Shadowing Practice: Improve Your English Listening with Similar Words Practice - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
246 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
If you want to improve your English listening and avoid embarrassing misunderstandings, this lesson is for you.
2
Today you will practice similar English words that can completely change the meaning of a sentence.
3
At the doctor, one small word can create a very awkward moment.
4
The doctor says, You need a shot, but you hear, You need to shop.
5
And suddenly, everything feels confusing.
6
In this lesson, you will train your ear, improve your pronunciation, and learn real English for medical situations.
7
Now repeat this sentence with me.
8
I think I misunderstood.
9
Good!
10
Let us begin.
11
Today I do not feel well.
12
I woke up this morning and my throat felt strange.
13
I try to swallow.
14
It hurts a little.
15
I say to myself, OK, maybe it is nothing.
16
But then I feel weak and, mmm, a little dizzy.
17
I touch my forehead.
18
Oh, I think I have a small fever.
19
I have a sore throat.
20
I feel weak.
21
Good.
22
I decide to go to a clinic near my apartment.
23
This is my first time going to a doctor in English, and honestly, I am nervous.
24
Very nervous.
25
At the front desk, the nurse looks at me and smiles.
26
How can I help you?
27
I take a small breath.
28
I would like to see a doctor, please.
29
She gives me a form.
30
I sit down and think, Okay, Anna, you can do this.
31
After a few minutes I hear, Anna?
32
I stand up quickly.
33
Yes, that is me.
34
I walk into the small room.
35
The doctor smiles politely.
36
So, what seems to be the problem?
37
Oh, okay.
38
This is my moment.
39
I try to explain.
40
Yes, I feel...
41
I feel sick.
42
I mean, not exactly sick.
43
I feel.. bad.
44
No, I mean, I have a sore throat.
45
The doctor nods slowly. And? And I feel tired.
46
Very tired.
47
Repeat.
48
I have a sore throat and I feel tired.
49
Good.
50
The doctor checks my throat.
51
He listens to my breathing.
52
He types something on his computer.
53
Then he looks at me and says, You need a shot.
54
I freeze.
55
I heard something else.
56
You need to shop.
57
Oh, oh, okay.
58
I smile.
59
Yes, I say.
60
I love shopping.
61
The doctor stops moving.
62
Shopping, he asks.
63
Mmm, yes.
64
He slowly opens a drawer.
65
I am still smiling until I see what he is holding,
66
a syringe, and suddenly I am not smiling anymore.
67
The doctor is holding the syringe, and I am still smiling.
68
Mmm, maybe he is joking?
69
I laugh a little.
70
Oh, okay, shopping?
71
He looks at me carefully.
72
No, he says slowly.
73
A shot, shot.
74
He points to the syringe.
75
My brain starts working very fast.
76
Shot?
77
Not shop.
78
Shot.
79
Oh.
80
Oh no. Repeat.
81
Shot.
82
Shop.
83
Good.
84
I feel my face getting warm.
85
I'm sorry, I say quickly.
86
I thought you said shop.
87
The doctor smiles politely.
88
No, a shot, an injection.
89
Injection.
90
That word sounds serious.
91
I do not like injections.
92
I laugh nervously.
93
Oh, okay.
94
That is different.
95
The doctor nods.
96
You have an infection.
97
The shot will help.
98
Infection.
99
Shot.
100
Injection.
101
Now everything makes sense.
102
But two minutes ago, I was talking about shopping.
103
I cover my face for a second.
104
I think I misunderstood.
105
Very good.
106
The doctor smiles kindly.
107
It happens!
108
English words can sound similar.
109
Yes, they really can.
110
Let us stop the story for a moment.
111
This is the real lesson.
112
The doctor said, You need a shot.
113
But I heard, You need to shop.
114
Why?
115
Because these two words sound similar.
116
But they are not the same.
117
Repeat after me.
118
Shot.
119
Short sound.
120
Ah.
121
Shot.
122
Now.
123
Shop.
124
Ah.
125
But listen carefully.
126
Shot ends with a T.
127
Shop ends with a P.
128
Let us try again.
129
Shot.
130
Feel your tongue stop at the top of your mouth.
131
Now, shop.
132
Your lips close at the end.
133
That is the difference.
134
Tongue versus lips.
135
Repeat slowly.
136
Shot.
137
Shop.
138
Good.
139
Now in full sentences.
140
You need a shot.
141
You need to shop.
142
Excellent.
143
Do you hear the difference now?
144
Let us make it harder.
145
I will say one sentence.
146
You decide which one you hear.
147
Ready?
148
You need a shot. Which one?
149
Good.
150
Now this one.
151
You need to shop.
152
Very good.
153
One small sound.
154
Big difference.
155
and at the doctor, it really matters.
156
The doctor looks at me calmly.
157
It will only take a second, he says.
158
Only a second.
159
Mmm, I am not sure I like that second.
160
I look at the syringe again.
161
Oh, okay, that is.
162
Fine.
163
Fine?
164
No, not fine, but I nod anyway.
165
Repeat.
166
It will only take a second.
167
Good.
168
The doctor prepares the injection.
169
I try to relax.
170
I tell myself, Anna, this is normal.
171
You are fine.
172
But inside, I am thinking, next time, listen carefully.
173
The doctor says, you might feel a little pinch.
174
Pinch!
175
Another new word.
176
Oh, great!
177
Repeat, you might feel a little pinch.
178
Very good.
179
I close my eyes.
180
One second.
181
Done.
182
That was it, he says.
183
I open one eye. That was it?
184
Yes, he smiles.
185
Oh, that was not so bad.
186
I laugh a little.
187
I thought you said shopping, I admit.
188
He laughs softly.
189
That would be a very different treatment.
190
We both smile, but inside, I learn something important.
191
One small sound.
192
Big difference.
193
And sometimes, English is not about big grammar rules.
194
It is about tiny sounds.
195
Language takeaway.
196
Now, let's look at some useful phrases and vocabulary from Anna's story.
197
These These are words and expressions you can use when you go to the doctor or even in daily life.
198
Listen carefully and repeat after me.
199
Let us review what happened.
200
The doctor said, You need a shot.
201
I heard, You need to shop.
202
One small sound, big difference.
203
Repeat, One small sound, big difference.
204
Good.
205
Now let us review the key vocabulary from this lesson.
206
Doctor vocabulary, I have a sore throat.
207
I feel weak.
208
I have a fever.
209
You need a shot.
210
You might feel a little pinch.
211
Excellent!
212
Now let us focus on listening again.
213
Shot ends with T.
214
Your tongue stops the sound.
215
SHOP ends with P.
216
Your lips close.
217
Repeat slowly.
218
SHOT, SHOP.
219
Very good.
220
Now listen carefully.
221
I need a SHOT.
222
I need to SHOP.
223
Do you hear the difference?
224
This is how you improve your listening.
225
Not by memorizing grammar, but by training your ear.
226
And remember something important.
227
It is okay to misunderstand.
228
It is okay to say, I think I misunderstood.
229
That sentence can save you from many awkward situations.
230
At the doctor.
231
At the airport. At work.
232
Everywhere.
233
Confidence is not perfect English.
234
Confidence is calm correction.
235
Repeat.
236
Confidence is calm correction.
237
Excellent.
238
Today you practiced listening skills.
239
Similar sounding words.
240
Doctor vocabulary?
241
Real life English.
242
And that is how fluency grows.
243
One small sound at a time.
244
If this lesson helped you improve your listening, like this video, write in the comments,
245
SHOT, NOT SHOP, and share this with someone who is learning English.
246
See you in the next lesson!
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
B11
Practice Speaking & Reading Out Loud With This English Shadowing Exercise
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B16
Listen and Repeat -Dangerous Mistake at the Bank English
Business EnglishTravel EnglishDaily Conversation
B12
How to Learn English Alone and Finally Start Speaking
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B23
Speaking English at the Restaurant | Reading out load
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A22
Video
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B25
Practice Speaking & Reading Out Loud ✅ | Real Supermarket English (Idioms Practice)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B115
65k
Travel EnglishDaily Conversation
B15
Funny English Mistake! | Speaking Practice Daily Use words, Question and answers
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B12
202 sentences
Practice English Conversation : At the hospital - English speaking Course
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B15
181 sentences
Improve Your English Speaking Fluency
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
![[B1] At the Pharmacy | Buying Medicine & Talking to a Pharmacist](https://img.youtube.com/vi/e8lYtCHSOvQ/mqdefault.jpg)
B135
127 sentences
[B1] At the Pharmacy | Buying Medicine & Talking to a Pharmacist
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B1248 sentences
Pronunciation Practice: 50+ English Words to Sound Natural
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B25
268 sentences
English Conversational practice | Improve Speaking Skills | At the Doctor's
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
119 sentences
تقنية الـ Shadowing: سر الطلاقة السريعة في الإنجليزية | الحلقة 7: في الصيدلية 💊
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B17
146 sentences
Video
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
360 sentences
Speak English Without Fearing Mistakes | Easy English Listening Practice
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B11
235 sentences
Learn English Conversation Practice Daily | Improve English Listening and Speaking Skills 💪
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B14
110 sentences
At the Doctors 🏥 English Conversation Practice
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B12
1332 sentences
1 Hour of English Listening Practice Improve Your English Listening Skills
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B16
384 sentences
I Went to the Doctor and THIS Happened | Health Vocabulary & Treatment English | A1–B1
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 246 sentences and 1176 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:04. The speaker talks slowly, about 97 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| throat noun | /ˈθɹoʊt/ | The front part of the neck. |
| carefully adverb | /ˈkɛɹf(ə)li/ | With care; attentively, circumspectly. |
| injection noun | /ɪnˈd͡ʒɛk.ʃən/ | The act of injecting, or something that is injected. |
| sore adjective | /soɹ/ | Causing pain or discomfort; painfully sensitive. |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| pinch verb | /pɪnt͡ʃ/ | To squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt. |
| lip noun | /lɪp/ | Either of the two fleshy protrusions around the opening of the mouth. |
| infection noun | /ɪnˈfɛkʃən/ | The act or process of infecting. |
| awkward adjective | /ˈɔk.wɚd/ | Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments. |
| breathe verb | /bɹiːð/ | To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases. |
| fever noun | /ˈfivɚ/ | A higher than normal body temperature of a person (or, generally, a mammal), usually caused by disease. |
| grammar noun | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general. |
| correction noun | /kəˈɹɛkʃən/ | The act of correcting. |
| nod verb | /nɑd/ | To incline the head up and down, as to indicate agreement. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. | |
| stand up verb | To rise from a lying or sitting position. | |
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “th” sounds: throat /ˈθɹoʊt/, breathe /bɹiːð/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: injection /ɪnˈd͡ʒɛk.ʃən/, infection /ɪnˈfɛkʃən/, correction /kəˈɹɛkʃən/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, misunderstanding /ˌmɪsʌndɚˈstændɪŋ/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, misunderstand /mɪs.ʌn.də(ɹ)ˈstænd/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like lesson, throat, carefully.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | love shopping · stops moving · starts working |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might feel |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | need to shop |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | am still smiling · am not smiling · is holding |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.