Common Spoken Mistakes Indians Make: Corrections and Right Usage

TL;DR: Learn the most common English mistakes that Indian English learners make when speaking. Understanding these errors will help you avoid them and speak…

Learn the most common English mistakes that Indian English learners make when speaking. Understanding these errors will help you avoid them and speak Engli

Common Spoken Mistakes Indians Make: Corrections and Right Usage

• WRONG: 'I am boring.' RIGHT: 'I am bored.' — Boring means something is not interesting; bored means you feel uninterested. Use 'am boring' only if you want to say you are the one making others bored. (e.g. WRONG: I am boring without TV. RIGHT: I am bored without TV.)
• WRONG: 'What is your good name?' RIGHT: 'What is your name?' — In English, we do not add 'good' before name. This is an Indian English phrase that is not used in standard English. (e.g. WRONG: What is your good name? RIGHT: What is your name? / What should I call you?)
• WRONG: 'I am coming from Delhi.' RIGHT: 'I am from Delhi.' or 'I come from Delhi.' — Use 'am coming from' only if you are traveling to the place right now. To say your hometown, use 'am from' or 'come from'. (e.g. WRONG: I am coming from Delhi. RIGHT: I am from Delhi. / He is coming from the office. (correct))
• WRONG: 'I have taken one coffee.' RIGHT: 'I have had a coffee.' or 'I took a coffee.' — We use 'have had' not 'have taken' for food and drinks. 'Taken' means you removed something from its place. (e.g. WRONG: I have taken lunch. RIGHT: I have had lunch. / I took a coffee this morning. (correct))
• WRONG: 'Can you do one thing?' RIGHT: 'Can you do me a favor?' or 'Can you help me?' — 'Do one thing' is very Indian English and sounds odd. Instead, directly ask for what you want or use a standard phrase. (e.g. WRONG: Can you do one thing for me? RIGHT: Can you help me with this? / Can you do me a favor?)
• WRONG: 'I am having a doubt.' RIGHT: 'I have a doubt.' or 'I am confused.' — We do not use 'am having' with doubt. Use simple present 'have' or say 'am confused'. (e.g. WRONG: I am having a doubt about this. RIGHT: I have a doubt. / I am confused about this.)
• WRONG: 'Kindly do the needful.' RIGHT: 'Please do what is necessary.' or 'Please handle this.' — 'Do the needful' is outdated and very formal Indian English. Use modern, simpler language instead. (e.g. WRONG: Kindly do the needful. RIGHT: Please take care of this. / Please handle it.)
• WRONG: 'Where do you stay?' RIGHT: 'Where do you live?' — While not wrong, 'stay' is more temporary. 'Live' is the standard way to ask about someone's home. (e.g. WRONG: Where do you stay? RIGHT: Where do you live? (or 'Where do you stay?' is acceptable but less common))
• WRONG: 'I will do it, no?' RIGHT: 'I will do it, won't I?' or 'I will do it, okay?' — The tag question 'no?' is Indian English. Use 'won't I' or simply ask 'okay?' (e.g. WRONG: I will call you, no? RIGHT: I will call you, won't I? / I will call you, okay?)
• WRONG: 'It is a long time to wait.' RIGHT: 'It is a long wait.' or 'Waiting takes a long time.' — The structure is awkward. Simplify by removing 'to'. (e.g. WRONG: It is a long time to wait. RIGHT: It is a long wait. / The wait is long.)
• WRONG: 'What is happening to you?' RIGHT: 'How are you?' or 'What is wrong?' — 'What is happening to you?' sounds like something bad occurred. Use 'How are you?' for normal greeting. (e.g. WRONG: What is happening to you? RIGHT: How are you? / Are you okay?)
• WRONG: 'I am married with Priya.' RIGHT: 'I am married to Priya.' — Use 'to' not 'with' after the verb 'marry'. (e.g. WRONG: She is married with him. RIGHT: She is married to him.)
• WRONG: 'Since last five years.' RIGHT: 'For the last five years.' or 'For five years.' — Use 'since' with a specific time point (since 2020), and 'for' with a duration (for five years). (e.g. WRONG: I am here since five years. RIGHT: I have been here for five years. / I have been here since 2019.)
• WRONG: 'He is not coming, he is busy only.' RIGHT: 'He is not coming because he is busy.' or 'He cannot come; he is busy.' — The word 'only' at the end is Indian English. Use a clear connector like 'because' instead. (e.g. WRONG: I cannot help, I am tired only. RIGHT: I cannot help because I am tired. / I am too tired to help.)
• WRONG: 'What all things do you like?' RIGHT: 'What things do you like?' or 'What do you like?' — We do not add 'all' in the middle. Simply remove it. (e.g. WRONG: What all subjects do you study? RIGHT: What subjects do you study? / What do you study?)
• WRONG: 'I am feeling very headache.' RIGHT: 'I have a bad headache.' or 'My head hurts.' — We do not 'feel' a headache. We 'have' a headache or 'experience' pain. (e.g. WRONG: I am feeling very pain. RIGHT: I am in pain. / I have severe pain.)
• WRONG: 'Revert back to me.' RIGHT: 'Get back to me.' or 'Please reply.' — 'Revert back' is redundant and outdated. Use 'get back' or 'reply' instead. (e.g. WRONG: Revert back to me with the details. RIGHT: Please get back to me with the details. / Please reply.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Indians make these mistakes?

These mistakes happen because Indian English has developed its own patterns influenced by Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, and Bengali. While Indian English is valid and understood, if you want to speak standard international English, learning these corrections is important.

Will native English speakers criticize me if I make these mistakes?

Most native speakers understand Indian English and will not criticize you. However, for formal situations like job interviews, academic presentations, or international communication, it is better to use standard English. Your goal determines what you should focus on.

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