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Weather is the safest small talk in English. Everyone has the same weather, nobody gets offended, and it gives two strangers in an elevator something to agree about. "Hot one today" is not really information; it's a friendly nod.

In American English the season after summer is "fall". "Autumn" is correct too and you will read it, but in everyday American speech, people say fall: "I love fall in New England." British speakers mostly say autumn.

Americans also give temperatures in Fahrenheit. A summer day of 90 degrees is hot, not dangerous; 70 degrees is pleasant. When someone says "It's going to hit a hundred today," they mean 100 degrees Fahrenheit, a very hot day. The lesson on Fahrenheit and Celsius has the full picture.

Phrases

the basic summer line; "so" adds feeling

the air feels wet and heavy

very, very hot; a common exaggeration

several days of unusually hot weather

the temperature is between 90 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit

rain with thunder and lightning, common on summer afternoons

the temperature is starting to drop

cool, dry and fresh; a positive fall word

turning red, orange and yellow in fall

cool enough that you want a jacket

a typical fall comment

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

  1. Fall days often start cold, get warm and end cold again.

Practice · 3 min

Say the weather line. Situation on the left, one natural line on the right.

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Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.