English speaking practice for beginners

When you're a beginner, speaking is frightening. You worry about mistakes, you can't find words fast enough, and a real person feels intimidating. So most beginners avoid speaking — which is the one thing that would help.

Airi is built to be the easy first step. Choose the "Easy English" personality and she keeps her sentences short, speaks slowly and clearly, and encourages you at every turn. You can even mix in your own language when you get stuck, and she'll help you find the English. There's no audience, no grade, and no rush — just a patient partner to speak your first sentences with.

A quick example with Airi

Hi! I'm Airi. What is your name?

My name is Maria.

Nice to meet you, Maria! How are you today?

I am fine. Little bit tired.

"A little bit tired." That's okay! What did you do today?

Try a conversation like this, free600 free credits, about 8 minutes of speaking. No card.

What a beginner needs to be able to say in English

You need less English than you think for a first conversation. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is the Council of Europe's scale for describing language ability, and A1 is the first of its six main levels. Its self-assessment grid describes A1 conversation like this: "I can interact in a simple way provided the other person is prepared to repeat or rephrase things at a slower rate of speech and help me formulate what I'm trying to say. I can ask and answer simple questions in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics." Asking people to slow down, repeat and help is therefore not failing. It is how the scale itself describes speaking at this level.

That gives you three things to prepare: answers to a few predictable questions about yourself, some sentence patterns to reuse, and phrases for when the conversation moves too fast.

The first questions beginners are asked in English, with simple answers

Question	A simple answer	One more sentence to add
What's your name?	My name is Kenji.	You can call me Ken.
Where are you from?	I'm from Brazil.	I live in a small city near the sea.
Do you work or study?	I work in a hotel.	I like my job, but I'm very busy.
Do you have any brothers or sisters?	I have one sister.	She's older than me.
What do you like to do in your free time?	I like cooking.	I make dinner for my family every day.
Why are you learning English?	I need it for my job.	I also want to travel.

Every answer has the same shape: a short sentence, then one more. Two simple sentences are easier to say than one long one, and the second gives the other person something to ask about.

Eight sentence patterns beginners can reuse in any conversation

You do not have to build every sentence word by word. Learn each pattern as one block, say the example out loud, then make two sentences of your own by changing the ending.

I'm ... for who you are and how you feel. "I'm a nurse." "I'm tired today."
I have ... for family and things you own. "I have two children." "I have a bike."
I like ... / I don't like ... for tastes. "I like spicy food." "I don't like cold weather."
I want to ... for plans and wishes. "I want to visit Canada."
I can ... / I can't ... for abilities. "I can swim, but I can't drive."
There is ... / There are ... for describing a place. "There is a park near my house." "There are two schools in my town."
I went to ... for where you went. "I went to the market yesterday."
Can I ...? / Can you ...? for asking. "Can I have some water, please?" "Can you help me?"

Rescue phrases for beginners who get stuck mid-conversation

When	Say
You did not understand	Sorry, I don't understand.
They spoke too fast	Could you speak more slowly, please?
You want to hear it again	Can you repeat that, please?
You do not know a word they used, such as "receipt"	What does "receipt" mean?
You cannot find the English word for something you can point at	How do you say this in English?
You need time	Just a moment. Let me think.
You want them to be patient	I'm still learning English.

Learn these before any topic vocabulary. A beginner who can say "Can you repeat that, please?" stays in the conversation.

Mistakes beginners make in their first English sentences

Instead of	Say	Why
I have 25 years.	I'm 25 years old.	English uses "be" for age, not "have". "I'm 25" is enough too.
I am student.	I'm a student.	A singular job or role needs "a" or "an" before it: a student, an engineer.
She like coffee.	She likes coffee.	After he, she or it, the verb takes -s in the present.
I no like fish.	I don't like fish.	In the present, a negative needs "don't" or "doesn't" before the verb.
Where you live?	Where do you live?	A present-tense question with a verb like "live" needs "do" or "does" before the subject.
I go to work yesterday.	I went to work yesterday.	"Yesterday" is finished time, so the verb takes its past form: "go" becomes "went".

People will usually still understand the sentences in the left column, so none of these should stop you from speaking. Fix one at a time, out loud.

An eight-minute first conversation with Airi for beginners

Your free credits cover about eight minutes of speaking, enough for one run of these steps.

Choose the Easy English personality, then set the pace: "Hi, Airi. I'm a beginner. Please speak slowly and use short sentences."
Ask for the questions: "Please ask me easy questions about myself, one at a time." Give each one a short answer plus one more sentence.
Each time you miss something, say "Can you repeat that, please?" Do not nod and guess.
If a word will not come, say it in your own language and ask, "How do you say that in English?"
Whenever a small fix appears, repeat the corrected sentence once, then continue.
Swap roles: "Can I ask you some questions now?" Ask her three of the first questions, such as "Where are you from?" and "What do you like to do in your free time?"
Close politely: "Thank you, Airi. See you tomorrow!" Next time she will remember your name and your last topic.

When you repeat the conversation, with Airi or out loud on your own, add one new sentence to each answer.

How to get the most from it

Use Easy English mode

It keeps sentences short and slow, so you can follow and reply without stress.

Short answers are fine

You don't need long sentences to start. A few words is a great beginning.

Speak a little every day

Five minutes a day builds confidence faster than anything else.

Start speaking today

Your first 600 credits are free — no credit card. Sign in and have your first conversation with Airi.

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Frequently asked questions

I'm scared to make mistakes. Is that okay?

Completely. Airi corrects gently, with one short fix at a time, and then carries on with the conversation. There is no one else listening, and mistakes are how you learn.

Can I use my own language sometimes?

Yes. If you get stuck, mix in your language and Airi will help you say it in English.

How can a complete beginner start speaking English?

Start with yourself. Learn simple answers to the questions everyone asks (your name, where you are from, your work, your family), add a few rescue phrases such as "Can you repeat that, please?", and say them out loud until you can answer without stopping to translate.

Should I learn grammar first or start speaking right away?

Start speaking right away and learn grammar alongside it. A few patterns such as "I'm ...", "I have ..." and "I like ..." are enough for a first conversation, and you can fix grammar one small mistake at a time as you go. Waiting until your grammar is perfect only delays the speaking practice you need.

Do I need to pay to start?

No. You get 600 free credits when you sign up with Google, about eight minutes of speaking, with no credit card. After that there are one-off credit packs from USD 5 for 2,600 credits, with no subscription.

Last updated: 2026-10-03