Real English doesn’t move one word at a time — it flows in ready-made chunks that native speakers grab without thinking. This collection of around 1,200 phrases and expressions covers the everyday combos you’ll hear in casual chats, work emails, and weekend plans. No dusty textbook lists, just the real stuff that helps you sound more natural from day one.
Each entry in the interactive table gives you a clear meaning, a realistic example sentence, and easy-to-read US IPA so you can nail the pronunciation. There’s a play button right next to every phrase — tap it to hear the audio, because your ears need training too. When you’re ready to study offline, a free PDF download button sits below the table.
Words are handy, but phrases are what you actually say out loud. Our free chunk‑based English lessons help you speak in whole expressions — start with Lesson 1 — First Greetings and see how quickly conversations click.
- English Vocabulary hub
- Learn English guide
- Most Common Phrasal Verbs
- Cambridge Dictionary — phrasal verbs & phrases
English Phrases Quiz
Think you’ve already got a handle on common phrases? Try the quick quiz below to see how many you really know.
Common English Phrases and Expressions
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| heads up | Warning or advance notice of something. | Just a heads up, the meeting has been moved to 3 PM. |
| hello, who's calling? | Asking the caller's identity. | Answering phone: "Hello, who's calling?" Caller: "It's John." |
| Hello. | Standard greeting. | Hello, my name is John. |
| help yourself | Invite someone to take what they want. | There's coffee and snacks on the table; help yourself. |
| Help! | A cry for assistance in an emergency. | Help! I'm stuck in the elevator. |
| Here is your salad. | Serving the salad to someone. | The waiter said, 'Here is your salad,' and placed it on the table. |
| Here it is. | I found it or this is the place. | Here it is, the book you wanted. |
| here we go | Said when something is about to begin. | The movie is starting; here we go! |
| Here you are. | I give this to you. | Here you are, your coffee. |
| Here's my number. | This is my phone number. | Here's my number, call me anytime. |
| Here's your order. | Giving the food that was ordered. | The server brought the food and said, 'Here's your order.' |
| Hi, is [name] there, please? | Asks if a specific person is available on the phone. | Hi, is John there, please? |
| His family is coming tomorrow. | His relatives will arrive tomorrow. | His family is coming tomorrow, so we need to clean the house. |
| hit the road | Leave or start a journey. | We should hit the road early to avoid traffic. |
| hold on | Wait a moment; pause. | Hold on, I need to grab my keys. |
| How about Saturday? | Suggesting Saturday as a possible day. | How about Saturday for our picnic? |
| How are you paying? | Asking about the method of payment. | How are you paying? Cash or card? |
| How are you? | A greeting asking about someone's well-being. | How are you? I haven't seen you in a while. |
| how come | Ask for the reason; why. | How come you didn't come to the party? |
| How do I get there? | Asking for directions to a place. | How do I get there from the subway station? |
| How do I get to [street]? | Use this pattern to ask for directions to a specific street. | How do I get to Main Street? |
| How do I get to the American Embassy? | Asking for directions to the embassy. | How do I get to the American Embassy from here? |
| How do you know? | Asking for the source of someone's knowledge. | You seem sure about that, how do you know? |
| How do you pronounce that? | Asking for the correct pronunciation of a word. | How do you pronounce that word? I've never seen it. |
| How do you say it in English? | Asking for the English equivalent of a word or phrase. | How do you say it in English? I only know it in Spanish. |
