- Informal expressions are not "wrong" English — they are a distinct register with their own rules.
- British English understatement means "not ideal" often implies a serious problem.
- Filler words (you know, I mean, sort of) give you thinking time and signal turn-taking.
- Back-channel signals (yeah, right, I see) are essential for showing you are listening in English.
- Authentic exposure through British TV and podcasts is the fastest route to informal fluency.
Many English learners reach B1-B2 level with impressive grammar and a solid vocabulary — but still feel uncertain and unnatural in everyday conversation. The reason is almost always the same: they have learned formal, textbook English without enough exposure to the informal register that native speakers use in real life.
Informal English is not simply "casual" English — it has its own vocabulary, grammar patterns, discourse strategies, and cultural expectations that differ significantly from written or formal English. This guide introduces the most important informal expressions, with a focus on British English, and provides practical strategies for internalising them. For more vocabulary work, explore LexFizz vocabulary exercises.
1. Essential Everyday Expressions
These expressions appear constantly in everyday British English conversation. They are not optional extras — not knowing them means missing large portions of natural conversation at B2 and above.
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fair enough | That's reasonable / I accept that | "I can't make it tonight." "Fair enough — see you next time." |
| It's up to you | You decide — I have no preference | "Where shall we eat?" "It's up to you." |
| Hang on a sec | Wait a moment | "Hang on a sec — I just need to grab my keys." |
| No worries | Don't worry about it / that's fine | "Sorry I'm late!" "No worries at all." |
| I reckon | I think / I believe (informal) | "I reckon it'll rain later." / "I reckon she's right." |
| Ages | A very long time | "I haven't seen you for ages!" / "That took ages." |
| Loads of | A lot of (informal) | "There were loads of people there." / "I've got loads of work." |
| Cheers | Thanks / goodbye (British) | "Here's your coffee." "Cheers!" / "See you tomorrow — cheers!" |
British English uses understatement heavily. "It's not ideal" often means "this is a real problem." "That's quite interesting" from a British person might mean "I strongly disagree." "Not bad" said with a positive tone means "quite good." Learning to decode British understatement is as important as learning the vocabulary itself.
2. British English Slang and Informal Vocabulary
British English has a rich tradition of informal vocabulary that is distinct from American English. These expressions are common in everyday conversation, on social media, and in British TV and media. While you should use them with awareness of context, recognising them is essential for comprehension.
| Expression | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Gutted | Very disappointed | Informal, very common |
| Sorted | Organised, fixed, resolved | Informal, very common |
| Dodgy | Suspicious, unreliable, not right | Informal, common |
| Cheeky | Slightly rude but in a playful way | Informal, very common |
| Gobsmacked | Completely astonished | Informal, common |
| Knackered | Exhausted | Informal, common in speech |
| Bog-standard | Completely ordinary, nothing special | Informal |
| Brilliant | Excellent (used very frequently, not only for extraordinary things) | Informal/neutral |
3. Filler Words and Thinking Time
Filler words are not errors — they are functional tools that give speakers time to think and signal conversational behaviour. They are a normal feature of natural spoken English at all levels. The key is to use a small number of fillers consistently, not to try to eliminate them entirely, as this often makes speech sound unnatural and robotic.
| Filler | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| You know | Appeals to shared understanding; signals you are still thinking | "It was just, you know, a bit awkward." |
| I mean | Clarifying or self-correcting | "I mean, it's not that bad." / "I mean, we could try." |
| Kind of / sort of | Hedging — making a claim less definite | "It was kind of funny, sort of." |
| Basically | Introducing a simplified summary | "Basically, the plan didn't work." |
| Actually | Introducing a correction or surprising information | "Actually, I think you'll find it's the other way around." |
| To be honest | Signalling frank or unexpected opinion | "To be honest, I wasn't that impressed." |
| Right | Checking understanding or moving on | "Right, so what are we doing next?" |
4. Reacting to News and Information
Natural conversation requires genuine, varied reactions to what the other person says. B1-B2 learners often use only a few reaction words ("Really?" "Oh!") — expanding your range of reactions immediately improves the naturalness of your English. See also our guide to active listening in English.
| Situation | Expressions |
|---|---|
| Good news | "That's brilliant!" / "Amazing!" / "I'm so pleased for you!" / "Good on you!" / "No way — that's fantastic!" |
| Bad news | "Oh no, that's awful." / "I'm really sorry to hear that." / "What a nightmare!" / "I'm gutted for you." |
| Surprise | "You're joking!" / "Seriously?" / "I can't believe it!" / "Blimey!" / "Never!" |
| Agreement | "Exactly!" / "Absolutely." / "I totally agree." / "Tell me about it!" / "That's so true." |
| Sympathy | "That must have been so hard." / "I can imagine." / "That sounds really tough." |
5. Expressing Opinions Informally
At B1-B2, learners often fall back on formal opinion phrases ("In my opinion") when informal alternatives are more natural in conversation. Varying your opinion language also demonstrates a wider range to examiners in IELTS and Cambridge speaking tests.
- "I reckon..." — very common in informal British English: "I reckon it's going to rain."
- "If you ask me..." — inviting agreement: "If you ask me, they should have done it differently."
- "Personally, I think..." — emphasising it is a personal view
- "The way I see it..." — introducing your perspective
- "I'd say..." — hedged opinion: "I'd say it's about 50/50."
- "Don't quote me on this, but..." — introducing uncertain information
- "I might be wrong, but..." — polite hedging before a challenging claim
To sound natural in English conversation, vary your response tokens. Instead of always saying "Yes", use "Yeah", "Mm", "Right", "Absolutely", "Exactly", "I see". Instead of always saying "OK", use "Fair enough", "Sounds good", "No worries", "Perfect". This variety is one of the clearest markers of natural, confident informal English.
6. Active Listening Expressions
In English conversation, the listener is expected to show they are following along by using small response tokens (linguists call these "back-channel signals"). Without them, the speaker feels the listener is unengaged or confused. These tokens do not interrupt — they happen in natural pauses and signal "I hear you, keep going."
- "Yeah..." / "Mm..." — basic acknowledgement, showing you are listening
- "Right." — understanding what is being said
- "I see." — processing new information
- "Oh, really?" — showing mild surprise or interest
- "Exactly!" — strong agreement
- "I know what you mean." — empathy and shared experience
- "Tell me about it!" — IRONIC: means "I have experienced this too, I completely agree"
For more speaking practice, explore LexFizz interactive exercises covering vocabulary and phrase recognition.
Practise Informal English Vocabulary
Build your range of everyday expressions with LexFizz's free Flash Cards, quizzes, and word-matching exercises.
Explore Exercises →Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common informal English expressions?
The most common informal English expressions include: "How are you doing?" / "Not bad, thanks." (greeting and response); "What's up?" (casual greeting); "I'm gutted" (British: very disappointed); "Fair enough" (I accept that); "That's mental!" (informal: that's crazy/surprising); "Cheers" (British: thank you or goodbye); "I'm knackered" (British: exhausted); "It's up to you" (you decide); "I couldn't care less" (I don't care at all); "Hang on a sec" (wait a moment).
What are common British informal expressions that surprise learners?
British informal expressions that often surprise learners: "Brilliant!" (used for almost anything positive); "Sorted" (organised, fixed, resolved); "Dodgy" (suspicious, unreliable); "Cheeky" (slightly rude in a playful way); "Gobsmacked" (completely astonished); "Knackered" (exhausted); "Bog-standard" (completely ordinary); "Quid" (one pound sterling); "Tenner" (ten pounds). British understatement is also a cultural feature: "It's not ideal" often means "this is a serious problem."
How do I use filler words naturally in English conversation?
Filler words give speakers time to think. Common English fillers: "you know" (signals shared understanding); "I mean" (clarifying or correcting); "kind of / sort of" (hedging); "basically" (introducing a simplified explanation); "actually" (correcting or adding surprising information); "to be honest" (introducing a frank opinion). Use fillers sparingly — too many reduce clarity. The most natural fillers in British English are "you know", "I mean", and "sort of".
What is the difference between informal spoken English and formal written English?
Key differences: contractions (don't, can't — informal; do not, cannot — formal); sentence length (informal speech uses shorter sentences; formal writing uses longer, more complex sentences); vocabulary (informal: get, go, stuff, loads of; formal: obtain, proceed, material, a substantial number of); discourse markers (informal: so, well, anyway; formal: therefore, however, furthermore). Mixing registers inappropriately is a common B1-B2 error in both speaking and writing.
What phrases do English speakers use to disagree politely?
Polite disagreement in informal English: "I'm not sure I agree with that." / "I see your point, but..." / "That's one way of looking at it, I suppose, though..." / "I take your point, but in my experience..." / "Do you really think so? I actually think..." / "Hmm, I'm not convinced." Avoid blunt "You're wrong" — it sounds rude in most British English contexts. Use softeners: "to be honest", "I have to say", "with respect".
What are common expressions for reacting to news in English?
Reacting to good news: "No way!" / "That's brilliant!" / "Amazing!" / "I'm so pleased for you!" / "Good on you!" Reacting to bad news: "Oh no, that's awful." / "I'm really sorry to hear that." / "What a nightmare!" / "I'm gutted for you." Expressing surprise: "You're joking!" / "Seriously?" / "I can't believe it!" / "Blimey!" / "Crikey!" These expressions show that you are listening actively and responding empathetically.
How do I end a conversation naturally in English?
Conversation endings in informal English: "Right, I'd better get going." / "Anyway, I'll let you get on." / "I won't keep you any longer." / "It was great to catch up!" / "We should do this again sometime." / "Take care!" / "See you later!" / "Cheers, bye!" British English conversations often include a winding-down phase before the actual goodbye — you may say "Right, I should go" two or three times before actually leaving. This is normal.
What are common expressions to show you are listening in English?
Active listening expressions: "Yeah..." / "Mmm..." / "Right." / "I see." / "Oh, really?" / "Exactly!" / "Absolutely." / "I know what you mean." / "Tell me about it!" (ironic: means "I totally agree — I've experienced this too"). These back-channel signals are essential in English conversation. Without them, the speaker feels the listener is not engaged. They do not indicate agreement — only that you are following what is being said.
What are common ways to express opinion in informal English?
Informal opinion expressions: "If you ask me..." / "Personally, I think..." / "In my view..." / "As far as I'm concerned..." / "To be honest..." / "The way I see it..." / "I reckon..." (very common in informal British English) / "I'd say...". To soften opinions: "I might be wrong, but..." / "I could be way off here, but..." / "Don't quote me on this, but..." The expression "I reckon" is particularly useful at B1-B2 level.
How can B1-B2 learners practise informal English expressions?
Effective practice methods: (1) Watch British TV series with subtitles and note informal expressions; (2) Listen to British podcasts; (3) Participate in English conversation exchanges (HelloTalk, Tandem); (4) Keep a "phrases I heard today" notebook; (5) Practise shadowing — listen to a clip, pause, and repeat the exact intonation and phrases; (6) Use LexFizz exercises to practise vocabulary and phrase recognition in context.