Common Mistakes Advanced Learners Still Make

Fluent does not mean finished. Let’s fine-tune your English together.

Hey there!

When you reach an advanced level in English, it is easy to assume the hard part is over. You are comfortable in conversations, you can express yourself well, and you are not relying on translation anymore.

But every experienced learner knows the truth.

Fluency is not the end goal. It is the beginning of something deeper.

And even at a high level, small mistakes can sneak in. Sometimes they have been with you for years without you noticing.

This week, we are looking at some of the most common mistakes that even fluent speakers still make.

Some are grammar-related. Others are about style, tone, or natural phrasing. And most of them have nothing to do with how much vocabulary you know.

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Here are a few examples to get you thinking 👇

1. Saying “I am agree” instead of “I agree”

This one slips through surprisingly often. Even confident speakers sometimes add that unnecessary "am" out of habit or interference from another language.

2. Misusing “actually”

Many learners say “actually” when they really mean “currently”.

For example: “Actually I live in Madrid” should be “Currently I live in Madrid”.

3. Repeating certain structures too often

Even fluent speakers fall into patterns like always starting with “I think that…” or using too many fillers like “you know” and “like”. It is not wrong, but it can make your English sound less varied and expressive.

4. Overusing formal or academic expressions

You may have learned high-level phrases like “moreover”, “in order to”, or “due to the fact that”. But in everyday speech, these can feel unnatural. Being advanced also means knowing when to keep it simple.

5. Avoiding risk

Once you reach fluency, it is tempting to stay in your comfort zone. You use the words you know, avoid more complex sentence structures, and rarely experiment. But that is where growth slows down.

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If any of these sound familiar, you are definitely not alone.

We covered these points (and more) in one of our latest videos on YouTube.

It is short, practical, and packed with real examples from learners like you.

🎥 Watch now: 5 Mistakes Even Advanced English Speakers Make

You might be surprised by which ones you are still making… and how easy they are to fix with a little awareness.

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One final reminder

Making mistakes is not a sign that your English is weak. It is a sign that you are still learning, refining, and becoming more aware of how you sound.

That is the real sign of an advanced learner.

We wish you a lovely rest of your day!

Benjamin & Cami