Focused listening library
London English listening
Browse the original London accent collection. Current recordings have their own accent labels; this archive tag does not identify a new speaker.
Back down
A manager changes a policy after staff challenge it. She does not move backwards, but people say she backed down.
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Back up
A colleague backs you up, research backs up a claim, and software backs up a file. What changes when the object changes?
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Beside, Besides, or Except: Choose the Right Word
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Blow away
A performance blows the audience away while a gust blows the programmes away. Emotion and wind create different meanings with the same form.
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Booking a hotel room
A guest books three nights and asks for one room feature. Which services are included, and when does free cancellation end?
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Bored or boring: Talk about your class
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Bother
Noise can bother you, a thought can bother you, and you may not bother to reply. The first two affect feelings; the last describes effort.
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Break up
A couple breaks up, a meeting breaks up, and a phone call starts breaking up. Only one involves a romantic relationship.
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Breathe when public speaking: Pause before each point
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Bring about
A small decision can produce a large result. Bring about connects the cause to the change that follows.
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Bring up
You can bring up a difficult topic, bring up a child, or bring up a file on a screen. Context tells you which action is happening.
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Bump into
If you bump into an old friend, you meet unexpectedly. If you bump into a table, the surprise may hurt a little more.
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Burn out
A worker, a campfire and a motor can all burn out, but each one reaches a different kind of end.
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Call off
You can call off a match before it starts, call off a search already in progress, or call a threatening dog off.
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Cancelling a subscription
The customer cancels renewal today but keeps access until the thirtieth. Does that mean another monthly payment is due?
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Catch up
Fall behind on a walk, at work or in a friendship, and catch up helps you close the gap in three different ways.
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Changed appointment time
A caller mentions Thursday, Monday morning and Monday afternoon. Only one is the new appointment. Can you track the change?
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Changed museum tour
The planned first gallery is closed, so the tour changes order and finishes in a different place. Which locations remain part of the route?
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Changing a plan
A friend cannot meet at the agreed time. Can you hear why the plan changes, identify the new time, and notice how the request stays polite?
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Changing a restaurant booking
The booking begins with four people at seven. By the end, both the number and time have changed, but the seating request has not.
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Checking a café order
A customer orders for two people, changes one ingredient, and mentions an allergy. Can you separate preference from essential safety information?
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Checking a hotel bill
Breakfast appears on the bill, parking does not, and a minibar charge belongs to another room. What remains in the final total?
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Chip away
A huge task may not disappear at once, but each small action can chip away at it.
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Choose between at night and in the night
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How this practice helps
This collection keeps the original London accent grouping. The current recordings may use different voices; check each clip’s label.
When a voice is unfamiliar, replay a short part and compare it with the transcript before trying the whole clip again.
