How to say “sort of” like a native speaker
A type of something, or an informal way to soften a statement. The softening use is similar to “kind of”.
All phrases · Common idioms
Hear “sort of” in real speech
Clip 1 · Mel Robbins
How to stop screwing yourself over | Mel Robbins | TEDxSF · 5:00
About this video
Mel Robbins talks about changing habits and taking action on things people want to do. She introduces an exercise involving getting out of bed when an earlier alarm rings.
In context
And it's really not expressing how you really feel.It's sort of a cheap shot to take.
And of course you know I'm talking about the word "fine".
Clip 2 · Amy Cuddy
Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are | Amy Cuddy | TED · 5:51
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
really coming into the room, they get right into the middle of the room before class even starts, like they really want to occupy space.When they sit down, they're sort of spread out.
They raise their hands like this.
Clip 3 · Andy Puddicombe
All it takes is 10 mindful minutes | Andy Puddicombe | TED · 3:10
About this video
Andy Puddicombe discusses making time to be still in a busy life. He asks when the audience last spent ten minutes doing nothing and reflects on how much time people spend lost in thought.
In context
inundated with difficult emotions that I didn't know how to cope with.Every time I sort of pushed one down, another one would pop back up again.
It was a really very stressful time.
When to use “sort of”
- Describing an uncertain reaction: “I sort of liked it, but I wouldn't watch it again.”
- Identifying an unfamiliar object: “What sort of tool is this?”
Possible connected-speech patterns in “sort of”
“Of” is often weak, and T can link into its vowel. Some casual pronunciations sound close to “sorta”.
Related phrases
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