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 |
|---|---|---|
| How do you spell it? | Asking for the spelling of a word. | How do you spell it? Is it with a C or an S? |
| How do you spell the word "Seattle?" | Asking for the spelling of the city name Seattle. | How do you spell the word "Seattle"? I always forget. |
| How does it taste? | Asking about the flavor of food. | She took a bite and he asked, 'How does it taste?' |
| How far is it to [place]? | Asks about the distance to a specific location. | How far is it to the airport? |
| How far is it? | What is the distance? | How far is it to the airport? |
| how have you been? | Asking about someone's well-being since last meeting. | I haven't seen you in ages, how have you been? |
| How is she? | Asking about someone's well-being or condition. | I heard she was sick, how is she? |
| How long are you going to stay in [place]? | Asks about the duration of a stay in a specific place. | How long are you going to stay in Paris? |
| How long are you going to stay? | Asking about the duration of someone's visit. | How long are you going to stay in town? |
| How long does it take by car? | Asking about travel time by car. | How long does it take by car to get to the beach? |
| How long does it take to get to [place]? | Use this pattern to ask about travel time to a place. | How long does it take to get to the museum? |
| How long have you been here? | Asking about the duration of someone's presence. | How long have you been here? I just arrived. |
| How long have you been in [country]? | Asks about the duration of someone's stay in a country. | How long have you been in Canada? |
| How long have you lived here? | Asking about the duration of residence. | How long have you lived here? I moved here last year. |
| How long is it? | Asking about the length or duration of something. | The movie starts soon, how long is it? |
| How long is the flight? | Asking about the duration of a flight. | How long is the flight from New York to London? |
| How long will it take? | Asking about the time needed for something. | How long will it take to drive to the airport? |
| How long will you be staying? | Asking the duration of someone's stay. | How long will you be staying in this hotel? |
| How many children do you have? | Asking about the number of kids someone has. | How many children do you have? I have two. |
| How many languages do you speak? | Asking about someone's language abilities. | How many languages do you speak? I speak three. |
| How many miles is it to [place]? | Asks for the distance in miles to a specific location. | How many miles is it to Los Angeles? |
| How many people are there in [place]? | Use this pattern to ask about the population or number of people in a place. | How many people are there in Tokyo? |
| How many people do you have in your family? | Asking about family size. | How many people do you have in your family? There are four of us. |
| How many people? (restaurant) | Asking the number of guests for seating. | The host asked, 'How many people?' as we walked in. |
| How many? | Asking for a quantity or number. | There are apples on the table, how many? |
