How to Pronounce FOCUS: FOCUS vs. F%$K US

I LOVE chocolate chip cookies.

All other cookies could disappear off the face of the earth forever and I wouldn’t bat an eye but take away my chocolate chip? Never!!

The kids and I made some chocolate chip cookies (or CCCs as we call them  😁🍪) over the weekend. It had been awhile since we'd made a batch and we were excited. Maybe we rushed a bit through the recipe.

The batter didn't look 100% right but we wanted COOKIES so we plowed forward and shoved them in the oven.

10 minutes later we open the oven to shear cookie disaster. These were the saddest looking attempt at cookies I'd ever seen. Flat. Textureless. Runny. I so wish I had a picture to share with you. It was bad.

What the heck happened we wondered? We've made these cookies so many times! We are pros!

It took a bit of detective work, but we determined that somehow, in our cookie making frenzy, we'd left out at least 2 cups of flour. Apparently this is a big deal in baking.

This one little ingredient makes a HUGE difference. With the right amount we get gorgeous, delectable, Instagram worthy chocolate chip cookies. With an improper measurement we get sludge. 

This is true with a lot of things, right? One little mistake and we end up somewhere totally different than intended.

This is definitely true in English pronunciation, where a subtle shift in sound can make one word sound like a completely different word than intended.

Such is the case with the word in our latest Clear English lesson: FOCUS

This is a word I frequently find myself correcting with my students in The Clear English Academy. It's pretty crucial because the most common error is to pronounce this word with the wrong vowel sound.

As a result, it sounds like you're saying "f%$k us" instead of "focus."

OPPS. We don't want that! 🤭😁

So let's get this one straight once and for all- come practice with me in my new lesson: F#$K US vs FOCUS.

Let’s dive in!