Pillar 1 — Core Business Vocabulary: The Terms That Carry the Weight

Through my experiences in dialogue and negotiation, I’ve identified that the most disadvantageous aspect of communication is replacing “anchor words” with vague pronouns or terms like “stuff” or “it”:

There is some stuff in the contract that concerns me. Can you handle this stuff with something?

While the team members may understand what “stuff” refers to, a new partner or colleague might not grasp the meaning behind this vague terminology. This ambiguity can be costly. Beyond losing its intended impact, it creates confusion for those not fully immersed in the context, mainly if English isn’t everyone’s first language.

AI systems ensure clarity by not substituting important terms with vague pronouns. Precision comes naturally to machines; it requires thoughtful vocabulary for us. This vocabulary should be well-constructed, polished, and ready to go before one even begins to speak. Pillar 1 is not about sounding impressive but about having the right words ready to use.

Here are three primary principles for developing an active vocabulary:

1. Learn in clusters, not isolated lists

What does this mean? A “lonely” word in your vocabulary is often unproductive. Take “negotiate” as an example — it carries little meaning until we start to enrich it with related connotations, such as “deadline negotiations,” “terms negotiation,” or “tactics for negotiation.” In various contexts, flexibility in vocabulary is necessary. For instance, a shipping delay, a pricing issue, or a project update are all contexts that matter.

Let’s gather the corresponding verbs, nouns, and phrases associated with each. The context enables words to be accessed under pressure.

2. Select clarity over impressiveness

Even if the goal is to showcase your rich vocabulary, it may not produce results. The objective isn’t to select the fanciest term but the most precise one. For example:

• utilize vs. use — opting for “utilize” may overload the sentence and turn the speaker into a walking thesaurus.
• resolve vs. deal with
• escalate vs. inform someone in a higher position

Each substitution alters the tone and intent of the message. Precision fosters trust. No one should have to guess what you mean.

3. Produce consistently — not just recognise

What do I want to communicate? For years, you may recognise the vocabulary, but struggle to access it in real time. Familiar, isn’t it? Passive knowledge and active vocabulary function differently.

Practice this: choose three words weekly from your industry or professional sphere and commit to using each in an actual email, message, or meeting. Here, AI can assist by generating a list of relevant vocabulary tailored to our field, serving as a base for further communication development. The goal is to transition from understanding to actively expressing yourself.

The words that make our speech sound poor

• Get → secure, obtain, procure
• Do → finalize, execute, deliver
• Talk about → address, raise, clarify
• Handle → manage, resolve, oversee
• A problem → a discrepancy, a bottleneck, a shortfall, an issue

Consider the feelings you’d experience if told the following:

• We need to secure sign-off before Friday.
• Can you finalize the report today?
• I’d like to address the delay on tomorrow’s call.
• She’s overseeing the vendor transition.
• There is a bottleneck in fulfillment.

The sharper the word choice, the better you can inform the listener of the specifics of the problem. This specificity is what a busy contact truly needs from you to comprehend both you and the subject matter.

Enhancing language isn’t just about beautifying your speech. By using precise vocabulary, we can reduce follow-up questions and even avoid potential misunderstandings. When collaborating with an international team in a week filled with emails and calls, clarity is crucial. The distinction between “handle the stuff” and “resolve the shipping discrepancy” can save multiple clarification rounds.

Ultimately, it’s not about using complex vocabulary; it’s about communicating clearly so that others trust what you’ve said, grasp exactly what’s required, and don’t need to return with more questions.

Your turn: what’s the one vague word you keep catching yourself using — “stuff,” “things,” “handle,” or something else? Tell us, and together we’ll find a sharper alternative that fits your specific context.

Aliona is one of EMA’s own course trainers, based in Antalya, specialising in professional & soft-skills development and cross-cultural communication. This is Pillar 1 of her weekly “9 Pillars of Business English” series — the opening piece, on why business English still matters, came first. Shared originally on her LinkedIn, and continuing here on our blog every week. Read more on her trainer profile.