Simple Phone Calls and Emails in English
Short, reliable phrases for basic work calls and written messages — starting, checking, and finishing clearly.
Basic work communication follows a script. Learn the script and you can handle most routine calls and emails.
Answering the phone
- Hello, this is Anna speaking.
- Good morning, ABC Company, how can I help you?
Note: English uses this is on the phone, not "I am". This is Anna.
Making a call
- Hello, could I speak to Mr Brown, please?
- This is Anna from ABC Company.
- I'm calling about the invoice.
When there is a problem
- Sorry, could you repeat that?
- Could you speak a little more slowly, please?
- The line is bad — I can't hear you.
- Could you hold for a moment?
Asking someone to repeat is normal and professional. Guessing is not.
Spelling and numbers
Phone calls are where details get lost, so English has fixed ways of confirming them.
- How do you spell that? · Could you spell your surname for me?
- That's P for Papa, E for Echo… — spelling with words is normal when a letter is unclear.
- Let me read that back to you: 0-7-9-0…
- Sorry, was that fifteen or fifty?
Say phone numbers digit by digit, with oh for zero and double for a repeat: oh-seven-nine-double four.
Taking a message
- I'm afraid he's not available at the moment.
- Would you like to leave a message?
- Could you ask him to call me back?
- Can I take your name and number?
Leaving a voicemail
Keep it to four things, in this order — name, reason, number, action:
Hi, this is Anna from ABC Company. I'm calling about Friday's delivery. Could you call me back on 020 7946 0055? Thanks.
Say your number slowly, and say it twice if it matters.
Ending a call
- Thank you for your help.
- Thanks, goodbye.
- I'll send that over this afternoon. (confirming the next step before you hang up)
A short work email
Emails follow the same simple shape:
Subject: Meeting on Friday
Hi Tom,
Just a quick note to confirm our meeting on Friday at 10:00.
Please let me know if that still works for you.
Best regards,
Anna
Three parts: why you're writing → the detail → what you want them to do.
Greetings and sign-offs
Pick a pair from the same row — a formal greeting with a casual sign-off looks careless.
| Situation | Greeting | Sign-off |
|---|---|---|
| colleague you know | Hi Tom, | Thanks, · Best, |
| someone you haven't met | Dear Tom, | Best regards, |
| formal, name unknown | Dear Sir or Madam, | Yours faithfully, |
Also: write a subject line that says what the email is about — Meeting on Friday, not Question or Hello.
Useful short phrases
- Just a quick note to... — for short messages.
- Please find attached... — when you send a file.
- Let me know if... — asking for a reply.
- Thanks in advance. — before they help you.
- Sorry for the slow reply. — when you've taken a few days.
- As discussed, … — referring back to a conversation.
Confirm anything you'll have to act on. Times, numbers, names and addresses are exactly what a second language loses first, and repeating them back costs three seconds: So that's Thursday at ten, at your office? Nobody has ever been thought less competent for checking.
A routine call
A: Good morning, ABC Company.
B: Hello, could I speak to Mr Brown, please? This is Anna from Delta.
A: I'm afraid he's in a meeting. Would you like to leave a message?
B: Could you ask him to call me back? It's about Friday's delivery.
A: Of course. Can I take your number?
B: It's 020 7946 0055. Let me read that back — oh-two-oh, seven-nine-four-six, double oh double five.
Every phrase in that exchange is from the lists above, and the call takes twenty seconds.
Try it yourself
The quiz below covers the phrases that come up in almost every routine call and email.