Practice introducing yourself in English

"Tell me about yourself" sounds simple until you have to say it in English, in front of someone, without rambling or freezing. A good self-introduction is short, clear, and rehearsed — and it opens interviews, classes, meetings, and new friendships.

Airi helps you build one and practice it out loud. Say your introduction and she reacts like a real listener with a follow-up question, so you learn to move from your intro into a real conversation. Do it a few times and it stops feeling like a speech and starts feeling like you.

A quick example with Airi

Let's practice. Introduce yourself to me.

Hello, my name is Ravi and I am from India. I am software engineer.

Small fix: "I am a software engineer." Nice to meet you, Ravi! What kind of software do you build?

Mostly web applications for banks.

Interesting! See how the intro led into a conversation? Let's try it once more, a little smoother.

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

What to say when you introduce yourself in class, at work and socially

A self-introduction is not one fixed speech. Your name stays the same, but what you add depends on the people in front of you. Before you speak, ask yourself one question: why are these people meeting me? The answer tells you which details to keep.

Situation	What listeners want to know	What to leave out
A new class or course	Your name, where you are from, and why you are learning	Your full work history
First day on a new team	Your name, your role, and what people can come to you for	Age, marital status and other private details
A meeting with a client	Your name, your team, and your part in the project	Hobbies, unless someone asks
A party or social event	Your name and how you know the host or the group	Your job title in the first sentence

Sample self-introductions in English you can adapt

Swap in your own details and say each example out loud. A line that looks fine on paper can be awkward at normal speed.

New class: "Hi, everyone. I'm Mei, and I'm from Taiwan. I work in a hotel, so I'm here to get more comfortable talking with guests."
New team: "Good morning. I'm Daniel, the new data analyst. I'll be working on the sales reports, so if the numbers look strange, I'm the person to ask."
Client meeting: "I'm Amira Hassan from the design team. I'll be your main contact for the website project."
Social event: "Hi, I'm Lucas. I'm a friend of Ana's from work. How do you know her?"

Nobody here lists five facts. Each speaker gives a name and one or two details that matter to the listener, then stops or asks a question.

Phrases for each moment of introducing yourself

Moment	Say
Starting with one person	Hi, I'm Mei. Nice to meet you.
Starting in a formal setting	Good afternoon. My name is Amira Hassan.
You go by a shorter name	My name's Katarzyna, but please call me Kasia.
Saying where you are from	I'm originally from Peru, but I live in Madrid now.
Saying what you do	I work in logistics for a shipping company.
Replying to "Nice to meet you"	Nice to meet you too.
You did not hear their name	Sorry, I didn't catch your name.
You are not sure how to say their name	Sorry, how do you pronounce your name?
Passing the turn	How about you? What do you do?
Saying goodbye after a first meeting	It was nice meeting you.

"Nice to meet you" belongs to a first meeting only. The next time, say "Good to see you again."

Questions people ask after you introduce yourself

An introduction rarely ends when you stop speaking. The listener usually asks one of a few predictable questions. Give a short answer plus one extra detail, so the other person has something to respond to.

Question	What it means	A good reply
What do you do?	What is your job? It does not mean "What are you doing right now?"	I'm an accountant. I mostly work with small restaurants.
Where are you based?	Where do you live or work now?	I'm based in Nairobi, but I travel a lot for work.
What brings you here?	Why did you come to this event or this city?	I'm here for the conference. It's my first time in the city.
How do you know Ana?	What is your connection to the host?	We used to work together.
What do you do for fun?	What are you interested in outside work?	I play a lot of badminton, and I've just started learning to cook.

Mistakes learners make when introducing themselves in English

Instead of	Say	Why
Myself Anita.	I'm Anita.	"Myself" is a reflexive pronoun, as in "I introduced myself". It cannot stand in for "I am" or "My name is".
I have 28 years.	I'm 28.	English uses "be" for age. At work you can leave your age out completely.
I am come from Vietnam.	I'm from Vietnam.	Use "I'm from" or "I come from", never the two together.
My hobby is listening music.	I like listening to music.	"Listen" needs "to", and "I like" or "I'm into" sounds more natural than "my hobby is".
I work here since three years.	I've worked here for three years.	For something that started in the past and is still true, say "I've worked" or "I've been working". Use "for" with a length of time and "since" with a starting point: "since 2023".
Let me introduce myself. (to one person at a party)	Hi, I'm Lucas.	Announcing your introduction suits a speech or a presentation. With one person at a party it sounds stiff.

Rehearse your self-introduction with Airi in six steps

Reading the phrases is one thing. Saying them to someone who answers back is harder. This routine is short enough to try with the free credits, which cover about eight minutes of speaking.

Set the scene: "I'm starting a new job on Monday. Be a colleague I'm meeting for the first time."
Introduce yourself once, all the way through. If you stumble, keep going.
Answer the question she asks next with a short answer plus one detail.
If she shows a small fix, say the fixed version of your sentence back to her.
Change the scene: "Now be someone I've just met at a friend's party." Keep your name and change the second sentence.
Finish with: "Ask me three questions people often ask after an introduction." Answer each one in two sentences.

How to get the most from it

Keep it to three lines

Name, what you do or where you're from, and one interesting detail. Short beats long.

End with an opening

Finish in a way that invites a question, so it flows into conversation.

Repeat until smooth

Say it three times. By the third it sounds natural, not memorised.

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Frequently asked questions

What should a self-introduction include?

Your name, plus one or two details that matter to the people you are meeting: your role on a new team, your reason for joining a class, or how you know the host at a party. Ending with a question keeps the conversation going.

How long should a self-introduction in English be?

For a class, a meeting or a social event, two to four sentences is enough. A job interview is different: "Tell me about yourself" expects a longer, structured answer about your experience.

Should I say "My name is" or "I'm"?

Both are correct. "I'm Maria" is the usual choice in conversation. "My name is Maria Santos" suits more formal moments, such as the start of a presentation or a call to someone who does not know you, when people need to catch your full name.

How do I reply to "How do you do?"

It is a greeting for a first meeting, not a question about your health, and the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English labels it formal. Reply "How do you do?" or "Nice to meet you." In everyday conversation, "Nice to meet you" is the safer choice.

Can I practice for a specific situation?

Yes. Tell Airi if it's for a job interview, a class, or meeting new people, and she will role-play that situation with you.

Is it free to try?

Yes. You start with 600 free credits, about eight minutes of speaking, with no credit card.

Last updated: 2026-10-03