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Cover of Talk Like a Local: New York: a gold speech bubble with a sound wave above a skyline, with a 100 phrases plus 100 MP3s badge
Language · PDF + 100 MP3s

How to Sound Like a Local in New York City: 100 Phrases, with Audio

Understand New Yorkers and sound like a local, with audio for every phrase.

$14.99one-time · PDF (28 pages) + 100 MP3s
Get the guide + audio — $14.99
  • 100 sourced phrases: street talk, bodega, subway, neighborhoods
  • An MP3 for every phrase: slow, natural, in a dialogue
  • Say it / Know it labels so you don't misfire
  • Regional notes, quiz and A–Z finder

Look inside

Phrase page: Yo, Yerrr, Mad, Deadass and Bet, each with pronunciation, meaning, a dialogue and sources
5 phrases a page, with dialogues
Regional notes: short and specific speech, the languages behind NYC slang, old-school vs now
Regional notes
How to practice: listen, shadow, say the dialogue, use one a day; Say it vs Know it key
The practice method

What's inside

  • 100 phrases in 4 groups: street talk, bodega, deli and pizza, subway and streets, neighborhoods and boroughs
  • Every card: pronunciation hint, meaning, when to use it, a two-line dialogue, source tags, its MP3 number
  • 100 MP3s: each phrase slow, then natural, then in a two-voice dialogue (about 13 minutes)
  • Say it / Know it labels: which phrases newcomers can use and which to just understand
  • Regional notes: Yiddish, Italian, Spanish and hip-hop layers; old-school vs now
  • Practice: a 4-step shadowing method, a 20-line quiz with answers, an A–Z finder
  • Sources: NYC Tourism, Mental Floss (OED), Berlitz, Time Out New York, the MTA and more
PDF (28 pages) + 100 MP3s

Talk Like a Local: New York City

$14.99one-time
Get the guide + audio — $14.99

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Free preview · the short answer

How to sound like a New Yorker: the short answer

Talk short and specific, use the deli and subway vocabulary, and know which old-school words are now jokes. Six starters from the 100 in the guide:

1. Wait “on line”

New Yorkers wait on line, not in line. NYC Tourism’s official glossary calls it one of the city’s great regionalisms.

2. Order a “regular coffee”

Coffee with milk and sugar. Ask for black if you want black. A pie is a whole pizza; a schmear is cream cheese on a bagel.

3. Say “the train” and “uptown/downtown”

The train is the subway; uptown means north, downtown south. Lines get a “the”: the A, the 6.

4. Use “deadass”, “mad” and “bet”

“Deadass?” (seriously?), “mad long” (very long), “bet” (deal). Everyday city slang listed by Berlitz and Mental Floss.

5. Pronounce the street names right

Houston Street is HOUSE-tun. Greenwich Village is GREN-itch. Gansevoort is GAN-zuh-vort.

6. Skip “fuhgeddaboudit”

It is real, but mostly a joke now. NYC Tourism files it under “don’t say it.”

Sources include NYC Tourism + Conventions, Mental Floss, Berlitz and Time Out New York. Checked October 27, 2026.

Get the full 28-page guide — $14.99

Hear three free samples

Each MP3 in the download plays the phrase slowly, then at natural speed, then in a short two-voice dialogue. These three are taken straight from the 100.

  • No. 004 · Deadass
  • No. 057 · Regular coffee
  • No. 070 · Waiting on line

Synthetic US English voices (Kokoro-82M); Spanish words use a Spanish voice. They model clear pronunciation, not one person’s accent.

Bundles

Covers of Talk Like a Local: Miami, New York City and Los Angeles Bundle · 3 cities

Talk Like a Local: 3-City Bundle

Miami + New York City + Los Angeles: 300 phrases and 300 MP3s. Also sold separately: Talk Like a Local: Miami and Talk Like a Local: Los Angeles. Save $14.98 vs buying all three ($14.99 × 3 = $44.97).

$29.99vs $44.97 bought separately
Get all 3 — $29.99

Questions

What do I get?

A 28-page printable PDF with 100 New York City phrases (meaning, when to use it, a two-line dialogue, a pronunciation hint and source tags), regional notes, a practice method, a 20-line quiz with answers and an A–Z finder. Plus 100 MP3s, one per phrase, numbered to match the cards, delivered as two zip files (001–050 and 051–100).

What is in each MP3?

The phrase said slowly, then at natural speed, then the example dialogue read by two voices. Most are 6–10 seconds; about 13 minutes per city in total.

Are the voices real people?

No. They are synthetic US English voices made with the open-source Kokoro-82M model; Spanish words use its Spanish voice. They model a clear standard pronunciation. Listen to locals for accent details.

How do you know these are real local phrases?

Every phrase is tagged with the sources it was checked against: local media, universities and linguists, official tourism and transit agencies, and dictionaries. The full list with links is on the last page. Where sources call a term dated, insulting or in-group, the card says "Know it" instead of "Say it".

Is offensive slang included?

No. Vulgar, drug-related, sexual and stereotyping slang is left out on purpose. A few common labels people do not like are included only as "Know it, don't use it."

Can I play the MP3s on my phone?

Yes. Unzip the download on a computer or phone (iPhone Files and Android both open .zip files), then play them in any music or files app.

How do I get the guide after I pay?

Right after checkout you land on a download page with your files, and Stripe emails your receipt. The download links keep working, so you can bookmark the page and download again later.

Is this a physical book?

No. It is a digital download: a printable PDF (US Letter) you can read on a phone, tablet or computer, or print at home. Nothing is shipped.

What if it isn't right for me?

Email support@getguideshelf.com within 14 days of purchase and we refund it in full. See the refund policy.

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