Lindsay McMahon
"The English Adventurer"

When is “hello!!” not a friendly greeting in English?

Sometimes we use “hello” to greet someone.

Other times we use it to get someone’s attention.

It’s often used with an abrasive tone of voice and you hear it in large cities like New York City and Boston.

Find out how to know the difference today- and learn how to respond appropriately every time.

How to tell the difference between the two “hellos”

Pay attention to the tone of voice of the person speaking to you.

When someone is saying “hello” to get your attention or to get you to wake up their voice is usually kind of irritated and sometimes it feels rude.

Listen to the episode to hear the difference in our voices.

People might also say this to you if something is flying towards you, like a soccer ball.

Where does this come from?

It comes from Back to the Future!

Biff would always go around and bang Marty McFly on the head and he would say, “Hello, McFly!”

Watch the clip here!

What do you need to know about this?

The most important thing to remember is this: “Hello” is not always a greeting.

Sometimes people are using it to get your attention.

The way to tell the difference is by listening to the tone of voice.
Leave us a comment below!

Have you ever heard someone say, “hello!” in a more abrasive way, trying to get your attention.

  • Badges (1)
  • Badges-1 (1)
  • Badges-2 (1)
  • US_ListenOn_AmazonMusic_button_black_RGB_5X
  • App-Store-Button
  • google-play-badge
  • Badges (1)
  • Badges-1 (1)
  • Badges-2 (1)
  • US_ListenOn_AmazonMusic_button_black_RGB_5X