Take this quiz to check
Do you make these mistakes in English?
Take this quick quiz to check. Then scroll down to get the answers!

The Iron Man Triathlon is a well-known sports event. How should you say the word "iron"?
It sounds like. . .
a) "I run"
b) the German word "Eiern"

In German, a polite way to address a woman is to use "Frau" plus her last name. What's the rule in English?
a) "Mrs." is used only for married women.
b) "Mrs." plus the woman's last name is the correct way to address all women.

Your email inbox is full!
What do you say? Pick all answers that are correct.
a) I become too many emails!
b) I get too many emails!
c) I receive too many emails!

And the answers are. . .

The correct answer is b). The English word "iron" is pronounced like the German word "Eiern"!
The letters you see in the English word are not always exactly the letters that you say.

The correct answer is a). "Mrs." should be used only for married women.
If you do not know if a woman is married or not, use "Ms." (pronounced "miz"), plus the woman's last name.

The correct answers are b) and c).
Why is a) not correct? The word "become" means "werden" in German.
"Become" sounds and looks like the German word "bekommen" but has a different meaning.
This is an example of what we call "false friends."
Do you like this quiz? Our students get custom-made quizzes to practice with.
Please contact us
to learn how we can help you or your employees
use English better on the job.