yesterday
My Favorite Websites: Part II
Another useful website I use quite frequently is youglish.com. Its idea is plain simple: Type any word in almost any language and hear it pronounced in a random YouTube video. Depending on the language (there are several dozen available), the website's database can offer you up to millions of real-life usage examples. For English, you can even specify the region you want to get your videos from! When there are no available audio examples on Wiktionary, my dictionary of choice, I always employ Youglish to get the hang of the correct pronunciation. Additionally, you can infer the ubiquity of a given phrase or word by the number of examples available. For instance, there are only 40 videos in this website's database that comprise the idiom ''take a rain check'', while there is almost a thousand for ''a piece of cake''. By analyzing the example senteces, you understand how and in which contexts to use these phrases appropriately.
I think that this is a great tool to impove your pronunciation and sound more natural!
Another useful website I use quite frequently is youglish.com.
"useful website I use" sounds a little awkward because of repeating "use" twice close together. Better to just omit the "useful" here I think.
Its idea is plain and simple: Type any word in almost any language and hear it pronounced in a random YouTube video.
For instance, there are only 40 videos in this website's database that comprise the idiom ''take a rain check'', while there is almost a thousand for ''a piece of cake''.
I was definitely in my mid-20s before I heard "take a rain check" for the first time, but I think it's more common in some parts of America.
By analyzing the example sentences, you can understand how and in which contexts to use these phrases appropriately.
today
Yeah, and those 40 video examples are either related to English learning or some family trip, and those travelers always had some peculiar accent :D
Thank you for your corrections, araigoshi!
Its idea is plain and simple: Type any word in almost any language and hear it pronounced in a random YouTube video.
"Plain and simple" works because they are different attributes. But can an "idea" be plain and simple? Maybe there is a more precise word?
Depending on the language (there are several dozen available), the website's database can offer you up to # millions of real-life usage examples.
To me, "up to" suggests a more defined number than "millions." For example, "up to 25 million"
When there are no available audio examples on Wiktionary, my dictionary of choice, I always employ Youglish to get the hang of the correct pronunciation.
I have to smile at the pairing of "getting the hang of" and "correct pronunciation." The idiom generally applies to a complex skill, like riding a bike; whereas pronouncing a word or phrase correctly is a narrowly defined task. I would use "learn."
Additionally, you can infer the ubiquity of a given phrase or word by the number of examples available.
For instance, there are only 40 videos in this website's database that comprisefor the idiom ''take a rain check'', while there isare almost a thousand for ''a piece of cake''.
If you take out "that comprise" you have a better parallel structure for your comparison (for X...for Y). But there is another concern: "comprise" doesn't quite fit in the sentence as it stands. ("Include" would work in the sentence, but "comprise" refers to a whole, like the collection of videos for a certain idiom.)
By analyzing the example sentences, you understand how, and in which contexts, to use these phrases appropriately.
Feedback
I love that kind of numerical data. It's so powerful. It reminds me of how looking into a microscope or through a telescope changes your perception of something you are familiar with. I would probably guess that "a piece of cake" is used more than "take a rain check," but the numbers show it's true.
today
''The concept behind it is plain and simple''. What do you think?
I guess we've already discussed Ngram Viewer. This website actually came pretty handy just a couple of days ago, as I was comparing some words with literally the same meanings. Now, I know that ''obstinate'' was in its prime at the 19th century, while ''obdurate'' was never widely used. As always, thanks for your feedback!
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=obstinate%2C+obdurate%2C+stubborn&year_start=1800&year_end=2022&corpus=en&smoothing=3#
today
at the beginning of*
today
I'm not convinced. I went looking for example sentences, and I found the caution at the end of this post the most helpful
"Avoid using "plain and simple" in highly formal or academic writing where a more sophisticated vocabulary is expected. Opt for alternatives like "unequivocally" or "clearly stated" to maintain a professional tone."
https://ludwig.guru/s/plain+and+simple
If you substitute either of the phrases the author recommends for "plain and simple" in your sentence, do they work? Do they say what you mean?
My hesitancy to embrace the idiom comes from the fact that I have never used "plain and simple" myself.
The example sentences that struck a chord with me were ones where the idiom was used like this:
"It's discrimination, plain and simple." or "That's it, plain and simple."
If I were challenged to rewrite your sentence, I might use that structure:
"Type any word in almost any language and hear it pronounced in a random YouTube video, plain and simple."
But I confess, I just don't like it. To me, it sounds dumb. So, I am a biased against it.
Thank you for the link to Ngram Viewer. I had not bookmarked it, and now I have. The very first time I became aware of this way of learning about words, was when a teacher of Shakespeare told us that there was a computer program that could count how many time Shakespeare used a certain word. That seems so basic in comparison with what technology can tell us now, but it was an amazing thought to me at the time.
today
Maybe just "rather simple" would work?
My Favorite Websites: Part II
Another useful website I use quite frequently is youglish.com.
Its idea is plain and simple: Type any word in almost any language and hear it pronounced in a random YouTube video.
Depending on the language (there are several dozen available), the website's database can offer you up to millions of real-life usage examples.
For English, you can even specify the region you want to get your videos from!
Additionally, you can infer the ubiquity of a given phrase or word by the number of examples available.
For instance, there are only 40 videos in this website's database that comprise the idiom ''take a rain check'', while there is almost a thousand for ''a piece of cake''.
By analyzing the example senteces, you understand how and in which contexts to use these phrases appropriately.
I think that this is a great tool to impove your pronunciation and sound more natural!
Feedback
Wow I’m going to check that website out! Thanks.
yesterday
Thank you, Jello!!
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My Favorite Websites: Part II This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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Another useful website I use quite frequently is youglish.com. This sentence has been marked as perfect! Another "useful website I use" sounds a little awkward because of repeating "use" twice close together. Better to just omit the "useful" here I think. |
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Its idea is plain simple: Type any word in almost any language and hear it pronounced in a random YouTube video. Its idea is plain and simple: Type any word in almost any language and hear it pronounced in a random YouTube video. Its idea is plain and simple: Type any word in almost any language and hear it pronounced in a random YouTube video. "Plain and simple" works because they are different attributes. But can an "idea" be plain and simple? Maybe there is a more precise word? Its idea is plain and simple: Type any word in almost any language and hear it pronounced in a random YouTube video. |
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Depending on the language (there are several dozen available), the website's database can offer you up to millions of real-life usage examples. This sentence has been marked as perfect! Depending on the language (there are several dozen available), the website's database can offer you up to # million To me, "up to" suggests a more defined number than "millions." For example, "up to 25 million" |
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For English, you can even specify the region you want to get your videos from! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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When there are no available audio examples on Wiktionary, my dictionary of choice, I always employ Youglish to get the hang of the correct pronunciation. When there are no available audio examples on Wiktionary, my dictionary of choice, I always employ Youglish to get the hang of the correct pronunciation. I have to smile at the pairing of "getting the hang of" and "correct pronunciation." The idiom generally applies to a complex skill, like riding a bike; whereas pronouncing a word or phrase correctly is a narrowly defined task. I would use "learn." |
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Additionally, you can infer the ubiquity of a given phrase or word by the number of examples available. This sentence has been marked as perfect! Additionally, you can infer the ubiquity of a given phrase or word by the number of examples available. |
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For instance, there are only 40 videos in this website's database that comprise the idiom ''take a rain check'', while there is almost a thousand for ''a piece of cake''. This sentence has been marked as perfect! For instance, there are only 40 videos in this website's database If you take out "that comprise" you have a better parallel structure for your comparison (for X...for Y). But there is another concern: "comprise" doesn't quite fit in the sentence as it stands. ("Include" would work in the sentence, but "comprise" refers to a whole, like the collection of videos for a certain idiom.) For instance, there are only 40 videos in this website's database that comprise the idiom ''take a rain check'', while there is almost a thousand for ''a piece of cake''. I was definitely in my mid-20s before I heard "take a rain check" for the first time, but I think it's more common in some parts of America. |
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By analyzing the example senteces, you understand how and in which contexts to use these phrases appropriately. This sentence has been marked as perfect! By analyzing the example sentences, you can understand how and in which contexts to use these phrases appropriately. By analyzing the example sentences, you understand how, and in which contexts, to use these phrases appropriately. |
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I think that this is a great tool to impove your pronunciation and sound more natural! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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