AEE 2484: English Vocabulary Tips You Can Believe In

Summary

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Podcast Summary: All Ears English Podcast

Episode: 2484 - English Vocabulary Tips You Can Believe In

Hosts: Lindsay McMahon & Aubrey Carter
Date: September 24, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Lindsay and Aubrey explore the nuanced difference between “believe” and “believe in” in American English. Through clear explanations, personal stories, cultural insights, and a playful role play, they demonstrate how these two expressions convey different types of trust, confidence, and support in daily conversations. The discussion is tailored for intermediate to advanced English learners who want to make their language more natural and their communication more effective.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Opening & Theme Introduction

• The hosts share a warm greeting and pose a reflective question: Is there something you believe in that not everyone else does?
• [02:10] Lindsay: “I believe in ghosts. I believe that you can communicate with the dead in certain situations... I guess I do believe in that stuff.”
• [02:27] Aubrey: “I do too. I have also had a couple of experiences… It’s interesting how we as humans can have all kinds of different ideas because none of us knows for sure, right?”

Insight: The episode is sparked by a listener question about the subtle difference between “believe” and “believe in”—terms that are similar but serve different functions in conversation.

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2. Understanding “Believe”

• [03:58] Aubrey: “‘Believe’ means to accept something as true or real. It’s used more for belief in ideas or personal opinions.”
  • Example: “I believe she’s the best person for the job.”
• [04:26] Lindsay: “It’s kind of like saying ‘I think,’ right?”
• [04:41] Aubrey: Highlights using “believe” to soften blame or criticism, making it more playful:
  • Example: “I believe you were late to my party last year as well.”
• [05:47] Lindsay: “‘I believe you owe me an apology.’ You can play around with how you want to deliver this, depending on how direct you want to be.”

Insight:

• Adding “I believe” can soften statements, making them less confrontational – a key strategy for maintaining positive connections.

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3. Exploring “Believe In”

• [07:07] Aubrey: “‘Believe in’ is used for describing confidence or faith in the existence of something or someone’s ability.”
  • Example: “I believe in you.”
• [07:40] Aubrey: “If we say, like, ‘I believe in you,’ that implies a deeper level of trust and conviction than simply accepting something as true.”
• [08:16] Aubrey: Contrasts “I believe you” vs. “I believe in you”:
  • “I believe you” → I think you’re telling the truth.
  • “I believe in you” → I have confidence in your abilities.
• [08:40] Aubrey: Using “believe in” for abstract, faith-based, or unprovable concepts:
  • Example: “He believes in the supernatural.”
  • [08:57] Lindsay: “…you don’t necessarily have evidence for. That’s usually what it is.”

Insight:

• “Believe in” involves confidence, faith, or trust beyond just accepting facts. It often relates to support, encouragement, or spiritual concepts.

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4. Personal Stories: Ghosts, Dowsing Rods, and Ouija Boards

• [09:12] Aubrey: Shares about using dowsing rods (divining rods) to try communicating with spirits and water.
  • “We’ve used them a few times, and it has been very interesting… I believe in these dowsing rods that… my ancestors can somehow influence them or move them in order to communicate with us.”
• [10:31] Lindsay: Recalls playing with a Ouija board as a child—always suspecting someone else was moving it.

Memorable Moment:

• [10:07] Aubrey: “It seems to move on its own sometimes… so often, that was how wells were found in the early 1800s… it’s been pretty fascinating.”

Insight:

• These anecdotes illustrate the kinds of things people might “believe in”—whether or not there’s evidence, people’s faith in the unknown fuels culture and conversation.

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5. Role Play: Applying “Believe” and “Believe In”

[11:36 – 12:14]
A fun, relatable scenario between friends discussing nerves before a big competition:

• Aubrey: “You really think we can win tomorrow? I’m starting to have doubts.”
• Lindsay: “Most definitely. I believe in our team. We’ve trained so hard for this.”
• Aubrey: “That helps, I guess. I believe we can win, but maybe I just don’t want to get my hopes up and then be disappointed.”
• Lindsay: “I get it. But if we’re gonna have a chance, we need to all believe it’s possible and believe in ourselves.”

Teaching Points:

• “I believe in our team” = trust/team confidence.
• “I believe we can win” = personal opinion/thought.
• “Believe in ourselves” = self-confidence.

[12:53] Aubrey: “If you say, ‘I believe our team,’ the meaning completely changes… that means the team has said something that we believe to be true.”

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6. Deeper Language & Culture Tips

• [14:41] Lindsay: “So believing in ourselves, in whatever we do, and having people around us that believe in us too, is huge, you know?”
• [15:07] Aubrey: “Anytime someone’s doubting themselves, let them know you believe in them; you know they can do it.”

Notable Quote:

• [06:30] Lindsay: “We’re always thinking about how our words are going to be received. That’s huge. That’s what we believe here at All Ears English, at least. Right?”

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• [02:10] Lindsay: “I believe in ghosts… had a few experiences myself.”
• [04:41] Aubrey: “We also use believe to downplay blame or criticism… this is an excellent connection skill.”
• [06:28] Lindsey: “And that’s how connection builds.”
• [07:40] Aubrey: “‘I believe in you’… implies a deeper level of trust and conviction…”
• [08:16] Aubrey: “‘I believe you’… I think you’re telling the truth. ‘I believe in you’… I have confidence in your ability.”
• [10:07] Aubrey: “We’ve used [dowsing rods] a few times… it’s been pretty fascinating.”
• [14:41] Lindsay: “Believing in ourselves… and having people around us that believe in us too, is huge, you know?”
• [15:07] Aubrey: “Anytime someone’s doubting themselves, to let them know that you believe in them… you know that they can do it.”

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Timestamps of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:10 | Personal beliefs and intro to “believe in” | | 03:58 | Defining “believe” and its uses | | 04:41 | Using “believe” to soften blame/criticism | | 06:54 | Transition to “believe in” and its deeper meaning | | 08:16 | Contrast: “I believe you” vs. “I believe in you” | | 09:12 | Stories: dowsing rods and spiritual beliefs | | 11:36 | Role play using both expressions | | 12:53 | Analyzing nuances from role play | | 14:41 | Emphasizing mutual support and encouragement | | 15:07 | Cultural connection: expressing belief in others |

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Takeaways

• “Believe” is generally used for opinions, truths, or to soften directness in conversation.
• “Believe in” conveys faith, trust, or confidence in something’s existence or someone’s abilities—often with emotional or relational depth.
• Recognizing and using these phrases accurately helps create richer, more authentic connections in English.
• Letting others know you “believe in them” is a culturally important support gesture in English-speaking contexts.

Closing Thought:
Lindsay and Aubrey reinforce the All Ears English philosophy—focus on connection, not perfection. Being attentive to nuance in language can make your English warmer and your relationships deeper.

Transcript

[Aubrey Carter]

This is an Allers English podcast. Episode 2484 English vocabulary tips you can believe in.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection. With your American host, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz and Lindsey McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, usa. And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish.com subscribe. Do you know the difference between believe and believe in today? Find out how different these two words can be and how to use them to build support in your life.

[Podcast Narrator]

Language isn't just about grammar and words. It's about how people see you. Maybe in your own language, you're funny, bold, outspoken, but in English, you hold back. You sound quieter, more serious, not quite yourself. That's not about skill. That's about identity. And you don't have to leave your real personality behind when you switch to English. Want to see what's keeping your confidence stuck and holding you back from connection? Take our quick 2 minute level test at allearsenglish.comfluencyscore Again, go to allearsenglish.com F L U E N SC C Y S C O R E.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Hey, Aubrey, how's it going? How you doing today?

[Aubrey Carter]

I am excellent, Lindsay. How are you?

[Lindsey McMahon]

I'm feeling good. Oh my gosh. What are we talking about today?

[Aubrey Carter]

I know this is gonna be interesting. I first have a question. I want to know, is there anything you believe in that not everyone does?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, I mean, I would say I believe in ghosts. I believe that, you know, you can communicate with the dead in certain situations if you're talking to right person that has that connection. I guess I do believe in that stuff. I've heard a lot of stories, had a few experiences myself. So yeah, I believe in that.

[Aubrey Carter]

Okay, interesting. I do too. I have also had a couple of experiences and I. I think it's fascinating to meet with a psychic or someone who reads tarot cards and. And the experience is different every time. But I'm interested in that for sure. I'm sure a lot of our listeners are, though there are also probably people out there listening who don't believe in that. And that is all like, it's just interesting how we as humans can have all kinds of different ideas because none of us knows for sure, right?

[Lindsey McMahon]

It's so true. None of us knows. And that's what today's episode is based on, right? Believing in things or believing things. Right.

[Aubrey Carter]

So, yes, we got a great question about this vocabulary. Let's read this question, and I'm excited to dive into it. All right, here we go.

[Lindsey McMahon]

So, listener says, hi, I'm Julia. I really love your podcast. I always listen while walking and time flies. That's great. Yes. I've learned so much. Thank you. I have a question about two phrases that sound similar but seem to be used differently. Believe and believe in. Could you please explain the difference? Thank you. What a good question from Julia.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes, this really is an excellent question. I am excited to chat about this today. But first, be sure to hit follow, guys, wherever you are listening. We talk about this interesting VOC vocabulary. You're also going to hear a little bit about culture today, which we love to get into. So be sure to hit follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yes, hit that follow button. Let's just break it down very clearly for Julia and her listeners. First, let's look at believe. Aubrey, what do we need to know?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, this means to accept something as true or real. It's used more for belief in ideas or personal opinions. So a few examples here. You might say, know we believe that all people should be treated with fairness and respect. So this is an overall belief and opinion that is held and.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Or stating kind of an opinion, Right. I believe she's the best person for the job. It's kind of like saying I think, right?

[Aubrey Carter]

Exactly. We use it as a synonym for I think or it is my opinion that. Right. We'll just say I believe.

[Lindsey McMahon]

And this is a really interesting way. Our listeners love to see nuance in words and usages, more nuanced usages. So let's talk about this one. Aubrey.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, we also use believe to downplay blame or criticism. It's a way to sort of add playfulness with the right tone. And this is an excellent connection skill. If you want to point out something that has frustrated you, but it can come off as critical, we'll often use this language.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, we're often trying to find that balance when we want to express something, but we don't want to ruin a connection. How do we express it? And. But in a softer way. And this is one of the ways.

[Aubrey Carter]

And the tone here is important, too. So here's a couple examples. Right, Say that you invite someone to your birthday party and they're late. And you know, they were late the year before too, and you want to call them out, but you don't want to make it too awkward. You want to be a little Playful about it. You could say, I believe you were late to my party last year as well.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Uhhuh. Nice. And the tone of voice matters there too, I believe. Right, so it was a little playful.

[Aubrey Carter]

Cuz your tone still could be accusatory even with this phrase. But the wording is much more playful and less critical than saying you were late to my party last too.

[Lindsey McMahon]

And then in a similar theme, you could say something like, I believe you owe me an apology. So you can play around with how you want to deliver this, depending on how direct you want to be.

[Aubrey Carter]

Exactly right. But much more direct would just say to be. To say you owe me an apology. That if we add this, I believe we're softening it.

[Lindsey McMahon]

It really does soften that. That is the biggest use for believe. A softener in a. Or it's a subuse. Right?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, definitely. For sure. There are actually quite a few ways we use that. But it is interesting, these nuances of the language, how if we ch to add believe like this, it does show care. The person you're talking to will recognize that you care about the relationship. You're not trying to be super direct and overtly critical.

[Lindsey McMahon]

And that's how connection builds.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

So we're always thinking about how our words are going to be received. That's huge. That's what we believe here at Allers English, at least. Right?

[Aubrey Carter]

Exactly. And then I want to point out, of course, we'll just say like, I believe you. If someone's telling us something that maybe we won't believe, if there's a chance they could be deceiving us or lying, say I believe you. I believe you. Which to highlight the difference for believe in which we're going to go into next.

[Lindsey McMahon]

All right, let's shift into believe in now. Aubry now. So we started the show at the top of the show we talked about, is there something you believe in? Not believe that not everyone does. So how is it different?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, so this is interesting. You know, when I asked you about that, it's not asking you, is there something you believe? You might have answered, yes, I believe that people should all be treated equally. When I ask if there's something you believe in, you know, I'm thinking of like ghosts, something spiritual, something that not everyone believes in, something that might exist or it might not. Some people believe in it, some people don't. Right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

It's kind of like a. I don't want to say a system of thinking, but believing in like a set of truths, I guess.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right, Exactly. Yeah.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah.

[Aubrey Carter]

The way that we express confidence or faith in something's existence or maybe someone's ability. If we say, like, I believe in you. Right. So this implies a deeper level of trust and conviction than simply accepting something as true. Right. Just like I agree, I know that's true. To believe in someone or believe in a person does apply, imply this deeper feeling.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah. And it's. These two are very different. I believe in you and. And, you know, for example, he believes in the supernatural. I might say, I believe in you before someone goes for a job interview or something, you know, you can do it.

[Aubrey Carter]

I believe it means, like, I believe that you can accomplish this. I believe that you will be successful. So if we look at these two phrases, they mean very different things. If you say I believe you without the in means I believe that you are telling the truth. I believe that what you have told me is true. Whereas I believe in you means I have confidence in your ability to do something.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Just those two are completely different. That's a great contrast right there.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right? Yeah. And then the second example you shared. He believes in the supernatural. He believes in God. Right. When we're thinking about something that you have faith in or trust is true, that you don't have evidence for, we'll say we believe in that.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, that's a good. That's a good qualifier that you don't necessarily have evidence for. Like, that's usually what it is.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right, Right. That's interesting.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, interesting. All right. Really good stuff. Aubry, anything else you want to share in terms of believing in things?

[Aubrey Carter]

Well, I can share something that I know you shared with us that you believe you can communicate with the dead. So my husband bought these dowsing rods. Have you heard of dowsing rods?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Lindsay actually had never heard of what that at all.

[Aubrey Carter]

Okay. They're also called divining rods.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Oh, my God.

[Aubrey Carter]

They were very popular in the early 1800s in the United States. They were often used to find wells, to find water. There would be, like, a person would take this rod out over the land. And then depending on how it was, they're usually like a metal rod that's sort of L shaped, so you hold it and then it can move. It seems to move on its own sometimes. And so often that was how wells were found. People will still use them today, and they'll try to sort of become in tune to, you know, any spiritual forces that might communicate with you. And then you'll ask questions. And if the rods cross, it's a yes. If they go out, it's a no. You're holding two of them parallel, and then they seem to move on their own. So you're just holding them very still.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah.

[Aubrey Carter]

And so we've used them a few times, and it has been very interesting. It see, like, I believe in these dowsing rods that. That. That, you know, people in my life, maybe my ancestors, can somehow influence them or move them in order to communicate with us. It's been pretty fascinating.

[Lindsey McMahon]

That's amazing. That's amazing. When you have an experience like that, it's very powerful.

[Aubrey Carter]

Absolutely.

[Lindsey McMahon]

And then on a lighter note, did you ever play Ouija board when you were a kid?

[Aubrey Carter]

I never have. My parents were super opposed. Right. They were like, do not bring that in our house. I kind of always wanted to. Did you?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, we did. But always I always thought, one of these kids has got to be moving this board. Someone is moving the board.

[Aubrey Carter]

You know what I mean? That feels like if all your hands are on this thing, and it seems like, okay, somebody's just pushing it. Right. For sure.

[Lindsey McMahon]

So fun. All right, good stuff. We'll take a quick break, and then we'll be back for a role play.

[Aubrey Carter]

Do you struggle when new topics come up in conversation? Not sure how to transition to the next idea or jump in when a group of native speakers are having a conversation? These are all skills you build right here on Allears English plus, we believe in connection, not perfection, when it comes to learning English. So we show you how to connect in English in any situation. Hit the follow button now to make sure you don't miss a single episode of Allers English. Thank you.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Okay, Aubry, it's role play time. Because these two phrases are definitely going to come up quite a bit in good conversations, right?

[Aubrey Carter]

Absolutely. Yeah. So in this role play, you and I are friends, and we're talking before a big competition.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Here we go.

[Aubrey Carter]

All right, I'll start us out. You really think we can win tomorrow? I'm starting to have doubts.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Most definitely. I believe in our team. We've trained so hard for this.

[Aubrey Carter]

That helps, I guess. I believe we can win, but maybe I just don't want to get my hopes up and then be disappointed.

[Lindsey McMahon]

I get it. But if we're gonna have a chance, we need to all believe it's possible and believe in ourselves.

[Aubrey Carter]

I wish I had your confidence.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Nice. All right, good. So let's. Let's go through this, Aubry. So the first thing that was said, I said, you said you're having doubts about whether we can win tomorrow. And I said, most definitely. I believe in our team.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right? Yeah. So that means you have trust. You have this confidence that we can succeed. Right? So you could say, of course I believe our team can succeed. That would be another way to say this. But if you just say, I believe in our team, that's this unspoken thing of I believe we can succeed. Right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

And just remember, if we say, I believe our team, the meaning completely changes.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Because that means the team has said something that we believe to be true.

[Aubrey Carter]

That's interesting. If we don't. If we'ren't saying, like, I believe our team can win, if it stops I believe our team, then it's like, what did the team. You know, were they interviewed about something they witnessed? And you believe what they said was true, right?

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yes, exactly. Okay. What else? Aubry?

[Aubrey Carter]

And then I said, I believe we can win. So that's where we'd set up saying, I believe in our team. I believe we can win. Just means, I think we can win. I do think this is possible.

[Lindsey McMahon]

And then I said, I get it. But if we're gonna have a chance, we need to all believe it's possible and believe in ourselves. So this shows the two different uses, right?

[Aubrey Carter]

Exactly. The first one really meaning just, I think it's possible. It is a little stronger, right? Say, I believe it's possible. It's a little more than just, I think it's possible. There's some passion there.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yes. It's so true. I mean, so many sports. I'm not sure if we're technically playing a sport here in this role player, what we're doing.

[Aubrey Carter]

I think it was supposed to be a sport like a team competition, some kind of tournament, or maybe like a chess tournament.

[Lindsey McMahon]

But I feel like sports are just. They're just so mental. Tennis is a good example. It is such a mental game. You can beat yourself if you don't believe. You know, if you get in your head. I know golf is like that.

[Aubrey Carter]

It's crazy. Absolutely. Yeah. For a lot of sports competitions, a lot of things. It is a lot about the mental. And you can vary. Like, a lot of people will start, I do this with volleyball. I start playing worse if I get in my head. If I'm beating myself up over errors, start playing worse. It's so true.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Because in volleyball, how many serves do you get to, like, how many can you miss when you start?

[Aubrey Carter]

Only one, Right. You serve once, and if it goes in the net, if it's not in, you're done. That's it. Right. But you don't serve forever. If they're all in and don't come back. Right. Got it.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Okay.

[Aubrey Carter]

It is brutal. Tennis. You get another chance.

[Lindsey McMahon]

You get another chance. You get two serves in tennis. Yes.

[Aubrey Carter]

Volleyball games would be way too long if everyone got two chances.

[Lindsey McMahon]

I know, I know. It's so true. So believing in ourselves, in whatever we do, and having people around us that believe in us too, is huge, you know?

[Aubrey Carter]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Aubrey, what's another episode we could check out?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, we want to make sure you guys don't miss episode 2473. Confused by complicated vocabulary. That's English for you for this really fun chunk that we use to connect about the exasperation for over things.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah. And I think that's the takeaway. And the other piece of that that you mentioned here, Aubry, is people need to hear that you believe in them. So think about it from the other side, not just surrounding yourself with people that believe in you, but articulate that you believe in them too. Right?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes. A couple interesting things here. Right. This is an interesting conversation to ask people if they believe in something that not everyone does. Maybe they believe in ghosts or spirits or speaking to their ancestors. What a great way to get deeper about someone's interesting beliefs. And then, just like you said, Lindsay, anytime someone's doubting themselves, to let them know that you believe in them, you know that they can do it.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Yeah, people really need to hear that sometimes, you know? Absolutely. This is the route to better connections. I love it. So good. Guys, don't forget to hit follow if you love our style of connection, not perfection. All right, Aubry, talk to you soon. Have a good day.

[Aubrey Carter]

See you next time. All right, bye bye.

[Lindsey McMahon]

Thanks for listening. To all ears. English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluencyscore. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.

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