Shadowing Practice: Learn 21 English Slang Words Native Speakers ACTUALLY Use - Learn English Speaking with Video

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If you don't know modern slang, native English can feel very hard to understand.

One second you're confident, the next somebody says you're cooked and you still think they're talking about food.

In this video I'm going to teach you 21 of the most popular

and relevant slang words and phrases of 2026 with simple meanings,

real examples, and exactly when to use them.

So by the end of this lesson when you hear words like riz, glaze, green flag, slay, bussing,

cooked or bet, you'll actually understand them.

And more importantly you'll know when to use them naturally.

And I'll also show you which slang is good for learners to say

and which slang is better to just understand because yes, there is a difference.

Let him call me flex.

Riz.

Let's meet at seven.

Bet.

Aura points.

Gain aura.

Unprofessional.

Depending.

Without further ado, let's get into it.

So the first slang word we are going to learn is Riz.

I'm sure you guys have heard this word

if you've ever been on North American TikTok

or really any English-speaking side of TikTok or social media you have heard this word, riz.

It's been around for many years now, but it's still very popular.

So what does it mean?

It means charm, especially romantic charm or flirting skills.

Riz is short for charisma, but we shorten it down to riz and that's the slang word, riz.

So if someone says you have good riz, it just means like you're good at flirting or talking to the opposite gender or the people you're attracted to.

Oh, he has riz he has good riz.

Some example sentences are he has so much riz when he talks to new people.

She riz'd up the waiter as a joke.

So when should you use this word?

Use it when you're talking about flirting, confidence, or someone's social charm, their charisma.

And when not to use it, do not use this when talking formally or with people that might not understand internet culture, usually older people.

They probably won't understand this and if they do they might just think you're unprofessional depending on the scenario.

And also a quick disclaimer all of these slang words should be only used, you know, with your friends or on the internet or informally with people that you know are used to them.

You shouldn't use these words when you're trying to talk formally

or when you're writing emails or when you're talking to a boss or someone older than you.

This is just like informal speaking and internet talk.

Get my 3000 most common English words PDF and start learning the words

that will allow you to understand up to 95% of everyday English.

It includes clear definitions, real examples and simple organization by topic and CEFR level.

Get it in the description or at VolcaEnglish.com.

The second slang phrase is no cap, no cap.

I use this one so much.

I use this one a lot.

No cap or just cap.

So no cap means honestly, serious or no lie.

So when you use it, you're implying that you are not lying.

So you can say no cap or I'm not lying.

It's very, it's interchangeable.

You can also just use the word cap alone when you think someone is lying or not telling the truth.

For example, if someone says, oh, the sky is green, you can say cap, cap, just cap.

If you say no cap, then it's like, oh, you're not lying.

But if you say cap, it's like, no, you are lying.

I don't believe you like, oh, cap.

So no cap is usually the speaker uses it.

Oh, that's my favorite.

No cap.

That's my favorite.

I'm not lying.

No cap.

But if you just use CAP, it usually is in a response to someone else to mean you don't think they're telling the truth.

CAP.

Some example sentences are, That street food was amazing.

No CAP.

This has been the best lesson on this channel.

No CAP.

So when should you use this?

Use this when you want to emphasize you are telling the truth in like a casual, chill, cool way.

Once again, do not use this word or any of these words when talking to your boss, your teachers, or clients.

So cap means a lie or exaggeration, and no cap means the opposite.

Third slang word is low-key.

Low-key.

Low-key means slightly, secretly, quietly, or in an understated way.

Low-key.

Some example sentences are, I low-key want to stay home tonight.

Low-key.

Or, she's low-key the funniest person in the group.

I low-key use this word all the time.

Low-key.

And this is really one of the most like versatile

and useful slang phrases because you can really use it in almost any sentence.

Low-key.

So use it when you want to like soften your opinion or show a feeling that is not like super strong.

Fourth slang word, high-key.

High-key.

So high-key means openly, strongly, very, or intensely.

I'm high-key excited for this trip.

I was high key annoyed by that comment.

I don't find myself using this word in particular that much because I would rather just use words like, oh, I'm really excited.

Oh, I'm so excited.

I'm very excited rather than high key.

I personally don't use it as much and I don't think a lot of people really use it that much.

Low key on the other hand is so, so, so popular.

High key, not as popular, but it's still widely used.

Fifth slang phrase, bet.

I actually think this is the slang phrase I use the most.

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Bet.

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This is my favorite slang phrase of 2025 and probably of 2026 as well.

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Bet.

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It's just so simple, elegant, useful, and it just rolls off the tongue.

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I like this slang word.

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So it just means okay, sure, sounds good, agreed.

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Bet.

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Example sentence.

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Let's meet at seven.

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Bet.

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You bring the camera, I'll bring the mic.

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Bet.

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So you can use it when you're accepting a plan, agreeing with something, or saying yes casually.

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Sixth slang word, mid.

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Mid means mediocre, underwhelming, or not impressive.

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It's mid.

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It's average.

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The movie looked cool, but it was mid.

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The burger was mid, honestly.

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So use it when you want to give a casual negative opinion about something.

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For example, food, media, clothes, or a performance.

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Ah, it was mid.

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Number seven, cooked.

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This means doomed, in trouble, or in a bad situation.

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I'm cooked.

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Chat, am I cooked?

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If I don't study tonight, I'm cooked.

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We're cooked if the train gets delayed again.

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So use it when you want to joke about being in trouble

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or when a situation is going badly and you just want to add some humor.

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Oh, I'm cooked.

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If you want to learn faster, get the workbook for this video on my website.

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It includes deeper explanations and exercises to help you remember and master what you learned.

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And if you get five or more workbooks, you'll get 30% off automatically at checkout.

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So go to the description or my website, volcaenglish.com.

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Number eight, lock in.

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Lock in.

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It means to enter a state of deep focus.

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I need to lock in and finish my homework.

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It's exam week.

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Everybody has to lock in.

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So use it when you want to talk about focusing hard on something and achieving a certain result.

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Number nine, delulu.

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Delulu.

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So this means delusional.

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It's often used jokingly for unrealistic confidence or fantasy thinking.

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This word is also mainly used by women.

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I personally never use this word and none of my male friends use this word, but a lot of my friends that are women, they use this word a lot.

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Delulu.

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I know it's Delulu, but I think I can become fluent in six months.

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He thinks one text means they're getting married.

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That's Delulu.

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So use it when you're joking about unrealistic hopes, especially in dating, fandom, or ambition.

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Number 10, the ick.

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A sudden feeling of disgust or loss of attraction.

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Seeing him be rude to the staff gave me the ick.

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She got the ick after the first date.

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So use it when you're talking about dating, attraction, or social turn-offs.

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Number 11, touch grass.

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Go outside, reconnect with life and spend less time online.

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You've been arguing in the comments for three hours.

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Go touch grass.

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After watching TikTok all day, I need to touch grass.

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So use it when you're talking to someone that is online too much or needs a break from all their screen time.

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Touch grass.

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And it's often used as like a mild insult.

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Like, oh, go touch grass.

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It's mild, a mild insult.

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12. Let him cook let him cook let that person continue

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because they may be doing something smart

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or impressive don't stop her let her cook

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or i'm sure you guys have all heard

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that viral sound let him cook now let him cook let him cook i'm sure you guys have heard

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that all over tiktok his idea sounds weird but let him cook

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so use it when someone is building towards a result and you want others not to interrupt.

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13. Ate or ate and left no crumbs.

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Did extremely well, flawlessly, or impressively.

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She ate with that performance.

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That outfit ate and left no crumbs.

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So use it when you want to praise someone's style, performance, speech, or confident execution.

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And you should know ate here or ate and left no crumbs has nothing to do with food at all.

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Glaze slash glazing.

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It means to praise someone too much or excessively.

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You're glazing him way too hard.

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The comments were just pure glazing.

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So it's used when you want to call out over the top praise in sports, fandoms, or comment sections.

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Number 15, green flag green flag positive sign

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or a good trait the fact

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that she listens carefully is a green flag it's a green flag

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when someone is kind to waiters

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and you should learn this one with red flag red flag is just the opposite of green flag

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so red flags are like bad traits bad traits usually when you're thinking about dating someone in that type of context.

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Oh, red flag, green flag.

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Number 16, aura.

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This means someone or something has a cool factor, star power, or just like swag.

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He walked in with so much aura.

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The goal gave her a thousand aura points.

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Use it when describing charisma, coolness, confidence, or impressive presence.

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Some variations of that are aura points, gain aura, lose aura.

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All that means the same thing aura.

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17. Glow up.

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A strong positive transformation especially in appearance or overall presentation.

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His English had a real glow up this year.

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He had a glow up last year.

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The apartment had a huge glow up after the redesign

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so use it when talking about improvement in looks style or confidence

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number 18 brain rot low quality addictive content online

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or the mentally numbing effect of too much of it my

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feed is just brain rot at this point i need a

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break from tick tock the brain rot is getting bad use it

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when joking about useless internet content or unhealthy doom scrolling Number 19, crash out.

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Suddenly becoming uncontrollably angry or distressed.

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He crashed out after losing the game.

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Don't crash out over one bad comment.

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So use it when describing someone overreacting emotionally.

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Number 20, flex.

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Show off, brag a little, or display money, style, skills, or success.

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Flex.

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Posting that first class seat felt like a flex.

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He wasn't trying to flex, but the camera setup was crazy.

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So use it when talking about showing off possessions, achievements, or status.

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Last but not least, 21, slay.

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If you want to speak English more clearly and naturally, then join my speaking and pronunciation course.

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You get instant access to almost 100 video lessons with two new lessons every week, a clear step-by-step practice system,

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and an exclusive prompt to help you master the pronunciation of any word.

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Inside, we work on pronunciation,

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accent, rhythm, and natural speaking so you can stop hesitating and speak with more confidence.

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Do something extremely well, look amazing, or be impressive.

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Slay.

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You slayed that presentation.

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Her outfit absolutely slays.

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Or you'll hear a lot, slay queen.

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That's really common.

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Slay queen.

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So use it when complimenting style, performance, confidence, or execution.

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If you guys like this video and you want me to make a part two, Let me know in the comments.

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Also, if you want the 3,000 most common English words to understand up to 95% of spoken English, it's in the description.

237

Bye, guys.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Learn 21 English Slang Words Native Speakers ACTUALLY Use”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: word, cap, key, slang, riz. This video has 237 sentences and 2135 words to shadow. The speech runs for 14:01. The speaker talks at a natural 152 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
sling noun	/ˈslɪŋ/	An instrument for throwing stones or other missiles, consisting of a short strap with two strings fastened to its ends, or with a string fastened to one end…
aura noun	/ˈɔːɹə/	A subtle emanation or exhalation of any substance, such as an aroma or odour.
slay verb	/sleɪ/	To kill; to murder.
phrase noun	/ˈfɹeɪ̯z/	A short written or spoken expression.
delulu noun	/dɪˈluː.luː/	Delusion; delusional attitudes or thoughts.
glaze noun	/ɡleɪz/	The vitreous coating of pottery or porcelain; anything used as a coating or color in glazing.
flex verb	/flɛks/	To bend something.
glow verb	/ɡloʊ/	To emit heat and light without a flame.
charisma noun	/kəˈɹɪzmə/	A gift or power of leadership or authority.
crumb noun	/kɹʌm/	A small piece which breaks off from baked food (such as cake, biscuit or bread).
pronunciation noun	/pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/	The formal or informal way in which a word is made to sound when spoken.
flirt verb	/flɚt/	To throw (something) with a jerk or sudden movement; to fling.
trait noun	/tɹeɪt/	An identifying characteristic, habit or trend.
mild adjective	/ˈmaɪld/	Gentle and not easily angered
charm noun	/t͡ʃɑɹm/	An object, act or words believed to have magic power (usually carries a positive connotation).

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
show off verb		To exhibit the best attributes of something.
get off verb		To move from being on top of (something) to not being on top of it.
roll off verb	/ˈɹol ˈɔf/	To spontaneously roll suddenly and rapidly to one side or the other upon entering a stall (due to one wing stalling slightly before the other does, combined…

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

Without further ado, let's get into it.
I don't believe you like, oh, cap.
I'm high-key excited for this trip.
I'm very excited rather than high key.
You bring the camera, I'll bring the mic.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	have heard · you've ever been · It's been
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea	should you use · should be · shouldn't use
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the most popular · the best · the funniest
Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain	might not understand · might just think · may be

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 55 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: unhealthy /ʌnˈhɛl.θi/, rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, attraction /əˈtɹækʃn̩/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, execution /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/, presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/
Long words — get the stress right: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, execution /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/, exaggeration /ɪɡˌzæd͡ʒəˈɹeɪʃən/, excessively /ɪkˈsɛsɪvli/, interchangeable /ɪntɚˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒəbl̩/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like sling, aura, slay.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Learn 21 English Slang Words Native Speakers ACTUALLY Use - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?