I’m a gamer. What I love about video games is that they make my brain actively engage with my entertainment. To play, I have to learn the goals and rules, come up with strategies, and apply them—all while staying aware of the game’s logic. Most games don’t hand you a detailed rulebook before you start. Instead, they drop you into the world and teach you the rules as you go.

Language learning works the same way.

Even if you haven’t mastered the grammar rules or built your strategy yet, stepping into the world of a language lets you learn as you go. You don’t need to “beat the tutorial” before you can start communicating. You learn by doing. Just like in a game.

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Let’s Play a Game

Today, I want to try something with you—a modified version of the classic game Two Truths and a Lie. In the original game, players share two truths and one lie, and the others try to guess which statement is false.

Here’s our twist: I’m giving you three “words.” Two are made-up non-English words. One is a real English word. Your mission? Guess the English word.

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Group 1

1. Abxius
2. Precedent
3. Ojcut

Group 2

1. Architect
2. Qhary
3. Unvhole

Group 3

1. Jacxup
2. Catalyzed
3. Pxysale

Group 4

1. Hojjel
2. Isxail
3. Misentreat

Group 5

1. Inspissate
2. Toravmil
3. Valvmer

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Answer Key

• Group 1: 2
• Group 2: 1
• Group 3: 2
• Group 4: 3
• Group 5: 1

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What Just Happened?

If you’re an upper-intermediate learner or higher, you may have gotten most of them right—even if some of the real English words were unfamiliar. Why? Because the fake words use consonant clusters and letter combinations that don’t typically appear in English. Your brain, even without formal training, is picking up on patterns you’ve seen before.

If you accidentally identified a fake word as English, it might be because the combination of sounds exists in your native language, making it feel “real” to you.

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Patterns Over Rules

Don’t worry—you don’t need to memorize every consonant cluster that doesn’t exist in English. That would be exhausting. Instead, what you can do is trust that your brain will begin to notice and internalize patterns the more you interact with the language.

This is why immersive, playful learning works. Even though English is full of borrowed words and rule-breaking quirks, consistent exposure helps you absorb the logic of the language naturally—without needing to study every rule in advance.

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So, What’s the Takeaway?

Treat language like a game. Jump in. Make guesses. Explore. Learn as you go.

That’s how you learned your first language—and it still works.