This is the Rachel’s English 30-Day Challenge! Learn 30 phrasal verbs in 30 days! Jumpstart your vocabulary in 2017. Today is Day 14 and we’re studying phrasal verbs with “psych”.

Get psyched up because we’re about to learn an awesome phrasal verb.

To get psyched up is to get mentally prepared. I’m studying a lot, I’m feeling positive, I’m trying to get psyched up for my final exam. He psyches himself up before races by listening to heavy metal. My coach does a good job of psyching me up before games.

If you psych somebody out, then you make them feel less confident: The other team tried to psych us out with their expensive uniforms. I got psyched out when I couldn’t find my lucky penny.

Even though up and out aren’t really opposites, psych up and psych out are opposites.

This word looks crazy, but you’ve probably noticed in this video that the pronunciation isn’t too complicated. The P is silent. So we start with the S sound, psy-. Teeth are together, tongue tip just behind the teeth. Psy-. Then we have the AI as in BUY diphthong. Jaw drop, psy-. back of the tongue lifts at the beginning of the diphthong, psy-, aa, aa, and the front of the tongue arches up towards the front of the roof of the mouth, psy-. The letters CH make the K sound here. Kk. Back of the tongue touches the soft palate and releases. Kk, psych. Psych up, psych out.

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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 on 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.