Phone Calls and Messages: Communicating Clearly When You Can't See People

Why Phone Calls Feel Difficult

Many learners who speak well face to face feel nervous on the phone. There are good reasons: you can't see the other person's face or lips, the sound quality may be bad, and there's no time to think. The solution is to learn fixed phrases for each stage of the call, and phrases to control the conversation when you don't understand.

Starting a Call

When you call:

• Hi, this is Natalia Ivanova. I'm calling about my internet bill.
• Hello, could I speak to Mr. Lopez, please?
• Hi, is this a good time? (to a friend or colleague)

When you answer:

• Hello, Natalia speaking. (at work)
• Good morning, Green Street Dental, how can I help you?

Note: on the phone, say This is Natalia, not I am Natalia or Here is Natalia.

During the Call

Asking for Repetition and Clarification

These phrases are your most important tools. Use them without embarrassment — native speakers use them too.

• Sorry, could you repeat that, please?
• Could you speak a bit more slowly, please?
• Sorry, I didn't catch your name.
• Could you spell that for me?
• Did you say fifteen or fifty? (Numbers are often confused!)
• Just to check: the appointment is on Tuesday at 3?
• Let me read that back to you: J-O-H-A-N...

Spelling clearly

For difficult letters, use a word: "M as in Mary", "N as in Nancy", "B as in Bob", "P as in Paul".

For email addresses:

• @ = at
• . = dot
• _ = underscore
• - = dash / hyphen

"It's natalia dot ivanova at gmail dot com."

Ending a Call

• Thanks for your help. Have a good day.
• OK, I'll let you go. (polite way to end a call with a friend)
• Talk to you soon. Bye!
• I'll get back to you by Friday.

Leaving a Voicemail

A good voicemail has four parts: who you are, why you're calling, what you want, how to contact you.

"Hi, this is Natalia Ivanova. I'm calling about the apartment on Oak Street. I saw the ad online and I'd like to book a viewing this week if possible. Could you call me back at 604-555-0142? Again, that's 604-555-0142. Thanks, bye!"

Tip: say your number slowly and twice.

Texts and Chat Messages

Short messages have their own style. The tone depends on the person.

Common abbreviations (for friends, not for work emails): thx (thanks), pls (please), tmrw (tomorrow), btw (by the way), asap (as soon as possible), lmk (let me know), omw (on my way), np (no problem).

Example Dialogue: Calling the Internet Company

Agent: Thank you for calling Northwave, this is Kevin. How can I help you? Natalia: Hi, this is Natalia Ivanova. I'm calling about my bill. I think I was charged twice this month. Agent: I'm sorry about that. Can I have your account number? Natalia: Yes, it's 4-4-7-2-9-1-0. Agent: Thank you. Could you hold on a moment while I check? Natalia: Sure. Agent: Thanks for holding. You're right, there were two payments. I'll put you through to the billing department to get a refund. Natalia: Sorry, you're breaking up a little. Did you say the billing department? Agent: Yes, that's right. Please stay on the line.

Common Mistakes

• "I am Natalia" / "Here is Natalia" → This is Natalia.
• "Call me to this number." → Call me at this number (US/Canada) / Call me on this number (UK).
• "Repeat, please." (sounds like an order) → Could you repeat that, please?
• Using text abbreviations in work emails.

Practice Tips

1. Practise spelling your name and email out loud until you can do it quickly.
2. Write your own voicemail script for booking an appointment and read it aloud.
3. Before a real call, write three phrases you might need on a sticky note: Could you repeat that? / Could you spell that? / Just to check...