How to say “pay attention” like a native speaker
Focus on what you are seeing or hearing. Use “to” before naming the thing you want someone to notice.
All phrases · Workplace
Hear “pay attention” in real speech
Clip 1 · Amy Cuddy
Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are | Amy Cuddy | TED · 0:50
About this video
Amy Cuddy discusses body language and the idea that posture may influence how people feel. She asks the audience to notice their own positions and describes experiments involving different postures.
In context
I see you.So I want you to pay attention to what you're doing right now.
We're going to come back to that in a few minutes, and I'm hoping that if you learn to tweak this a little bit,
Clip 2 · Julian Treasure
How to Speak So That People Want to Listen | Julian Treasure | TED · 7:03
About this video
Julian Treasure discusses speaking in ways that encourage people to listen. He identifies unhelpful speaking habits and explores features of the voice, including vocal register.
In context
Sorry about that, if I startled anybody.Or, I can have you really pay attention by getting very quiet.
Some people broadcast the whole time.
Clip 3 · Chris Lonsdale
How to learn any language in six months | Chris Lonsdale | TEDxLingnanUniversity · 6:59
About this video
Chris Lonsdale discusses his approach to learning a language more quickly. He recalls a long conversation on a train in China in which drawings, gestures and expressions helped him understand more of what was said.
In context
And if you drop yourself into a context which is all adults talking about stuff over your head, you won't learn.So, what are the five principles that you need to pay attention to?
First: the four words, attention, meaning, relevance and memory, and these interconnect in very, very important ways.
When to use “pay attention”
- Giving safety instructions: “Please pay attention to the signs near the water.”
- Explaining a missed detail: “I wasn't paying attention when she said the time.”
Common learner mistake
Use “to” for the object of your attention: “pay attention to the road”, not “pay attention on the road”.
Possible connected-speech patterns in “pay attention”
A light Y-like glide can join “pay” to “attention”. Stress the second syllable: at-TEN-tion.
Related phrases
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You don't need to speak fast.
A slow line to begin with: listen to how “don’t need to” runs together, then say it at the speaker’s pace.
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