Quick Fixes for “Russian English” Mistakes

If your first language is Russian, you may have noticed that some mistakes keep coming back, even at a high level.

These errors are so common among Russian speakers that teachers often call them “Russian English” mistakes.

In this post, I’ll show you 5 frequent grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation issues that Russian learners face—and how to fix them fast.

❌ Mistake 1: “I very like it.”

✅ Fix: Use “really” or “a lot” instead of “very” before verbs.

Correct versions:

“I really like it.”
“I like it a lot.”

🧠 Tip: “Very” goes before adjectives, not verbs.

“It’s very interesting.” ✅
“I very enjoy…” ❌

❌ Mistake 2: “I don’t have mood.”

✅ Fix: In English, we usually say:

“I’m not in the mood.”
“I don’t feel like it.”

🧠 Russian: У меня нет настроения.
Literal translations don’t always work—learn natural expressions!

❌ Mistake 3: “He is working in Gazprom.” (with “the”)

✅ Fix: No “the” with company or person names.

Correct:

“He works at Gazprom.”
“She works for Sberbank.”

🧠 BUT: You do use “the” with departments or roles.

“He works in the finance department.”

❌ Mistake 4: “He go to work every day.”

✅ Fix: Add -s for 3rd person in present simple.

Correct:

“He goes to work every day.”

🧠 Common error—even for intermediate learners!

❌ Mistake 5: Mixing “say” and “tell”

❌ “He said me that…”
✅ “He told me that…”
✅ “He said that…”

🧠 Rule:

• Say something

• Tell someone something

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Word endings:

• walk vs. walked → pronounce the final -ed correctly

• lives vs. leafs → voicing can be tricky!

“th” sound:

❌ “Tink” instead of “Think”
✅ Practice putting your tongue between your teeth: /θ/ and /ð/

🎧 Use YouGlish to hear native pronunciation examples.

✍️ Practice Time:

Correct these common errors:

• “She very enjoys reading.”

• “I don’t have money enough.”

• “He said me about the problem.”

• “They goes to the office.”

✅ Your corrections:

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• _________________________________________________________________________

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🎯 Final Tip: Don’t Worry—Fix One Habit at a Time

These aren’t “bad mistakes”—they’re signs you’re translating from Russian.
With regular correction and feedback, you can fix them quickly and sound more fluent.

© Henry English Hub | henryenglishhub.com

Speak naturally. Fix fossilized errors. Sound more like yourself—in English.