1. The Gap Between the Textbook and Real Life

Most students encounter English initially in textbooks, which understandably prefer polite, concise, and sometimes slightly formalized examples.

• Textbook: “I would like to ask how much this product is.”
• Real life: “How much is this?”

When you do it in the first version, a native won’t think that you’re doing something incorrect — they might just think that it’s too formal for the situation. It’s like arriving at a backyard barbecue dressed in a tuxedo: impressive, but not quite in the same rhythm.

2. “Strange” Doesn’t Mean “Wrong”

Sometimes there is a word choice that is technically correct but sounds unusual because it’s not the typical choice. For example:

• Non-native: “I am very satisfied with my food.”
• Native: “I’m satisfied with my food.”
• The meaning of the word is correct, but natives won’t use it in non-linguistic situations — so it can make you sound more formal, even poetic.

Every now and then, the learners will assign a word to its literal dictionary meaning, and natives will end up using it primarily in idiomatic or in-the-world uses. That tension is what makes it sound “odd.”

3. Cultural Layer of Words

There are so many words in English that carry underlying cultural baggage. For example:

• “Commence” is fine, but it’s bureaucratic or formal-sounding.
• “Utilize” is proper, but natives just use “use.”
• “Assistance” is polite, but people just say “help” when they’re conversing normally.

If you use the heavier word, natives will sense an unnatural formality that is inappropriate for regular conversation.

4. Directness vs. Softness

In other languages, sincerity and clarity are shown by straightness. In English, natives prefer to soften their language with colloquial words:

• Native: “Could you possibly help me with this?”
• Learner: “Help me with this.”

Both are grammatically accurate, but the second may sound too blunt, which a native would find “odd” — even if your intention is good.

5. Why Natives Pick Up on This Instantly

• Habit: They’re used to hearing certain words under certain circumstances. Anything unusual “pings” their ears.
• Emotion: Certain word selections sound heavier, colder, or farther away emotionally. Natives aren’t judging your grammar — they’re reacting to the tone.
• Contrast effect: Because natives don’t frequently speak “perfect textbook English” themselves, when someone does, it stands out as being different.

6. The Good News: It’s Often Charming

Here’s the good news: even though your words often sound formal or awkward, most natives find this charming rather than peculiar. They’ll even smile at the appropriateness or elegance of your choice. It pays for you at work, as well — you sound more professional and fluid than the average native speaker who umms “uh, like, you know.”

 The Bottom Line

Yes, sometimes your word choices do sound “strange” or “formal” to native speakers, but not usually in an unpleasant way. It’s less of an issue of being “wrong” and more one of being different — a difference resulting from learning out of books, teachers, or translations instead of soaking it up naturally as a child.

Over time, exposure to movies, conversation, podcasts, and small talk brings that into balance. You maintain your good, crisp vocabulary (a big plus!) but also pick up the loose rhythm of everyday English. That mix typically makes you sound intelligent, sophisticated, and unique.