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*Listen to the audio here: “Southern Slang: Y’all” Audio
Have you heard this word before? y’all: you + all = y’all
It is a VERY common word used in the southern states of the U.S.A. It is a word we use when talking to more than one person or about more than one person. I grew up in New York saying, “you guys” when speaking to or about a group of people, but after living in Texas for 20 years, I now say “y’all” all the time! 
So, you will probably see me write it and hear me say it on the forum and in online events.
Here are some examples of how it is used in daily use:
“How are y’all doing?”
“Are y’all going to the beach this weekend?”
“I need y’all to be quiet now and listen to the instructions.”
“Y’all are gonna wanna wear a jacket. It’s raining like crazy out there!”
“Y’all ready to order?”
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I will also say this when I’m talking to just ONE person but talking about them and their friends or their family.
I could say, “Are you and your friends going to the concert on Saturday?” or I can say, “Are y’all going to the concert on Saturday?” (The y’all here refers to the person I am speaking to plus all of their friends that I am talking about.)
If I am speaking to just one person and not about their friends too, I would say, “Are you going to the concert on Saturday?”
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Have you heard this word before? Try it yourself. Make your own sentence using “y’all”. You can also ask me questions about how and when to use it.