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1075 - How Americans Really Use "Guess"
10 July 2026

1075 - How Americans Really Use "Guess"

Happy English Podcast

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I guess so. I guess not. I guess you're right. Let me guess. Guess what?

You probably learned that the verb guess means to answer a question when you don't know the answer. And that's true. But in everyday American English, guess has several other meanings. In fact, when native speakers say, "I guess," they're usually not making a guess at all. They're softening an opinion, showing they're not completely certain, or saying something in a more relaxed way. So today, we're going to look at how Americans really use guess.


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