's not just for sincere flattery. - Practice revision strategies, creating tighter, brighter, and sharper prose .

Types of Fluency

" Syntactic fluency is the ease with which speakers construct complex sentences containing linguistically complex structures. Pragmatic fluency refers to both knowing and demonstrating what one wants to say within and in response to a variety of situational constraints. Phonologic fluency refers to the ease of producing long and complex strings of sounds within meaningful and complex language units." (David Allen Shapiro, Stuttering Intervention . Pro-Ed, 1999)

Beyond the Basics

"By providing non-threatening but challenging writing experiences for [students], we are enabling them to develop confidence in the writing abilities they already have as they demonstrate--for self as well as a teacher--the syntactic fluency they have been developing through a lifetime of using and listening to their native tongue . Very few if any of them could explain that they are putting words together in the patterns that create meaning; and as they fill the empty pages, they would be unable to name the kinds of verbal constructs they're using to express their thoughts. But they are indeed demonstrating that they have already mastered the basic grammatical structures they need for writing. And the writing we're asking them to do is enabling them to develop more fluency ." (Lou Kelly, "One-on-One, Iowa City Style: Fifty Years of Individualized Writing Instruction." Landmark Essays on Writing Centers , ed. by Christina Murphy and Joe Law. Hermagoras Press, 1995)

Measuring Syntactic Fluency

"[W]e might reasonably infer that good writers, expert writers, mature writers have mastered the syntax of their language and have at their disposal a large repertoire of syntactic forms, especially those forms we associate with longer clauses , which we can recognize simply by their length, or denser sentences, which we can measure using the T-unit , an independent clause and all related subordination . However, the question that immediately comes to mind is this: Are longer and denser sentences always better, more mature? Can we necessarily infer that a writer who uses longer or more complex syntax in any given case is a better or more mature writer than one who does not? There is good reason to think that this inference maybe misguided... "[A]lthough syntactic fluency may be a necessary part of what we mean by writing ability, it cannot be the only or even the most important part of that ability. Expert writers may have an excellent grasp of the language, but they still need to know what they are talking about, and they must still need to know how to apply what they know in any given case. Although expert writers may be syntactically fluent, they must be able to apply that fluency using different genres in different situations: different genres and different situations, even different purposes , call for different kinds of language. The test of writers' syntactic fluency can be only whether they adapt their repertoire of structures and techniques to the demands of a particular purpose in a particular context . This means that although syntactic fluency may very well be a general skill that all expert writers share, the only way we can actually know the degree to which a given writer has that ability is to ask that writer to perform in different genres in a variety of circumstances."​  (David W Smit, The End of Composition Studies . Southern Illinois University Press, 2004)

• What Is Tone In Writing?
• Heuristics in Rhetoric and Composition
• Definition and Examples of Syntax
• Directness in Speech and Writing
• Develop Fluency and Comprehension With Repeated Reading
• Understanding Anacoluthon (Syntactic Blend) in English Grammar
• Writer Purpose in Rhetoric and Composition
• Definition and Discussion of Lexical-Function Grammar
• reader-based prose
• Style-shifting (language)
• English Language Sentence Structure
• Indian English, AKA IndE
• Duality of Patterning in Language
• Learn the Definition of Mental Grammar and How it Works
• Thinking About Reading
• Universal Grammar (UG)

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[ floo - uh nt ]

fluent French.

a fluent speaker;

fluent in six languages.

fluent motion;

fluent curves.

• flowing, as a stream.
• capable of flowing; fluid, as liquids or gases.
• easily changed or adapted; pliant .

/ ˈfluːənt /

• able to speak or write a specified foreign language with facility

his French is fluent

• easy and graceful in motion or shape
• flowing or able to flow freely

Discover More

Derived forms.

• ˈfluently , adverb

Other Words From

• flu·en·cy flu·ent·ness noun
• flu·ent·ly adverb
• non·flu·en·cy noun
• non·flu·ent adjective
• non·flu·ent·ness noun
• o·ver·flu·en·cy noun
• o·ver·flu·ent adjective
• o·ver·flu·ent·ness noun
• trans·flu·ent adjective
• un·flu·ent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fluent 1

Synonym Study

Example sentences.

Ever since, she’s made sure to vote, even though the native Khmer speaker isn’t fluent in English.

Best of all, in my quest to get more fluent, I’m making lots of interesting new friends to share with all of you.

Covid-19 has also taught us that becoming fluent in and open to new technology to collaborate and run the business is more important than ever.

He was fluent in the language of the merchant, and many of his interlocutors were craftsmen and small business owners.

Thanks to BLANC, Primer was able to train a summarization tool that can generate pretty fluent summaries.

To work at Rizzoli you had to be fluent in several languages: three was the minimum when I began.

As fluent in drug trade jargon as Martian, Future peppers his lyrics with interstellar imagery befitting of his far out vocals.

A more recent phenomenon in the political universe is politicians of Hispanic heritage who are not fluent in Spanish.

The Telegraph reports that he is fluent in Swahili and a keen zoologist.

The conversation was entirely in Russian—Weir is impressively fluent.

Cui spoke of it as a beautiful, talented, fluent work, which showed originality and invention.

Although not a fluent reader, the New Testament became his constant companion, and a change passed over him apparent to all.

He gradually became more fluent, and studied how best to impress his comrades.

Practice makes perfect, for I spoke to them more or less in fluent French!

Francesca is fluent at all times, but once seated on the foot of my bed she becomes eloquent!

Related Words

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How to Speak English Fluently: 33 Easy Tips to Reach Your Language Goals

Do you want to learn how to speak English well?

Read on for 33 solid tips that will help you speak English more fluently, in less time.

Our team includes language learners from different countries who picked up English as a second language as well as native English teachers, so these are all based on our own experiences.

From pronunciation practice to handy online resources, consider this your roadmap to becoming confident speaking English. 

1. Get Clear on What Fluency Means

2. immerse yourself in english every day  , 3. accept that english grammar has a lot of exceptions, 4. use mirroring to answer english questions, 5. focus on whole phrases instead of single words, 6. learn intonation, body language and gestures, 7. use speech-to-text for text messaging, 8. talk yourself through everyday activities, 9. memorize and use conversation starters, 10. share your opinions online, 11. get direct feedback, 12. read along with podcasts, 11. learn some english slang, 12. look out for common pronunciation issues , 13. pay attention to the sounds native speakers use , 14. record your own english-language audiobooks , 15. record what you want to learn, then listen to it throughout the day, 16. think directly in english instead of translating, 17. set specific language goals, 18. figure out your weak spots, 19. don’t be afraid to make mistakes when talking, 20. record your mistakes , 21. review and test yourself often, 22. practice using new words right away , 23. expand your vocabulary with spaced repetition, 24. learn basic grammar rules  , 25. but don’t worry too much about grammar , 26. get comfortable first with the english words you know, 27. learn from everyone who speaks english, 28. hire a personal tutor, 29. make sure to use resources appropriate for your level, 30. consider a big move, 31. pre-plan conversations that you’ll need to have, 32. sing some karaoke, 33. remind yourself why you want to speak english, helpful resources for learning to speak english fluently, faqs about how to speak english well, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

You know that you want to become fluent in English, but what does that mean?

There are two parts to fluency: knowing the language and knowing how to produce the language.

Being fluent means that you can use the English language comfortably. You can communicate freely and you can have conversations with native speakers without having to constantly look for help.

Fluency can also be seen in how you speak. You can know plenty of English vocabulary, but if you have to pause or repeat a lot when speaking, your fluency might not be so obvious to someone. If you speak very slowly or in a very flat, unemotional manner, then you won’t sound very fluent, either.

On the other hand, sounding fluent doesn’t mean you actually are speaking good English.

To be fluent in English, you need to master both the language and how you speak it!

There’s often an expectation that you must know a certain number of words for fluency. But it’s important to remember that you can’t just study the words and grammar. It can be scary, but you’ll also need to practice speaking.

The tips below will help you master your speaking skills so that you can speak proper English and sound good doing it. Don’t forget how important both features of fluency are!

To read about how many words you need to know to be considered fluent, read this post:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/how-many-words-do-i-need-to-know/

Studying English for an hour once a week isn’t usually enough to make any real progress. The best way to quickly improve your English is to spend at least a few minutes practicing every day.

There’s a special language learning method called “immersion.” With immersion, you try to surround yourself with the language as much as you can in your day-to-day activities. You want English to become part of your daily schedule so that you’re frequently learning and practicing until it becomes natural to hear and speak the language.

You can create immersion in a lot of fun, creative ways, besides just constantly studying English from a book or a course! You can switch your phone settings to the English language. You can start watching and listening to English movies and songs, keep an English diary or volunteer in a place where English is required.

Immerse yourself in English as much as possible every time you study. Challenge yourself to listen to, read and even say things in English that you think might be too difficult for you. If you want to speak English fluently, you need to make it an essential part of your everyday life.

Watching authentic movies and videos can help with this, by exposing you to the natural sounds of the language.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Try FluentU for FREE!

Sometimes, you can find patterns in English grammar, but other times English doesn’t make sense at all.

For example, why are “read” (pronounced reed) and “read” (pronounced red) the same word, but said differently depending on whether you’re speaking in the past or present tense? Or why is “mice” the plural of “mouse,” but “houses” is the plural of “house”?

Unfortunately, there are many exceptions to English rules. It’s easy to get stuck on learning how to speak English properly if you try to find a reason for everything. Sometimes, English is just weird! So the best thing to do is just memorize the strange exceptions and move on.

Listen carefully when someone asks you a question in English and you’ll answer perfectly every time. English questions are like mirrors:

• Does he…..? → Yes, he does .
• Can she….? → Yes, she can .
• Is it….? → No, it isn’t .

If someone asks you a question and you’re not sure how to answer, start by thinking about the words used in the question. The person has already said most of the words you need to make your answer.

Instead of just memorizing English grammar, start to look for patterns like this one. There are a lot of simple ways to “cheat” and make it easier to remember the right words.

Speaking English fluently means being able to express your thoughts, feelings and ideas. Your goal is to speak English in full sentences, so why not learn it in full sentences?

You’ll find that English is more useful in your everyday life if you study whole phrases, rather than just vocabulary and verbs. Start by thinking about phrases that you use frequently in your native language, and then learn how to say them in English.

True English fluency is about more than just vocabulary and grammar. If you can figure out intonation , body language and gestures, you’ll really look and sound like a native speaker.

Intonation is the “rise and fall” or tone changes in how a person speaks. Body language is how a person uses their own body to support (or go against) what they mean. Gestures are hand and body movements that work together with what someone is saying.

It’s not easy to learn these three things because they seem very natural. One way to learn is to just watch how native English speakers communicate with each other.

One way to study these aspects of the language is by hiring an English teacher, if that’s in your budget. Another is watching YouTube videos, if you can avoid getting distracted with other videos.

You can practice speaking English even when you’re texting people. Just speak your texts instead of typing them!

You may need to change your settings to enable speech-to-text first. Then, find the “speech” option on whatever keyboard you’re using. Often, you just need to tap a microphone icon on the right side of the keyboard.

But what if most of your communication is with friends and family in your native language? Microsoft Translator has a way around this. Check to see if your native language is included in Microsoft’s Conversations feature—if it is, you can speak out loud in English, and have your words automatically translated into text in your native language.

Your chat partner can speak in your native language and have their words show up for you in English. This way, you get English speaking (and reading) practice while having the conversations you’d be having anyway.

Think about all the things you might do that have a beginning, a middle and an end. For example, following a recipe when cooking dinner or putting together a piece of furniture.

Try writing out instructions for a process in English and make them as simple as possible.

For cooking something, your instructions might start like this:

• Peel the garlic.
• Dice the garlic.
• Peel the onions.
• Slice the onions.

Once you have your instructions, follow them. In the meantime, say what you’re doing out loud. For example, “Now I’m cutting up the onions. Uh oh, my eyes are starting to water!”

A more challenging version of this would be to keep an audio diary. Record yourself on your phone describing your day or a specific experience, from beginning to end. This would force you to learn words that you often use in everyday life (or think about!), and you’ll also get more comfortable with speaking smoothly.

You might miss out on opportunities to practice English speaking if you just can’t think of anything to say.

An easy solution to this is to memorize conversation starters or ideas for beginning conversations. You can find lots of these online. For example, here’s a list of 250 conversation starters from Conversation Starters World.

Of course, you wouldn’t want to use all of these at any moment. It would probably seem weird if you just walked up to someone and said, “What three words best describe you?” But memorizing some ideas will help you feel better about talking to people in casual situations or to keep conversations going when talking to exchange partners .

To really learn English speaking, you need to learn how to express yourself in English. Even if you have ideas for conversations, it can be hard to know how to put them into your own words.

You can practice this by participating in conversations online. Posting on social media, leaving comments on articles or writing reviews are all good approaches.

Goodreads is a site where people leave their thoughts about books they’ve read. Writing about books and movies is always a nice way to practice sharing your opinions in English, because they give you a lot to think about!

But if you don’t have time to do this, there are simpler options: Watch a short video on YouTube and leave a comment underneath it. Post short opinions on Twitter about anything. There are many options for practicing your English skills before you speak out loud!

To improve your speaking, you can ask directly for feedback. Since you usually can’t do this with casual conversations, it might be worth setting up a language exchange , where you can ask the person to tell you directly if any of your sentences sound awkward or unnatural. 

There are even apps for this, like Go Correct where you can connect with English teachers. HelloTalk also allows you to chat (or voice call) in English, and then your conversation partner will literally mark out your mistakes. 

For self-studying, you can work on your grammar and sentence constructions when speaking by typing out a simple message or paragraph. Try running this through Grammarly to check your grammar. Afterwards, correct any mistakes you might have made, then try reading everything out loud! 

Podcasts and audiobooks don’t just make for amazing English listening practice —they can help with your speaking too! Most of the top English podcasts have word-for-word transcripts.

What you can do is download the transcript and then try reading the first few lines out on your own. Then play the podcast while reading along out loud, matching the speed and accent of the speaker. This is a handy technique that’s called shadowing, which can really help with your intonation and pronunciation. 

Of course, choose a podcast that matches the type of English you’re learning. This would usually be American or British English since you’ll also have to imitate the accent! 

While you should be focusing on learning standard English, it can be helpful to know English slang words and phrases so that you can “stay current” and understand modern English speech. Slang is always present, especially online , so you can’t really avoid seeing it.

Knowing slang , idioms and other casual expressions can improve real English fluency, because they can let you follow along with the kinds of conversations that happen today.

If you want to learn some great English slang, check out this post and this helpful video:

Learn popular American slang words with this guide, which covers must-know terms like “hype,” “bae” and “simp.” You’ll find these all over the internet (and even…

While there’s no single “correct” English, if people have trouble understanding you, it’ll be hard for you to speak confidently.

There’s no magic to improving pronunciation—you just need to learn the mechanics, and then practice. It’s all about how you move your mouth and use your lips, tongue and throat. For this, you should watch native speakers while they’re talking and observe not just what they say, but how they say it.

It’s also helpful to know about well-known pronunciation issues . Sounds like th and r  are difficult for a lot of English learners, but your native language has a major impact on your pronunciation. Try looking up the most common pronunciation mistakes made by speakers of your native language!

To read more about English pronunciation rules, check out this post:

English pronunciation can seem tricky, but with this guide, you will be able to speak clearly in no time! This post will take you through the 25 most important English…

When most students listen to a native English speaker, they focus on understanding what all the words mean. This is definitely important, but there’s a lot more you can learn from listening.

If you listen closely to English speakers, you’ll notice that sometimes vowels in English are pronounced as uh, such as in “th e “ , “ a gain” and “reas o n” . This is called the schwa sound . It’s the most common sound in the English language, but most English learners don’t notice it, which leads to sounding a bit different from a native speaker.

In English, words also aren’t pronounced in a disconnected way. Sometimes one word flows into another —for example, “leave it” and “no idea” both sound like they have no spaces between the words. Native speakers do this a lot!

Try to remember these details the next time you speak and your English will begin to sound more natural.

When we think of practicing a language, we often think of putting ourselves in situations where we have to use the language. But the truth is, a lot of confidence and fluency come from actually speaking. This technique can help you do a lot more of that.

Think about your favorite books. Even if you don’t have any favorite books that were written in English, you can probably find some in English translations. For example, the Harry Potter series has been sold all over the world.

Take any English-language book that you already enjoy, and record yourself reading it in English. This will take you a while, of course. But it’s a way to practice your English pronunciation every day in a way that’s fun and interesting for you.

Once you finish recording the book, you’ll have a homemade audiobook of it to listen to, which will give you a way to practice your listening skills, too.

Use the same technique described above to learn English in general while also practicing your speech.

For example, let’s say that you’d like to get better at talking to waitstaff. Maybe you see a blog post that includes examples of English conversations to have in restaurants . Instead of just reading the post and trying to remember the examples, record yourself reading it!

This will give you multiple opportunities to remember the material: when you first read it, when you read it out loud and when you listen to yourself reading it later.

Stop thinking of yourself as someone who is learning English, and start thinking of yourself as someone who speaks English. It’s a small change, but it’ll make you feel more confident and help you to better use the English you already know.

This also means you need to start thinking in English. If you want to say the word “apple” in English, for example, you probably think of the word in your native language first, and then try to think of the correct word in English. Instead, try imagining a picture of an apple, and then just think of the English word “apple.”

Real fluency happens when you stop mentally translating conversations. This is the biggest step from learning English to just being an English speaker!

Fluency is a very high level to reach and will take a long time to achieve, so “becoming fluent” can be a pretty unclear goal. Having such a big, non-specific target won’t be helpful in planning out your studies.

That’s why you should think of more concrete and obvious goals that can lead you to fluency. By themselves, they may seem like small steps, but all together they’ll provide a steady path in your English learning journey.

Good goals should be specific and achievable. When setting a goal, you should decide exactly what you want to learn, and how long you want to spend learning it.

Here are some examples of good goals:

• Learn 30 new English words in 30 days
• Have a conversation with a native English speaker this week
• Learn to conjugate five irregular verbs before your next tutoring lesson
• Perfect your pronunciation of 10 words over the weekend (then ask a native speaker to tell you how you did!)

Make sure that the goals you set are reasonable and challenging enough to keep you motivated . You want to achieve your goals without over-stressing yourself!

You might find some parts of the English language are especially difficult for you. These “weak spots” can be anything: grammar usage, pronunciation, sentence formation and so on. It’s important that you find out what they are so that you can focus on improving them.

English does have a lot of tricky features, and some can be even trickier depending on your native language. Pay attention to what you’re having problems with and dedicate more studying to it.

You want to make sure you improve in all parts of the English language without lagging behind in any of them.

To read more in depth about common errors in English, check out this post:

Read this to learn the 26 most common mistakes in English, why people make them and how to correct them. This guide includes common grammar errors, like subject-verb…

Sometimes, it can be difficult to put all those rules and words together into a simple sentence. Don’t let the fear of saying something wrong stop you from speaking at all.

Even if you think you’re making a mistake, keep speaking anyway. Most of the time, people will understand what you’re trying to say, even if you make a mistake.

Plus, the more you speak, the easier it gets, and the faster the right words will come to mind.

To read about some common mistakes when speaking a new language, check out his post:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/errors-in-language-learning

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes… but also make sure that you understand them!

When you know that something went wrong in your English conversation, make a note of it (in your mind or, better yet, on paper). In your own time, study what exactly made you trip up. Did you use the wrong vocabulary? Was something pronounced incorrectly? Maybe you were using the wrong tense in your sentences?

Mistakes are inevitable and necessary, but to lower the chance of repeating the same mistakes, you must learn (and not run away!) from them.

Reviewing what you learn is just as important as, well, actually learning!

Without proper review, you can easily forget a lot of previously learned material. This can greatly slow you down in your path to fluency because advanced English constantly builds upon basic, easier concepts. That’s why you must frequently test your skills.

You can review your learning in a number of different ways. You can make your own vocabulary quizzes , do translation exercises or have quick training sessions with a speaking partner. There are also online resources that you can use for review .

You should also think about when to review. Maybe you want to review right after you finish a new topic or after completing a whole unit of study. Or maybe you want to be extra studious and just review every time you study English!

Your reviews and tests will help you see your progress in English. Seeing how much you’ve improved can greatly increase your motivation to learn!

If you want to find out some free websites for testing yourself, check out this post:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/test-your-language-skills/

There’s an expression in English: “Use it or lose it,” which basically means if you don’t practice an ability, you might forget it. This idea can be used to help you remember new English vocabulary.

The best way to remember a new word is to use it right away so that it stays in your memory. When you learn a new word, try to say it in sentences a few times over the next week and you’ll be less likely to forget it.

Sometimes, you may learn a word or phrase that might not be immediately useful to you. It’s okay to not focus on memorizing that vocabulary right away, especially if there are other more important things to learn.

Do you want to find out the most common 1028 English words? Then check out this post:

The most common words in English, when added to your vocabulary, can give your communication skills an instant boost! Read on for a list of 1,028 words you will most…

Aside from using new words on your own, there’s a trick to remembering English vocabulary for good and making your reviews efficient: spaced repetition. 

If you keep it up, you’ll avoid a common pitfall: learning new words—and then forgetting them. 

No need to keep track of this manually too! There are flashcard apps like Anki  that make reviewing automatic, and many language learning apps with flashcards already have this feature. 

To read more about spaced repetition, read this post:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/srs-spaced-repetition-language-learning/

Speaking English confidently also means having a good grasp of grammar. While you can pick up grammar just from listening and reading a lot of English, studying grammar intentionally still helps. You’ll probably have to memorize irregular verbs , which aren’t very predictable when they change tenses.

Other tricky grammar topics include subject-verb agreement —for example, saying “he smile” instead of the grammatically correct “he smiles.” Here are other tricky topics that confuse even native speakers sometimes:

• Your vs. You’re
• Fewer vs. Less

Since it’s easy to forget a new grammar concept, you can get it to stick faster in your mind with quizzes and exercises. Most grammar books, including “ English Grammar in Use”  and “Practical English Usage” , have exercises that you can work through. There are also tons of exercises and drills online about practically every grammar topic. 

To read more about English grammar rules, see this post:

Check out these top 12 English Grammar tips that can help you avoid common mistakes and speak like a natural! Whether you’re a learner or a native speaker, these tips will…

While you should still devote some time to studying grammar, don’t worry too much about having to get it right all the time. The key to learning a language is finding a balance between studying and practicing. Speaking English fluently isn’t the same as knowing perfect English grammar—even native English speakers make grammar mistakes!

Fluency is about being able to communicate. That’s why it’s also important to go out and practice your writing, reading, listening and speaking skills in the real world. As you keep practicing, you can learn plenty of grammar rules along the way.

When you’re writing and saying your own sentences, focus on using the words you’re already familiar with. You may want to use more difficult, advanced English words to sound more fluent, but you should stay true to your skill level and keep practicing what you already know.

Make sure that you’re “comfortable” with the English you use, instead of just trying out new, unfamiliar words just because you want to. Doing so can lead you to say incorrect or strange things.

Of course, you do want to learn more and more words and skills to advance. We recommend studying a new word for a little while in context (in sentences and videos) before you use it in real conversations.

Learn the 300 most used words in English here:

Are you looking for an English vocabulary list of common words? Click here to find out 300 useful English words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives and more. If you master…

You don’t have to only learn English from textbooks and teachers—anyone who speaks English can help you practice.

Imagine how you’d feel if someone asked you, in your native language, how to pronounce something. Would you be angry? No! You’d probably be happy to help, just like most English speakers are happy to help you.

If you know any English speakers, whether it’s a friend or co-worker, take advantage of the opportunity to practice and learn from them. Make sure to also ask any specific questions you have and be open to feedback.

Sometimes you have to “throw money at the problem.” This common English idiom means that sometimes, you have to invest in your future. And because this future is about speaking English, it may be a wise investment to hire a personal language tutor.

It’s like having a teacher to yourself for hours at a time. You can ask literally any question you want and get an immediate answer, and you don’t have to follow a textbook unless you want to.

To learn about some amazing websites for hiring an English tutor, read this post:

Find English tutors online to guide you on your language-learning journey with this 2024 guide! Read on for 16 excellent websites for finding a suitable English tutor…

Tailoring learning materials to your own proficiency ensures that you’re not overwhelmed by complex content or bored by material that is too basic. This approach promotes a balanced and gradual progression, allowing learners to build a solid foundation before advancing to more challenging concepts.

Level-appropriate resources also help learners stay engaged and motivated, fostering a positive learning experience. By gradually increasing the complexity of language input, learners can develop their skills in a systematic manner, leading to improved comprehension, vocabulary acquisition and overall language proficiency. 

To find out where to get some great online English resources, check out this post:

Free online English courses are a convenient and accessible way to learn the language at your own pace. Check out these 26 resources you can get online for free (or mostly…

This isn’t for everyone, I know, and there are many, many considerations you need to deal with before moving, but I can promise you this: there’s no faster way to learn English than by being completely immersed in an English language culture. 

You’ve got lots to choose from. The United States of America, of course, but also the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia , Canada and plenty of smaller countries too: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and lastly, Trinidad and Tobago.

To learn about even more English-speaking countries, check out this post:

How many countries speak English? To date, we count 96 countries that speak English as a native language, an official language, or a lingua franca in the context of…

Thinking ahead about potential topics, relevant vocabulary and common phrases allows you to feel more confident and prepared during conversations. This proactive approach helps alleviate anxiety and enhances their ability to express themselves more effectively.

Pre-planning also encourages you to anticipate potential challenges in communication, enabling you to strategize solutions in advance.

Additionally, it allows individuals to focus on specific language aspects they aim to improve, such as pronunciation or grammatical structures. 

To find out some basic conversations to have in English, see this post:

English small talk is easy to learn. It will help you fill in silences and make other people happy to chat with you. All you need are these seven great topics, and you…

Yes, really.

Singing karaoke provides a relaxed and enjoyable environment for practicing pronunciation and intonation. Singing along to English songs helps you develop a natural feel for the rhythm and melody of the language, improving your overall oral communication skills.

Karaoke also exposes learners to a variety of vocabulary and colloquial expressions found in song lyrics, contributing to an expanded understanding of conversational English.

Additionally, it fosters a sense of confidence and comfort with the language, as singing allows learners to express themselves creatively.

To read more about learning through karaoke, see this post:

Put your English studies to music with these awesome karaoke resources! Don’t like the crowd? These musical programs can be used at home or on the go!

No matter what your reason is for wanting to learn English, from work, academics, friendships, dating or travel, this is your number one motivator!

If you remind yourself each day why you’re learning English, you’ll be much more likely to stick with it.

So write it down, put it on your bathroom mirror or fridge and think about this reason every day. Believe me, it works.

To read about some of the best reasons to learn English, check out this post:

Why learn English? There are plenty of great reasons! Yes, learning English can be difficult, but it is extremely valuable. Check out these 13 reasons why learning English…

The English Speaking Practice app

This app lets you practice having basic conversations in English. It’s really simple to use!

Just choose a subject that you want to hear a conversation about. Then, listen to the conversation. After that, you can take a quiz to test your understanding, or use the “Record” tab to practice speaking.

Decide which person in the conversation to speak for, and go through the dialogue talking as them. You can then save the recording and play it back.

The SayHi translation app

This is a simple voice translation app that you can use to have bilingual conversations. However, you can also use it as a quick way to look up translations or to practice speaking, as long as the app has an option for your native language.

Set up the translator for a conversation between English and your native language. Then, try speaking English and see how your English translates. This will give you an idea of how well the app understands your English speech.

Also, if you ever forget how to say something in English, you can speak your native language into the mic and see how it translates into English. This can be much faster than using a dictionary!

Preply for Private Tutoring

Preply, an online language learning platform, is a valuable resource for English language learners looking to enhance their speaking skills.

Choose a suitable tutor by reviewing profiles and trying trial lessons for compatibility. Consistency is crucial, so schedule regular lessons for continuous improvement. Come prepared with topics or questions to ensure focused learning.

Actively engage in conversations during lessons, embracing mistakes as part of the learning process. Supplement Preply lessons with external resources like language apps or podcasts.

Practice English outside of lessons through activities like watching movies or reading books. Seek constructive feedback from tutors, addressing common mistakes. Expand vocabulary by discussing various topics during lessons and exploring recommended materials. Leverage Preply’s platform features, such as chat options and lesson reviews, for enhanced communication and progress tracking. 

American superhero movies and TV

Watching English-language movies and TV, in general, is a good way to get used to natural speech.

American superhero movies and TV series are especially great for learning English because they’re meant to appeal to a wide audience, sometimes including children. This means that it’s usually pretty easy to figure out what’s going on.

Another reason why superhero stories are easier to understand is that they tend to be very dramatic and emotional. Characters will often talk about what’s happening in a very loud and obvious way.

While there’s a lot to choose from, a good way to start is with some of the CW network shows that are available on Netflix, like “The Flash” and “Black Lightning.” These shows have a lot of talking in them, and focus a lot on relationships between characters. You can keep up with them for multiple seasons and become used to the way different characters talk to each other, all while being entertained by exciting storylines.

The English TV YouTube Channel

This YouTube channel has a bunch of videos that you can use to hear different types of English speech and conversation. For example, this video  includes over 50 minutes of multiple conversations between native English speakers.

The audio in this video and others like it on the English TV YouTube channel are actual recorded conversations. American English is the dialect of English mostly used in these conversations, but there are examples of British English and Australian English , as well.

These conversations are also spontaneous (done without a script, natural), so this is the way that English is actually spoken by native speakers. There’s a bit of slang used, but these conversations will help build your listening skills so that you can understand English speech in real life.

Loecsen Learn English

This is a free online English course with a big focus on speaking. To practice your English speaking, scroll down to “Start a new quiz.” You’ll then be able to choose from different lists of phrases that you can listen to and repeat.

When you repeat a phrase using the microphone on your computer, you get to see if the program is able to understand your speech. This is useful even if you already know the material in the lessons because you get a chance to speak English out loud and practice your pronunciation.

How can I improve my English pronunciation?

• Practice regularly by listening to native speakers, mimicking their pronunciation.
• Use pronunciation guides, online resources, or language learning apps for targeted exercises.
• Record yourself speaking and compare it to native speakers to identify areas for improvement.

What are some effective ways to expand my English vocabulary?

• Read widely in English, including books, articles and online content.
• Make use of flashcards or vocabulary apps to memorize and review new words.
• Engage in conversations with native speakers to encounter and learn new words in context.

How can I overcome the fear of speaking English in public?

• Start by practicing with friends or language exchange partners in a supportive environment.
• Gradually expose yourself to larger groups or join conversation clubs to build confidence.
• Remember that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process and an opportunity for improvement.

What are some effective strategies for improving English fluency?

• Engage in regular conversations with native speakers or fellow learners.
• Watch movies, TV shows or listen to podcasts in English to improve comprehension and fluency.
• Set aside dedicated time each day for language practice, focusing on speaking and listening skills.

Are there specific tips for learning English as a second language?

• Immerse yourself in English-speaking environments whenever possible.
• Take advantage of language exchange programs or conversation partners.
• Use language learning apps and online platforms to supplement traditional learning methods.

How can I maintain consistency in learning and practicing English?

• Create a schedule and set realistic, achievable language-learning goals.
• Integrate English into your daily life, such as labeling items in your home in English.
• Stay motivated by celebrating small achievements and tracking your progress over time.

If you’re wondering how to improve your English speaking skills, there isn’t one easy answer.

Learning how to speak English fluently isn’t something that happens overnight. Because of this, it’s important to have tools and techniques ready for practicing every day.

Ultimately, if you have activities that you enjoy and that require you to speak English, your skills will improve more and more over time.

Try the resources and suggestions above, and pay attention to how they make you feel. Which ones help your confidence? Which ones seem to help you speak English over longer periods of time?

Use the methods that work for you, and your speaking will come together naturally.

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Definition of 'fluent'

fluent in American English

Fluent in british english, examples of 'fluent' in a sentence fluent, related word partners fluent, trends of fluent.

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• fluent reader
• fluent speaker
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• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'F'

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Synonyms of fluent

• as in articulate
• as in liquid
• as in smooth
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Thesaurus Definition of fluent

Synonyms & Similar Words

• well - spoken
• silver - tongued
• unhesitating
• smooth - tongued
• unfaltering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inarticulate
• tongue - tied
• circumfluent
• circumfluous
• straightforward
• uncomplicated
• hands - down
• unambiguous
• transparent
• unmistakable
• unequivocal
• unchallenging
• perspicuous
• clear - cut
• open - and - shut
• troublesome
• complicated
• problematic
• problematical

Thesaurus Entries Near fluent

Cite this entry.

“Fluent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluent. Accessed 7 May. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fluent

Nglish: Translation of fluent for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of fluent for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fluent

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Meaning of fluent in English

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fluent adjective ( LANGUAGE )

• She's fluent in French and English and has a working knowledge of Spanish .
• She was born in Italy but her English is fluent and idiomatic .
• I can make myself understood in French , but I'm not fluent.
• My partner is a fluent Russian speaker .
• He knows quite a lot of French , but he's not fluent yet .
• articulately
• articulateness
• loquaciously
• silver-tongued
• turn of phrase
• well turned

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

fluent adjective ( MOVEMENT )

• Ali had such fluent movement and was so light-footed for such a big man.
• He swept the books into his bag in a single fluent gesture .
• The team scored after a fluent move down the left wing .
• Although there were a few wrong notes , her playing was beautifully fluent.
• bowl down/along something
• make good time idiom
• make haste idiom

Related words

Fluent | american dictionary, examples of fluent, translations of fluent.

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a fixed set of numbers used for measuring and comparing wind speeds, from 0 (for calm) to 12 (for hurricane)

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adjective as in articulate

Strongest matches

Weak matches

• declamatory
• disputatious
• mellifluent
• mellifluous
• silver-tongued
• smooth-spoken
• well-versed

Discover More

Example sentences.

Ever since, she’s made sure to vote, even though the native Khmer speaker isn’t fluent in English.

Best of all, in my quest to get more fluent, I’m making lots of interesting new friends to share with all of you.

Covid-19 has also taught us that becoming fluent in and open to new technology to collaborate and run the business is more important than ever.

He was fluent in the language of the merchant, and many of his interlocutors were craftsmen and small business owners.

Thanks to BLANC, Primer was able to train a summarization tool that can generate pretty fluent summaries.

To work at Rizzoli you had to be fluent in several languages: three was the minimum when I began.

As fluent in drug trade jargon as Martian, Future peppers his lyrics with interstellar imagery befitting of his far out vocals.

A more recent phenomenon in the political universe is politicians of Hispanic heritage who are not fluent in Spanish.

The Telegraph reports that he is fluent in Swahili and a keen zoologist.

The conversation was entirely in Russian—Weir is impressively fluent.

Cui spoke of it as a beautiful, talented, fluent work, which showed originality and invention.

Although not a fluent reader, the New Testament became his constant companion, and a change passed over him apparent to all.

He gradually became more fluent, and studied how best to impress his comrades.

Practice makes perfect, for I spoke to them more or less in fluent French!

Francesca is fluent at all times, but once seated on the foot of my bed she becomes eloquent!

Related Words

Words related to fluent are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word fluent . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

adjective as in clearly, coherently spoken

• comprehensible
• intelligible
• understandable
• well-spoken

adjective as in eloquent

• elocutionary

adjective as in leisurely, relaxed

• comfortable
• spontaneous
• substantial
• undemanding
• undisturbed

Viewing 5 / 29 related words

On this page you'll find 68 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to fluent, such as: eloquent, persuasive, talkative, vocal, chatty, and cogent.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

• International

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Met Gala 2024

April 30, 2024 - US university protests

By Rachel Ramirez, Chandelis Duster, Samantha Delouya, Tori B. Powell, Aditi Sangal, Amir Vera, Deva Lee, Kathleen Magramo, Dalia Faheid and Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN

Our live coverage of the protests rocking US campuses has moved here

Over 100 protesters arrested across 2 New York college campuses, law enforcement official says

From CNN’s Mark Morales

Over 100 protesters were arrested Tuesday at Columbia University and City College of New York, according to a law enforcement official.

Most of the arrests were made at Columbia, including about two dozen protesters who police say tried to prevent officers from entering the campus, the official said.

Tactical teams at Columbia first set up a perimeter around the campus to hold back protesters and prevent further arrests, according to the official. Offers then entered the campus through multiple entry points.

"It's still a student-fueled movement," Columbia student magazine editor says

From CNN's Kathleen Magramo

Jonas Du, editor-in-chief of a Columbia student magazine, told CNN that the protests on campus are student-fueled regardless of any outsider involvement.

It’s “hard to say” whether those arrested from Columbia's Hamilton Hall were students or from outside the institution, the Columbia Sundial editor said.

“Even though campus has been locked down to Columbia ID holders, now there has been ways of getting in, getting non-affiliated into campus. But for the most part you need Columbia IDs, you need students to provide you with IDs that can get you into campus," said Du, who is a junior student at the university.

Du said he believes there is “evidence” of outside organizations behind the occupation's planning, but he also says numerous Columbia students were inside Hamilton Hall. 

He said he recognized “many, many Columbia students in the crowd” that formed human chains around the entrances to Hamilton Hall while reporting on the protests. 

“At the end of the day, it's still a student-fueled movement. It wouldn’t have gotten to (this) extent without the of the student organizations here.” 

Du said students received a text message and email alert from the school stating that a shelter-in-place order had been issued, asking them to remain in their dorms and not to go on campus.

"But all of us knew that that was sort of a signal that the NYPD was going to raid campus," he added.

Video shows Arizona State University police officer removing protester’s hijab during arrest

From CNN’s Cindy Von Quednow

Video taken over the weekend at Arizona State University shows a campus police officer removing a hijab from a protester’s head during her arrest.

The blurred video, obtained by Mass Liberation AZ and provided to CNN by attorney Zayed Al-Sayyed, who represents the women, shows several ASU Police Department officers surrounding a woman whose hands are held behind her back as one of the officers removes her hijab.

People nearby can be heard yelling, “You’re violating her privacy,” and “Give it back.”

The officers then pull the woman’s sweatshirt hood over her head and a bystander yells, “So she can wear a hood but not her hijab?” At one point one of the officers blocks the woman from the view of those taking the video, as a person yells, “let her go!”

A lawyer representing her and three other women who said it also happened to them is demanding accountability.

Al-Sayyed, who said the arrests took place early Saturday, did not identify the women but indicated that three of them are students at the university and all four are Phoenix-area residents. They are facing criminal trespass charges.

Upon being taken into custody, Al-Sayyed said, the women explained the significance of a hijab and “begged” to keep their hijabs, but he said they were told that their hijabs had to be removed for safety reasons.

“They never expected that an officer … who’s sworn to protect and serve is going to violate their most basic protected right under the United States Constitution, which is the right to practice their religion. So they're hurt,” Al-Sayyed said.

After being detained and bused to jail, the women were not given their hijabs back, Al-Sayyed said.

Around 15 hours later, when he was finally given access to his clients, Al-Sayyed said he was able to bring them new hijabs.

The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ),  condemned  the university police for the recorded incident and others like it and called for a full investigation.

“This act represents a blatant infringement upon the religious liberties of peaceful protesters. It is profoundly distressing for the affected women, and ASU Police must conduct a thorough investigation into this matter,” Azza Abuseif, executive director of CAIR-AZ, said in an email to CNN.

In a statement to CNN, the university said, “This matter is under review.” CNN has reached out to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for comment.

Protests will continue despite police presence at Columbia, student negotiator says

A lead student negotiator for protesters at Columbia University has told CNN that protests will continue on the campus despite the school's request for a police presence.

The university has asked NYPD to maintain its presence on campus until May 17.

"I’m very confident that students will continue this movement even after all this brutality against them," negotiator Mahmoud Khalil said, adding that students still have the right to protest despite increased security.

Since negotiations between student protesters and the Columbia University administration began two weeks ago, the university has not viewed them as an anti-war movement, he said. 

"Instead, they dealt with it as an internal student discipline matter. They negotiated with us about bringing food and blankets to the encampment. They refused to acknowledge that this actually is more than that, this is a nationwide movement.

"This is a movement that asks Columbia to divest its investments from the companies that are fuelling the war in Gaza right now,” said Khalil, who is a second-year graduate student at Columbia.

Tensions escalated on campus when officers entered Columbia's Hamilton Hall , which had been occupied by protesters since the early hours of Tuesday, and dozens were seen being arrested.

Khalil said that "the autonomous group decided to take that building when they felt the university is not answering their demands" and was "alienating" them.

Police presence at Columbia may dampen graduation celebrations, CNN journalist and student says

From CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe

Julia Vargas Jones, a CNN journalist and Columbia Journalism School graduate student, said the university's request for an on-campus police presence through May 17 will only "dampen the mood even more" as students and their families prepare for graduation.

NYPD swarmed the university Tuesday night after the university authorized them to go into the campus to clear out a building being occupied by protesters. CNN has witnessed dozens of arrests.

"Graduation is May 15. That is my graduation as well. I have family coming from Brazil to come watch me walk across the stage and get my diploma. I hope of course, as everyone does, that this (graduation) can happen," Jones said.

"But at the same time, is there a climate for celebration, for graduation?" Jones said.

Jones said she's unsure the climate on campus will be celebratory as graduation nears.

"I spoke to a lot of students on campus today and students were just feeling caught in between. I don't really see celebration being something we flock to in the coming weeks," she said. "I'm interested to see who will actually attend graduation."

Jones said she has not witnessed any violent altercations as she reported from inside Columbia’s campus Tuesday night. After the campus was cleared by NYPD, Jones described the atmosphere as quiet enough to “hear a pin drop.”

NYPD used flash bangs to breach Columbia building where doors were barricaded

From CNN’s Matthew Friedman and Miguel Marquez

NYPD officers used flash-bang grenades to breach Columbia's Hamilton Hall, which protesters had barricaded themselves inside Tuesday, the police department told CNN.

The building's doors had been barricaded with chairs, tables and vending machines, and windows had been covered with newspaper, the NYPD said.

When a flash-bang grenade is deployed , it emits a bright flash and a very loud bang, often used to shock and disorient. 

Video posted by NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry shows officers searching a bookshelf-lined office after busting the door's lock with a hammer.

Another video shows officers packing a stairwell and passing chairs to one another.

At least 50 officers had earlier used an elevated ramp to climb into the building through a window. 

Columbia University property has been cleared, NYPD says

From CNN’s Matthew Friedman and Miguel Marquez at Columbia

Columbia University’s property has been cleared, the New York Police Department told CNN, less than two hours after officers entered the school’s campus in Morningside Heights.

Hamilton Hall has also been cleared, the NYPD says, and nobody was wounded during the operation. 

The NYPD is still monitoring different locations for protesters across the city, they said.

Photos show NYPD action at Columbia University

From CNN Digital’s Photo Team

The New York Police Department entered the Columbia University campus late Tuesday evening after receiving a letter from the university authorizing them to go into the campus, a law enforcement source familiar with the situation told CNN. 

Officers entered Hamilton Hall , which had been occupied by protesters since the early morning hours Tuesday.

Dozens of people have been arrested.

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Ohio State speaker says he took psychedelic drugs to write Bitcoin commencement speech

C OLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The person selected to speak at Ohio State University’s commencement ceremony for its spring graduates hasn’t minced details on how he made the controversial script.

Days before the Sunday ceremony, OSU’s chosen speaker Chris Pan announced on LinkedIn that he had taken the psychedelic drug ayahuasca to write his first drafts.

“Got some help from AI (Ayahuasca Intelligence) this week to write my commencement speech for 60,000 grads and family members at Ohio State University next Sunday,” Pan wrote. “Tried ChatGPT but wasn’t that good.”

The resulting speech and an on-stage demonstration with OSU President Ted Carter drew audible booing from the audience in the university’s livestream, as Pan tried to encourage graduates and attendees to buy cryptocurrency.

“Saving is not enough because inflation exploded after the pandemic which is why everything got so expensive … I see Bitcoin as a very misunderstood asset class,” Pan said. “It is decentralized and finite which means no government can print more at will.”

It was part of Pan’s pitch for investing, which he said was prevented by internal factors, rather than external like student debt or market conditions.

“The mechanics of investing are actually easy, but it comes down to mindset,” Pan said. “The most common barriers are fear, laziness and closed-mindedness.”

Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson declined to comment on Pan’s mention of Bitcoin, but clarified that the university does not approve its chosen speaker’s speeches before the ceremony. When asked about Pan’s comments about using psychedelic drugs to create the speech, Johnson said staff viewed his draft versions.

The university’s own coverage of the commencement also made no mention of the crypto commentary. Instead, it focused on his encouragement of civility in society.

“We cannot learn forgiveness if no one has wronged us, compassion without suffering, and resilience without setbacks,” Pan said during the speech. “We cannot learn tolerance without differing perspectives.”

OSU’s online profile for Pan labeled him as a “social entrepreneur, musician and inspirational speaker,” and confirmed he graduated from the university in 1999. Pan’s LinkedIn profile also listed previous stints as a senior associate at McKinsey & Company , marketing director for PepsiCo China, and program manager for Facebook.

The speaker’s latest work involves his own company, MyIntent, which crafts braided bracelets with custom messages on them. Pan announced toward the end of his speech that he would give away a bracelet to every attendee in the stadium.

While commenters on social media were confused as to how that process would happen, the university’s spokesperson clarified that instructions were coming Monday.

“Graduates should receive an email from the university today with further information,” Johnson said. “We did not share student contact info.”

Johnson also shared the university’s selection process for its commencement speakers. A panel of Ohio State students, faculty and staff reviews nominations for speakers like Pan from the OSU community. The panel then recommends options based on criteria including the candidates’ public speaking skills, message relevance, name recognition and core values consistent with those of the university.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.