English as she is spoke is a phrase that has often confused people with its quirky spelling. The word "she" in the phrase refers to the English language and not a person. The phrase is pronounced as /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ æz ʃi ɪz spoʊk/. The use of "she" could represent the language's qualities being feminine, an old-fashioned way of referring to languages, or it could simply be a translation error from the original French phrase "Le Nouveau Guide des Conversations". Despite the confusion, the phrase has become a popular idiom to refer to speaking proper English.