Business English Vocabulary Online

Unit 2 Letters, faxes and emails

You can print out this wordlist for Unit 2 of New International Business English - or you can click on any of the highlighted words for further explanations and sample sentences on the Cambridge Dictionaries Online website.

attend to [someone/something] verb
to deal with something or help someone

e-mail noun
the system for using computers to send messages over the Internet, or a message or document sent using this system

memo noun
a message or other information in writing sent by one person or department to another in the same business organization

proportion noun
a part or share of the whole, or a compared number, amount or level

envelope noun
a flat, usually square or rectangular, paper container for a letter

cc
abbreviation for carbon copy (= used, esp. on a letter, to show that the stated people will be sent a copy)

catalogue UK catalog US noun
a book with a list of all the goods that you can buy from a shop, or of all the books, paintings, etc that exist in a place

concise adjective
short and clear; expressing what needs to be said without unnecessary words

courteous adjective
polite and respectful; well-mannered

dot matrix printer noun
A dot-matrix printer is a computer printer that forms letters, numbers and other symbols from dots

heading noun
words written or printed at the top of a text as a title

house style noun
a set of rules a company follows for such things as spelling and design in all the things it produces

letterhead noun
the top part of a piece of writing paper where the name and address of a person or business is printed

logo noun
a picture, pattern or way of writing its name that an organization uses as its symbol and puts on its products

pp
used to show when someone has signed a document for a person who is not available to sign it

paragraph noun
a short part of a text, consisting of one or more sentences and beginning on a new line. It usually deals with a single event, description, idea, etc.

recycle verb
to collect and treat (rubbish) to produce useful materials which can be used again

manual noun
a book which gives you practical instructions on how to do something or how to use something, such as a machine

additive noun
a substance which is added to food in order to improve its taste or appearance or to preserve it

aroma noun
a strong, usually pleasant smell

artificial adjective
made by people, often as a copy of something natural

customer noun
a person who buys goods or a service

extract verb
to remove or take out (something)

irrelevant adjective
not related to what is being discussed or considered and therefore of no importance

order form noun
a printed form which a customer uses to request goods or a service

relevant adjective
connected with what is happening or being discussed

sample noun
a small amount of something which shows you, or which can be tested to show you, what the rest is or should be like

wavy adjective
having a series of curves

assemble verb
to join or bring (parts) together in a single group or place, or (of parts) to come together like this

agent noun
a person who acts for or represents another

benefit noun
a helpful or good effect, or something intended to help

come up to expectations
If something does not come up to expectation(s) it is not as good as expected.

compile verb
to collect (information) from a variety of places and arrange it in a book, report or list

contract noun
a legal document that states and explains a formal agreement between two different people or groups, or the agreement itself

engineer noun
a person whose job is to design or build machines, engines or electrical equipment, or things such as roads, railways or bridges, using scientific principles

feedback noun
information or statements of opinion about something, such as a new product, that provide an idea of whether it is successful or liked

jeopardize verb
to put a plan or system in danger of being harmed or damaged

long-standing adjective
A long-standing activity or relationship has existed for a long time.

puzzled adjective
confused and slightly worried because you cannot understand something

submit verb
to give or offer (something) for a decision to be made by others