Most common mistakes Indian English speakers make are small, repeatable habits, not signs of poor English: phrases like revert back, I am having a car, discuss about, and going to office slip in from grammar shortcuts and mother-tongue patterns. Indian English is a real, valid variety spoken by hundreds of millions, so the goal is not to sound British or American. The goal is to drop the handful of habits that confuse listeners or read as errors in an interview or workplace. This guide groups those habits so you can fix one at a time, with wrong-vs-correct tables you can practise out loud.
Indian English is valid, but a few habits cost you
Indian English is a legitimate variety of English with its own accent, rhythm, and even its own dictionary entries, so speaking it is not a mistake. The problem is a small set of habits that either break a grammar rule or carry a meaning only other Indians understand. Those are the ones worth fixing.
Think of it in two buckets. The first bucket is style: your accent, your intonation, saying “good name” for “name”. These rarely block communication and you do not need to erase them. The second bucket is errors: she don’t, did not went, discuss about. These read as mistakes anywhere in the world and are the real priority.
This page focuses on the second bucket, plus a few style habits that genuinely confuse non-Indian listeners. Work through the tables below, pick one row a week, and say each corrected sentence aloud until it feels natural. Reading a fix is not the same as owning it, which is why speaking practice matters more than notes.
Grammar habits: I am having, she don’t, did not went
The most frequent grammar errors come from four habits: overusing the continuous tense with state verbs, dropping the -s in the third person, doubling the past tense, and adding needless prepositions to verbs. Each one is a single rule you can lock in with practice.
State verbs do not take the -ing form
Verbs like have, know, understand, believe, and want describe a state, not an action, so they normally stay simple. “I am having a bike” describes ownership, which is a state, so it should be “I have a bike”. You can say “I am having lunch” because eating is an action.
| Common Indian-English habit | Standard English | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I am having a doubt | I have a doubt / I have a question | “have” is a state, no -ing |
| She don’t like tea | She doesn’t like tea | third person needs doesn’t |
| He don’t know | He doesn’t know | add the -s via doesn’t |
| Did you went there? | Did you go there? | after did, use the base verb |
| I did not went | I did not go | one past marker is enough |
| Where you are going? | Where are you going? | invert subject and verb in questions |
| I am agree with you | I agree with you | agree is a verb, not an adjective |
| Myself Rahul | I am Rahul / My name is Rahul | “myself” is not an introduction |
One past tense marker, not two
When a sentence already has did, the main verb goes back to its base form. “Did not went” carries the past twice; “did not go” is correct. The same rule fixes “Did you saw it?” into “Did you see it?”
Articles and prepositions: going to office, discuss about, doubt in
Articles (a, an, the) and prepositions cause more Indian-English slips than any other area, mostly because many Indian languages do not use articles the same way. Two fixes cover most cases: put “the” or “to the” before ordinary places, and remove the extra preposition after verbs that already carry the meaning.
| Wrong | Correct | Note |
|---|---|---|
| I am going to office | I am going to the office | countable place needs “the” |
| He went to hospital | He went to the hospital | use “the” (British “to hospital” is a special case) |
| Discuss about the plan | Discuss the plan | discuss already means “talk about” |
| Explain me this | Explain this to me | explain takes “to” before the person |
| I have a doubt in maths | I have a doubt about maths / a question on maths | use about/on, not in |
| Order for a coffee | Order a coffee | no “for” after order |
| Reach to the station | Reach the station | reach takes no preposition |
| Married with him | Married to him | marry takes “to” |
| Comprises of three parts | Comprises three parts | comprise takes no “of” |
| On the name of | In the name of | fixed phrase uses “in” |
Prepositions are hard because there is no single logic, only patterns. The fastest route is to learn the correct verb-plus-preposition pair as one chunk: “depend on”, “listen to”, “reply to”, “good at”. Building this through vocabulary practice beats memorising rules in the abstract.
Words and phrases to update: revert back, do the needful, prepone
Several phrases are perfectly clear inside India but confuse or amuse people outside it, so swap them in any email, interview, or international call. Some are redundant (revert back), some are Indian-only coinages (prepone), and some sound oddly formal (do the needful).
| Indian-English phrase | What to say instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Please revert back | Please reply / Please get back to me | revert already means “go back”; “revert back” is doubled |
| Kindly do the needful | Please handle this / Please take care of it | sounds vague and dated to outsiders |
| Can we prepone the meeting? | Can we move the meeting earlier? | “prepone” is not used outside India |
| He is out of station | He is out of town / away | “out of station” is Indian-only |
| May I know your good name? | May I have your name? | “good name” translates “shubh naam”; drop “good” |
| Do one thing… | Here’s what we’ll do… / Let’s… | “do one thing” confuses non-Indians |
| Passing out from college | Graduating from college | “passing out” means fainting elsewhere |
| Same to same | Exactly the same / identical | non-standard doubling |
| Today morning / yesterday night | This morning / last night | standard time phrases |
| What is your qualification? | What are your qualifications? | usually plural |
| According to me | In my opinion / I think | “according to” is for others, not yourself |
| Cousin brother / cousin sister | Cousin | English “cousin” needs no gender word |
Pronunciation habits: v/w, syllable stress, extra sounds
The pronunciation habits that most affect clarity are the v/w mix-up, flat or misplaced word stress, and adding an extra vowel before words that start with “s”. You do not need a foreign accent; you need each word to land where a listener expects it.
V and W are two different sounds
Many Indian languages have one sound where English has two. For V (van, very, vote) your top teeth touch your bottom lip. For W (west, water, we) your lips round into a small circle and no teeth touch. Practise minimal pairs: vine/wine, vest/west, vet/wet.
| Feature | Common habit | Aim for |
|---|---|---|
| V vs W | “wery” for “very”, “vater” for “water” | teeth-on-lip for V, rounded lips for W |
| Word stress | flat, even syllables | one clear strong syllable per word |
| Extra vowel | “i-school”, “i-speak”, “i-station” | start straight on the s: school, speak |
| -tion ending | “-shun” said heavily | light “shun”: na-tion, sta-tion |
| th sound | “dis” for “this”, “tank” for “thank” | tongue lightly between the teeth |
| Th in “three” | “tree” | soft tongue-tip th, not a hard t |
Stress the right syllable
English words carry one strong beat, and putting it in the wrong place is what makes a word hard to catch, more than the accent itself. Say deVELopment (not DEVELopment), phoTOgraphy, and comFORTable with the stress shown. If stress is your main gap, structured accent work with feedback moves faster than solo practice.
Direct translation from the mother tongue: open the fan
Many errors are word-for-word translations from Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, or another first language, and they sound odd because English uses a different verb or structure. The classic example is “open the fan” for “switch on the fan”, because the same word covers both in several Indian languages.
| Direct translation | Standard English | Coming from |
|---|---|---|
| Open the fan / open the light | Switch on the fan / turn on the light | one verb for open + switch on |
| Close the phone | Hang up / end the call | “band karo” = close |
| I am going and coming | I’ll be back shortly | “aata hoon” politeness |
| He is my cousin brother | He is my cousin | gender added from L1 |
| Put the AC | Turn on the AC | “AC laga do” |
| Take the left | Turn left | “left le lo” |
| My head is paining | My head hurts / I have a headache | “sar dard kar raha hai” |
| Give the exam | Take the exam / sit the exam | “exam dena” |
| Since three years | For three years | duration uses “for” |
The long-term cure is to start thinking in English for small, daily things: your to-do list, the weather, what you had for lunch. When the English version forms first, the translation errors stop appearing.
Overuse of fillers: actually, only, basically
Filler words like actually, basically, only, and simply are not wrong in small doses, but Indian speakers often repeat them so often that they weaken every sentence. The fix is to notice them, then replace most with a short pause.
- “Actually” every second sentence: keep it only when you are correcting something.
- “Only” placed for emphasis (“I told him yesterday only”): drop it or use “just”.
- “Basically” as a warm-up word: cut it; start with your actual point.
- “Like” and “you know” scattered through speech: replace with a one-second silent pause.
- “Itself” for emphasis (“today itself”): usually unnecessary.
Why these happen, and why they matter at work and in interviews
These habits happen mostly because of first-language interference: your mother tongue’s grammar, sounds, and phrasing quietly shape your English, and school English was often learned by reading and grammar drills rather than speaking. That is a normal outcome, not a personal flaw.
Where they come from
- L1 interference: articles, v/w, and “open the fan” all trace back to how your first language works.
- Learned from others: “revert back” and “do the needful” spread because everyone around you uses them.
- Reading-heavy learning: strong grammar knowledge, but little real speaking, so errors never get corrected in the moment.
- Regional patterns: stress, rhythm, and specific sounds vary across North, South, East, and West India.
Why it matters in interviews and at work
In an interview, a repeated “she don’t” or “discuss about” can make an interviewer question your attention to detail, even when your ideas are strong. On international calls, “prepone”, “out of station”, and “do the needful” can cause genuine confusion, not just a raised eyebrow. Clear, standard English is not about sounding foreign; it is about making sure your competence is what people notice, not your grammar.
None of this means you must lose your Indian accent. A neutral, clear accent plus correct grammar is enough; you can explore that balance in accent training without erasing who you are.
How to fix them, one at a time
Fix these by targeting one habit at a time rather than everything at once, because scattered effort fixes nothing. Pick a single row from a table above, use it correctly for a week until it feels automatic, then move to the next.
A simple 6-week plan
| Week | Focus | Daily action |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grammar: he don’t -> he doesn’t | 5 spoken sentences using doesn’t correctly |
| 2 | Grammar: did not went -> did not go | turn 5 statements into past-tense questions aloud |
| 3 | Articles: going to the office | narrate your morning using “the” before places |
| 4 | Phrases: revert, prepone, do the needful | rewrite 3 old emails with the standard words |
| 5 | Pronunciation: v/w and s-words | 10 min-pairs a day, record and compare |
| 6 | Fillers and translation | 60-second recordings; count and cut fillers |
- Say fixes out loud, do not just read them; the mouth needs the reps.
- Record short clips weekly so you can hear your own progress.
- Get corrected in real time by someone who catches the slip as it happens.
- Keep a running list of your top 5 personal errors and check it before interviews.
The single fastest accelerator is speaking with correction. In a group class, your speaking time is split among many students and the teacher cannot catch every slip you make. In a dedicated 1-on-1 class, all the speaking time is yours and every error gets fixed as it happens, which is exactly how these habits break. You can see how that works in a speaking-focused class or a short ₹299 demo that doubles as a level assessment.
Fix these faster by actually speaking, one-on-one
Free tips like these get you started, but real gains come from practice, especially speaking with someone who corrects you in the moment. In a group class your speaking time is shared and the teacher’s attention is scattered across many students. Our dedicated 1-on-1 classes give you full speaking time and target your exact weak spots, whether that is v/w sounds or the article habit. Try a ₹299 demo, a short level assessment where you also see how online 1-on-1 classes actually work.
Book a ₹299 Demo ClassFrequently Asked Questions
What are the most common mistakes Indian English speakers make?
The most common ones are grammar habits like “I am having a doubt”, “she don’t”, and “did not went”, along with article and preposition slips such as “going to office” and “discuss about”. Vocabulary habits like “revert back”, “prepone”, “do the needful”, and “out of station” are also very frequent. On the spoken side, the v/w mix-up, misplaced word stress, and overuse of fillers like “actually” and “only” stand out. Most of these are small, repeatable patterns, so a few can be fixed each week.
Is Indian English wrong?
No, Indian English is a real and valid variety of English used by hundreds of millions of people, with its own accent and accepted usages. What matters is separating harmless style, such as your accent, from actual errors, such as “did not went” or “discuss about”. You never need to lose your Indian identity or accent to speak clearly. The aim is only to drop the handful of habits that read as mistakes or confuse people outside India.
Why do we say ‘revert back’ and ‘according to me’?
These come from a mix of first-language influence and habits picked up from everyone around us, since if colleagues, teachers, and emails all use them, they feel correct. “Revert back” doubles the meaning because “revert” already means to go back, so “please reply” is cleaner. “According to me” translates a natural phrasing from Indian languages, but in English “according to” is used for other people or sources, not yourself, so “in my opinion” fits better. They are widespread inside India but sound odd to international listeners.
How do I stop translating from my mother tongue?
Start by noticing when you are translating, then build the habit of thinking directly in English for small daily things like your to-do list, the weather, or what you ate. Learn the correct English chunk as a whole, for example “switch on the fan” instead of “open the fan”, so the right version comes first. Read and listen to a lot of natural English so common patterns feel familiar. Above all, speak often, because translation errors surface and get corrected only when you actually talk.
How long does it take to fix these?
With focused daily practice, most people see clear improvement in six to eight weeks, because these are habits rather than gaps in knowledge. The key is to fix one habit at a time, use it until it feels automatic, then move to the next, instead of trying to correct everything at once. Speaking with real-time correction speeds this up a lot, since a slip caught in the moment is remembered far better. Occasional slips can linger longer, but the ones that affect clarity go first.
Do these mistakes matter in interviews?
Yes, in an interview repeated errors like “she don’t” or “discuss about” can make an interviewer doubt your attention to detail, even when your answers are strong. Confusing phrases such as “prepone” or “do the needful” can also create small misunderstandings on calls with people outside India. The good news is that clear, correct English lets your actual skills stand out instead of your grammar. You do not need a foreign accent, just clarity and a few corrected habits.
Should I try to change my Indian accent?
No, you do not need to erase your accent; a clear, neutral accent combined with correct grammar is enough for interviews and work. The habits that truly hurt clarity are things like the v/w mix-up, adding a vowel before “s” words, and putting stress on the wrong syllable. Working on those a little makes you easier to understand without making you sound artificial. Keep your identity and focus on being clear, not on sounding British or American.
Is group class or 1-on-1 better for fixing these habits?
One-on-one is usually far better for fixing these specific habits, because the fixes depend on speaking and getting corrected the moment a slip happens. In a group class the speaking time is shared among many students, so you talk less and many of your errors go unnoticed. In a dedicated 1-on-1 class all the speaking time is yours and the teacher targets your exact weak spots. A short ₹299 demo lets you assess your level and see how the 1-on-1 format works before committing.