Matt has degrees in Journalism and Business and has taught a variety of courses at high schools and universities around the world.
Common Business Vocabulary & Expressions
Table of Contents
ShowEnglish is so widely used in the business world that it can be difficult to perform many jobs without at least a basic understanding of the English language. In addition to being able to speak to coworkers, managers and clients, English is also important for writing emails and other business correspondence. For all of these reasons, it's important to know common business vocabulary and expressions.
Keep in mind that there are thousands of business terms and expressions and these can vary greatly depending on industry and business type. The following lists focus only on the most common business vocabulary and expressions.
This list includes the names of common business documents.
- Business plan: a document that details how a business will operate
- Mission statement: a statement that describes the reason an organization exists
- Balance sheet: a statement that shows the financial health of a company
- Meeting minutes: a record of a meeting including who attended the meeting, the items that were discussed, and plans for future actions
- Invoice: a form that shows the details (quantity, price, etc.) of which products and/or services were purchased
- Estimate: an educated guess about how much a product or service will cost
- Timesheet: a form that allows employees to record their working hours
- Tax forms: the forms that an organization must complete to document and pay local, state and federal taxes
- Proposal: a document that outlines a potential project or new business
- Order form: a form that allows individuals to enter the details of an order
This list includes common business terms.
- Start-up: a business that was recently established
- Corporation: a company that has shareholders and a board of directors
- Sole proprietorship: a business that is owned by one individual
- HR (Human Resources): the department in an organization that is responsible for hiring and firing employees, managing employee pay and benefits, and ensuring the organization follows the proper employment laws and guidelines
- Marketing: the department in an organization that researches market trends and designs campaigns to promote products and services
- R&D (Research and Development): the department in an organization that conducts research to develop new products and/or services
- Recruitment: the process of finding, assessing, and hiring individuals for specific positions
- Salary: the amount of money a person receives for performing his or her job
- Compensation: the combination of salary and benefits a company employee receives
- PR (Public Relations): the department in an organization that creates press releases and handles communications with media outlets and the general public
- Shareholder: a person who owns shares in a company
This list includes common business phrases.
- On the same page: thinking in the same way and agreeing about something
- Jane and John were on the same page concerning the marketing plan for the new client.
- Touch base: to talk soon or meet quickly
- My manager asked me to touch base with her after the morning meeting.
- Get the ball rolling: to get something started
- The CEO insisted we get the ball rolling on the new ad campaign.
- Back to square one/back to the drawing board: to restart at the beginning
- Our new product design failed, so it looks like we're back to square one.
- Ballpark figure: a very rough financial estimate
- Did the marketing team give us a ballpark figure on the new ad design yet?
- By the book: to follow all of the rules and guidelines
- All companies should do their accounting by the book.
- Corner the market: to have the most popular product or the most control over that market
- Some people think Google has cornered the internet search engine market.
- Cut one's losses: to stop something that is failing and accept defeat
- The new mobile game was a failure, so the company decided to cut their losses and focus on their established games.
- Get something off the ground: to begin a new business or project
- The new VP insisted the engineering team get the software update off the ground within a month.
- In the black/in the red: making a profit/losing money
- Last year we were in the red, but thanks to the popularity of our new website, we're in the black this year.
Remember that learning the meanings of the vocabulary and expressions is only half of the process. You also have to be able to use what you have learned correctly in real-world settings. One of the best ways to do this is to practice. The more you practice using the vocabulary and expressions the better able you'll be to use it.
Another tool you can use is observation. If possible, listen to how people around you use business vocabulary and expressions. Listening to native English speakers is one of the best ways to learn how to sound natural when you speak.
Properly and confidently using common business vocabulary and expressions can be a valuable tool in your professional life. When you understand and use business terminology correctly, you'll be able to communicate well with coworkers, managers and clients. If you practice the words you learn and listen to how others use them, you'll be on your way to business speaking success.
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