That Came Out Wrong.

Illustrated guides to false friends

That Came Out Wrong.

Darkly funny stories about the words that ruin meetings, dates and dinners, and how never to say them again. For learners of English, French, Spanish and Italian.

Pick the language
you’re learning

Six volumes per language, 20 stories each. Every story shows who usually falls into the trap, because it comes from your first language.

Buy by the bundle

The same PDFs, cheaper together. Instant download, read on any device or print at home.

Half-set · Vols. 1–3 or 4–6

Three books, your choice

  • 3 PDFs, 60 stories
  • Vols. 1–3: work, doctors and dating
  • Vols. 4–6: dinners, home and holidays
$17.99$23.97
Get 3 volumes

Most popular · Vols. 1–6

The complete language pack

  • 6 PDFs, 120 stories
  • Work, doctors, dating, dinners, home and holidays
  • Pick your language at checkout
$29.99$47.94
Get all 6 volumes

Polyglot · 4 languages

All 24 books

  • 24 PDFs, 480 stories
  • English, French, Spanish and Italian
  • For teachers, polyglots and language schools
$69.99$191.76
Get everything

Single books are $7.99 each. Paperback colour collections (Vols. 1–3, 4–6 and 1–6) are coming to Amazon.

Cover of That Came Out Wrong, Teen Slang Edition: a dad shouts “Feel my aura, boys!” at a football match.

NewTeen Slang Edition · for parents

This time, the foreigner is you.

30 words your teenagers use, and how never to say them in front of their friends. Same format, same dark humour: the scene, the line that came out wrong, what the word really means, and the verdict. Can parents say it? Usually not.

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Get the Teen Slang Edition
Left page: a dad sends his aura to an under-14s football team.Right page: what he meant, what they heard, and where the word aura is used.
Left page: the illustrated scene of story 1, The Grandfather Situation.Right page: the lesson, with what he meant, what they heard and three correct ways to say it.

What’s inside

One mistake.
Two pages.

  1. The sceneWhere it happens, and who is about to regret it.
  2. The lineThe sentence that came out wrong.
  3. Meant vs. heardThe gap between the two, where the damage happens.
  4. Say it rightThree correct versions: neutral, formal or casual, and sometimes slang.
  5. Never againOne line to remember, so it never happens to you.

Free sample

Read 3 stories, free

Get three complete stories from Vol. 1 by e-mail, plus one new false friend each week. Unsubscribe in one click.

About the author

My mistakes, my friends’ mistakes, and probably yours too.

Hi, I’m Adrian Morel. I live abroad and switch between four languages every day. Which means I make mistakes. A lot of them, usually with total confidence and at the worst possible moment.

This series is my collection of those moments: my own mistakes, and the ones made by the people around me while learning the language of the country they live in, or just trying to get by on holiday. Names and situations are changed, but the mistakes are real. You’re among friends. Not false ones.

Questions

What level do I need?

Intermediate to advanced (B1–C1). The stories are written in clear English; only the mistakes and their corrections are in the language you are learning.

How do I get my books?

Right after payment you receive a download link by e-mail. The files are standard PDFs that open on any phone, tablet or computer, and print well on A4 or Letter paper.

Can I use them in class?

Yes, in your own classroom. Please don’t share or upload the files.

Is there a printed version?

Yes, soon. Paperbacks of all 24 books, and colour collections of three and six volumes, are coming to Amazon. The PDFs are available now.

How were the books made?

Written and laid out by Adrian Morel with the help of AI tools for drafting, drawing and layout, then reviewed by a fluent speaker.