Business English Phrases: Essential Expressions for Professional Communication | Busuu for Business

Whether it’s team meetings, client check-ins, or simply writing your 100th email of the day, you can’t escape the importance of clear communication in the workplace. In fact, recent studies predict that as much as 88% of the work week is spent communicating.

But miscommunication goes much further than simple misunderstandings. According to 44% of executives, the main reason for a project’s failure is poor communication. On the other end of the spectrum, 44% of employees believe that a lack of clear communication from leadership reduces their trust in managers. Whichever way you look at it, language – in all its forms – matters.

If your team struggles to clearly and confidently get their point across, especially when working across language barriers, specific training in business English can go a long way. Starting off with some of the most important and commonly occurring business English phrases will help you get off to a good start.

Because when you focus on streamlining communication, every other part of your business follows suit.

What is business English and why does it matter?

Business English refers to a precise form of English that tends to use a formal tone and draw from a similar pool of vocabulary. It’s about getting your point across clearly and in a polite manner, while avoiding any potential misunderstandings.

Often, business English softens phrases to make them sound less combative. For example, in the UK, you might hear someone say, “I’m not completely sure that’s correct," instead of “You’re wrong.”

Similarly, instead of saying “Send me the document now," business English may use the more polite question, "Would it be possible to get this over to me today?”

The polite versions of the above examples sound professional, natural and approachable. They tick every box that business English attempts to fill.

How to use business English phrases effectively

The main goal of business English is to communicate as clearly as possible while adapting the tone you use to the people you’re talking with.

That doesn't mean you should only use formal language in a work environment. Rather, you should look to match your tone and formality to the exact circumstance you’re in. For example, if you’re in a client presentation, you might use the more formal vocabulary and phrases you know. But if you’re in an internal one-to-one with a teammate, then more informal language is completely fine, within reason.

Whenever in doubt, prioritise the following:

• Being clear and concise
• Professionalism without sounding robotic
• Politeness (always goes a long way!)

Thinking about these central priorities will help make sure your communication remains professional in the workplace.

Core library: 32 essential phrases for professional communication

Below is an extensive library of essential phrases that you’re likely to come across in a business English setting. We’ve broken down each phrase with context to give you a helping hand.

You can also review our business English acronyms list for a complete guide to what corporate abbreviations really mean.

Business English phrases for meetings

About 54% of employees say they feel drained on days with lots of meetings. Reduce your team’s burden and help communication run smoother with these phrases:

• Shall we get started? – Use this to professionally open a meeting.
• Let’s circle back to this later. – Politely suggest that you discuss the current topic later.
• Can we align on the next steps and key takeaways? – Outline the main actions you want to take after the meeting.
• Could you walk me through your thinking here? – Ask someone to explain their idea or process.

• Just to clarify… – Lets you summarise what someone has said to check if you understood correctly.

• I’d love to build on that idea. – Allows you to add to someone else’s point.

Business English phrases for presentations

The following phrases will help you sound more professional when addressing a group during a presentation:

• Our main focus today is to… – Opens your presentation with a clear summary of what you want to talk about.
• As you can see from this slide… – Calls attention to visual information on your presentation.
• Thank you all for your time today. – A polite way to end your presentation.
• Does everyone have a copy of the agenda for today? – Checks if everyone has the right documents before starting.
• I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have. – Invites your audience to ask questions.

• Before we wrap up, let’s quickly recap. – Helps summarise the main points of your presentation before ending.

Business English phrases for emails

These phrases will come in handy when writing professional emails:

• Looking forward to hearing from you. – Encourages the recipient to respond to your message.
• Let me know if you have any questions. – Invites questions as a response.
• All the best, – A common, polite way to sign off from your email.
• Just following up on my previous email. – Requests an update from the recipient.

• Please find attached… – Signals that you’ve attached something to the email.

• Just touching base here about… – Checking in on something.

Business English phrases for client communication and networking

Here are a few phrases you can use to sound confident and approachable in client meetings:

• Thanks for coming out to meet me today. – A way of thanking someone for travelling to meet you for an in-person meeting.
• Thanks for taking the time out of your schedule for this. – Another way of thanking someone for a meeting. Also useful for digital meetings.
• It’s great to put a face to the name! – A friendly way of stating that you’ve previously talked via email or phone and are meeting for the first time in person.
• Here’s my business card if you need any contact details. – A polite way of giving your card.
• I’d love to chat more, but I must be going. – A method of ending a conversation when you have a prior commitment coming up.
• Let’s get down to business. – A signal to move from small talk to business matters.

• Please don’t hesitate to reach out. – A way to encourage future conversation with that person.

Business English phrases for negotiations

Global teams that communicate effectively can increase productivity by up to 25%. You can gracefully navigate through business English negotiations with these phrases:

• Would you be open to discussing some alternatives? – Allows you to suggest some alternative options.
• Let’s get the ball rolling on this by… – Outline the next steps you want to discuss and move the conversation along.
• Just to check we’re on the same page… – Checking whether you both agree or have the same understanding about something.
• As a ballpark figure… – An idiom that you can use for an estimated number.
• That might be difficult on our end. – A polite way of communicating a concern for your business.
• We’re happy to move forward with that. – States that you’re ready to accept a deal.
• We’re happy to move forward with that, provided you… – You’re ready to accept if the other party can fulfil a few obligations.

Pronunciation and fluency tips

Fluency has very little to do with speed. If you find yourself rushing through phrases or stumbling over your words, slowing down and giving yourself time to speak will help out enormously.

Here are a few quick, practical tips that you can use to improve your business English fluency in the workplace:

• Listen to recordings of native speakers saying a phrase and try to match their intonation and pacing.
• Practise repeating useful phrases out loud.
• Use a Live Lesson session on Busuu to hone your skills.
• Practise every day, even if only for a few minutes.
• Listen to native speakers in meetings or in media outside of work to become more comfortable with language patterns.

Although language skills won’t materialise overnight, consistent practice can help learners rapidly improve their skills, promoting better communication in the workplace.

Practice, resources and downloads

As a context-based kind of English, building confidence in business English requires regular practice and exposure to real workplace situations. While employees can improve their skills on the job, equipping them with effective learning resources can greatly speed up their studies.

Busuu’s online business English courses are designed for individuals looking to improve their workplace skills and enhance their confidence. Busuu offers CEFR-aligned self-paced study opportunities, Live Lessons with qualified teachers, and AI-powered feedback to let learners build practical fluency however they’d like.

Whether you want to improve collaboration in your teams or equip leaders to communicate more confidently with international clients, Busuu will help develop language skills that translate into professional success.

Get started with Busuu’s business English courses to discover how you can improve your organisation's workplace communications today.