10 Business English Verbs

In today’s lesson you’re going to improve your business English vocabulary by learning some interesting verbs that are used in the business world. If you work in an English-speaking environment – or if you want to do so – you’ll encounter a lot of words that you might not have learned in English class.

This video is going to teach you 10 business English verbs and how to use them. They’re also used outside business, so you might also see these words in news articles, for example.

#1 – Restructure

To restructure something means to change the structure of that thing – to make a change in a system or organization. If a company is restructuring, it might change the way the different departments and teams are organized inside the company. A business might also restructure its product line – change the number, names, types, and/or prices of the products it sells.

#2 – Troubleshoot

Troubleshoot means to find the cause of a problem through testing. This verb is often used for finding problems in complex systems like machines, electronics, and software. If your car won’t start and you don’t know why, a mechanic would troubleshoot the issue and find the reason for the problem.

#3 – Delegate

The verb delegate means to give responsibility for a task to someone else. If your manager has an idea for an advertising campaign and she asks you to contact different magazines, she has delegated that part of the project to you – she gives you the responsibility instead of doing the work herself.

#4 – Gauge

The word gauge, used as a verb, means to evaluate or estimate. If a company is considering launching a new product, it might do market research to gauge the demand for that product. When a company is hiring a new employee, the interviewer must gauge (evaluate or estimate) the skills of each candidate for the job.

#5 – Recruit

Speaking of hiring, we have the verb recruit which means to try to get someone to join a group or organization. A company might try to recruit people who have graduated from an elite college – meaning it tries to convince those people to join the company. A non-profit organization could recruit volunteers (try to get volunteers) to help at an event.

#6 – Pinpoint

The verb pinpoint means to identify something with precision; you identify it exactly. If a company is losing customers, it would try to pinpoint the specific reasons why customers are leaving.

#7 – Differentiate

Differentiate means to make it clear that something is different. If a business sells very similar products to one of its competitors, it would look for ways to differentiate – show customers how their products are different.

#8 – Expedite

To expedite a process means to do the process faster, so it takes less time than it normally would. When you mail something at the post office, it usually takes a few days to arrive – but if you pay more for next-day delivery, then you can expedite the delivery (make it go faster).

#9 – DisclOSE

If you disclose some information, it means you reveal it, you make known something that was previously hidden or secret. The president of a company might refuse to disclose (tell or reveal) his own salary. Another example is if a company discovers some flaw or safety issue with one of its products, it should disclose this (tell the information) to customers so that the customers can stay safe.

#10 – Optimize

To optimize something means to make it the best it can be. A business might hire a consultant to help optimize the company’s procedures – make them as effective as possible. I’m here to help you optimize your English – to improve it, to fix any mistakes or problems, and help you speak English well!