Vocabulary Hub · B1–C1
Build confidence making phone calls and joining video meetings in professional and everyday English.
Topic level: B1, B2, C1 · Category: Work & Communication
← Vocabulary HubBuild confidence making phone calls and joining video meetings in professional and everyday English. Learn each item as part of a phrase or situation rather than as an isolated translation. After reading an example, close the page and produce your own sentence aloud.
| Word | Meaning | Active practice |
|---|---|---|
| connection | the technical link that allows a call to work | Write or say your own example using connection. |
| voicemail | a recorded message left when someone cannot answer | Write or say your own example using voicemail. |
| extension | an internal telephone number within an organisation | Write or say your own example using extension. |
| mute | turn off your microphone temporarily | Write or say your own example using mute. |
| signal | the strength or availability of a phone or internet connection | Write or say your own example using signal. |
| reception | the quality of a mobile phone signal | Write or say your own example using reception. |
| conference call | a call involving several participants | Write or say your own example using conference call. |
| participant | a person taking part in a call or meeting | Write or say your own example using participant. |
| dial | enter a telephone number to make a call | Write or say your own example using dial. |
| disconnect | end or lose a telephone or internet connection | Write or say your own example using disconnect. |
| Phrase | Meaning / use |
|---|---|
| put someone through | connect a caller to another person |
| cut out | become temporarily difficult or impossible to hear |
| drop the call | lose the telephone connection unexpectedly |
| You're on mute | tell someone their microphone is switched off |
When practising, replace vague language such as thing, good, bad, problem or say with a more precise item from this guide where it genuinely fits. Precision makes your English clearer; unnecessary complexity does not.
1. Which item means “the technical link that allows a call to work”?
2. Which item means “a recorded message left when someone cannot answer”?
3. Which item means “an internal telephone number within an organisation”?
4. Which item means “turn off your microphone temporarily”?
5. Which item means “the strength or availability of a phone or internet connection”?
Speak for 90 seconds about telephone & video calls. Use at least five core words and two phrases from this page. Record yourself if possible. Listen again and identify one repeated basic word you could replace with something more precise.
Write 100–150 words on this topic. Underline the vocabulary you deliberately used. Then check whether each expression is grammatically correct and naturally collocated with the words around it.
This vocabulary can support B1–C1 speaking and writing, including Cambridge and IELTS-style tasks when the topic is relevant. In real communication, prioritise clarity and natural phrasing. Do not force memorised expressions into an answer that does not need them.
Learn vocabulary in phrases and realistic sentences, then retrieve it through speaking and writing instead of repeatedly rereading a list.
Yes. The page mixes high-frequency vocabulary with more precise expressions so learners can expand their range progressively.
Much of it is useful for speaking and writing when the topic is relevant. Accuracy, collocation and natural use matter more than using unnecessarily difficult words.
Explore all vocabulary topics, strengthen accuracy in the Grammar Hub, or book a free level assessment.