How can I become more confident on the phone in English?

With a few fixed phrases for opening, clarifying and closing that you practise aloud, and with training that role-plays real conversations from your job.

Is it rude to ask someone to repeat?

No. Polite clarification such as “Could you repeat that, please?” is normal in business English and prevents misunderstandings.

What level do I need for English video calls?

To follow calls and contribute, B2 is a realistic goal; with prepared phrases, standard situations already work at B1.

Guide · Business English

English for phone calls and video calls: the key phrases

Interlexico editorial team · Updated on 20 October 2026 · 5 min read

In short

A few well-practised phrases are enough for calls in English: a clear opening (“Thanks for joining, let’s get started”), polite clarification (“Could you repeat that, please?”), phrases for technical problems (“You’re breaking up a little”), a summary (“So, to sum up…”) and a clear close with next steps. The key is to practise them aloud beforehand — ideally with real situations from your own job.

Opening the call

A clear opening gives confidence — to you and everyone else:

“Hi everyone, thanks for joining.”
“Shall we get started?”
“The purpose of today’s call is to …”
“Hello, this is Anna Müller from … — I’m calling about …” (on the phone: name, company, reason)

Clarifying

Asking for clarification is professional, not embarrassing. These phrases are polite and clear:

“Sorry, could you repeat that, please?”
“Could you speak a little more slowly?”
“Just to make sure I understand: you mean …?”
“Could you spell that for me, please?”

Technical problems

In video calls it helps to have these ready:

“You’re on mute.”
“You’re breaking up a little.”
“Can you see my screen?”
“I’ll drop off and rejoin.”

Contributing and interrupting

Interrupting politely is one of the hardest situations — fixed phrases make it easier:

“Sorry to interrupt, but …”
“Could I add something here?”
“I see your point, but I’m not sure …”
“Let’s come back to that later.”

Summarising and closing

A good close makes sure everyone knows what happens next:

“So, to sum up …”
“The next steps are …”
“I’ll send a follow-up email with the details.”
“Thanks, everyone — talk soon.”

Tips from our training

Practise the phrases aloud before you need them and prepare important calls with three to five key sentences. In training we role-play exactly the conversations participants have at work — from client calls to international team meetings — so the phrases become automatic.