Why Spoken English Can Feel Harder to Understand

Friendly conversation over coffee - ESL speaking practice

Struggling to understand spoken English? Sometimes, it’s not your listening skills.

Have you ever had a conversation where someone was speaking English — but you still struggled to catch the words?

Even when you know the vocabulary and grammar, real-life spoken English conversations can feel hard to follow.

Many learners tell me they feel confused in real-life conversations — and wonder why spoken English is hard to understand, even when they know the words.

This often happens because of how the other person is speaking:

• They have a cold or flu.

  
  

• They’re breathing heavily (because of health, age, or tiredness).

  
  

• They speak softly or in a strained voice.

  
  

• Their nose or throat sounds blocked.

  
  

• They feel nervous, so their breathing or voice changes.

  
  

When this happens, spoken English becomes harder to process — even for native speakers. For English learners, your brain works even harder to fill the gaps.

A Real Conversation That Made Me Think

Older patient talking - ESL listening difficulty

One of my ESL clients, who works in the medical field, shared her experience with me:

“Paul, I struggle when patients have a cold or health issue. I can’t always catch what they’re saying.”

Her experience is very common — and it’s not a sign of poor English skills. When people sound different, your brain needs to work extra hard to understand.

Why Does It Feel So Difficult?

When breathing or voice changes, several things happen:

✔️ Sounds become softer or unclear.

✔️ Some sounds disappear completely.

✔️ Words may blend together or shorten.

✔️ You lose the usual pronunciation patterns your brain expects.

Even advanced learners struggle in these situations. It’s a normal part of listening to real English conversations.

5 Simple Tips to Help You Understand Difficult English

When someone’s voice sounds unclear, these strategies can help you stay calm and follow the conversation:

1️⃣ Focus on the Key Words

Don’t try to hear every word.

Listen for important words — names, actions, places, times — and build the meaning from these.

2️⃣ Use Visual Clues

Watch the speaker’s face, hands, and body language. Facial expressions and gestures often give helpful information even if the words aren’t clear.

3️⃣ Ask Gently for Repeats

It’s perfectly okay to ask someone to repeat.

You can say:

• “Sorry, could you please repeat that? I didn’t quite catch it.”

  
  

• “Could you say that again, a little slower?”

  
  

Most people are happy to repeat when you ask kindly.

4️⃣ Check Your Understanding

If you’re not 100% sure, you can check by repeating part of what you heard:

• “Do you mean…?”

  
  

• “So you said you have an appointment tomorrow — is that right?”

  
  

This helps the speaker confirm or correct you.

5️⃣ Focus on the Emotion — Not Just the Words

When people feel tired, sick, or nervous, emotions affect how they speak. Pay attention to tone of voice, facial expressions, and mood. These give extra meaning even when words are not clear.

🌿 Be Kind to Yourself

If you find these conversations difficult:

✅ It doesn’t mean your English is bad.

✅ Even native speakers sometimes struggle.

✅ Every conversation is still good practice.

✅ Every conversation is a chance to build your listening confidence in English.

Real English is full of small challenges — and small victories.

If you’ve ever asked yourself why spoken English is harder to understand than textbook English, you’re not alone — the good news is, there are ways to train your ear.

👉 If you want to feel more confident in real-life English conversations, I offer personalised coaching to help you practise these listening skills step-by-step.

✅ Let’s talk about your goals and build your English confidence — together.