This is the Rachel’s English 30-Day Phrasal Verb Challenge! Learn 30 phrasal verbs in 30 days! Jumpstart your vocabulary in 2017. Today is Day 28 and we’re studying phrasal verbs with “cry”.

To cry for something for something does not involve actually crying. It means to urgently ask for something. I heard hear cry for help.

It can also mean to really need based on appearance or situation. This house is just crying for someone to buy it, it’s in a great neighborhood and it’s well-priced. Or, the team is crying for a new manager. Meaning, the current manager is pretty bad.

You might cry out when you’re crying for help. To cry out means to make a loud sudden sound. It can either be a word, like HEY or HELP, or just a sound like Ow! She cried out when she broke her arm. I cried out to him, but it couldn’t be heard over the crowd.

If you cry out against something, you’re protesting. You’re asking for a change. Some people have cried out against the government’s move to reduce Medicare benefits. Or the workers cried out when the company announced pay cuts. We also use this quite a bit as a noun, just one word, outcry. There was a public outcry over the proposed changes to the park.

We also use this phrasal verb in the phrase: for crying out loud. This is an expression that shows annoyance or exasperation. When your kid starts crying for ice cream for the third day in a row, you might say, oh for crying out loud.

And we use ‘cry over’ in the phrase “there’s no use crying over spilled milk.” This means, don’t get too upset about something that is already happened and can’t be changed. I wish I’d studied harder for that test. Well, there’s no use crying over spilled milk. You can study hard for the final.

Cry begins with the CR consonant cluster. Back of the tongue lifts to touch the soft palate as the front of the tongue starts to lift and pull back for the R. The lips can start to flare too. Cr-, cr-. Cry. Then the AI diphthong. AI as in BUY. Jaw drops for the first sound, aah—cra– and the back of the tongue lifts cra–. Then the front of the tongue arches up towards the roof of the mouth, bringing the jaw back up. Cry– Cry. Cry. Cry.

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Click the links in the description. This 30-day challenge is leading up to a phrasal verbs course that will be available in my online school on February 1. Rachel’s English Academy is a collection of online courses focusing on English conversation, pronunciation, and listening comprehension. You will understand Americans better and speak better English with these courses. Visit rachelsenglishacademy.com to sign up and get started today.