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Business English vocabulary · Phone and Video Calls

Speak up

Meaning in business english, with examples

phrasal verbCommon term

In business english, speak up means: To speak more loudly so that others can hear you; also, to say openly what you think, especially about a problem.

In Turkish: daha yüksek sesle konuşmak, sesini yükseltmek, fikrini açıkça söylemek

How it is used

On calls: 'Could you speak up a little?' In meetings and company culture: 'Please speak up if you disagree', 'She spoke up about the workload.'

Example sentences

  1. Sorry, could you speak up a bit? There's a lot of noise on the line.

  2. If you see a risk in the plan, please speak up now rather than later.

Common collocations

  • speak up a bit
  • speak up in meetings
  • speak up about a problem
  • feel free to speak up
  • muteTo switch off your own microphone, or someone else's, on a call so that the others cannot hear any sound from it.
  • break upOn a phone or video call, to sound unclear or cut in and out because of a weak signal or a poor internet connection.
  • go aheadA short phrase that tells someone they may start speaking or doing something, for example when two people talk at once on a call.
  • conference callA phone or online call in which three or more people in different places talk together at the same time.

More terms: Phone and Video Calls

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