Business Emails in English: Useful Phrases for Requests, Follow-up, and Professional Writing

English for business emails is useful in almost any job: writing a first message, replying to a colleague, clarifying details, sending a follow-up, reminding someone about a deadline, or politely asking for a document. In email, it is especially important to sound polite, clear, and professional. This page brings together useful English phrases for business emails, key vocabulary, and ready-made templates that help you write work messages without heavy or unnatural wording.

You start with the core vocabulary for business emails, then move on to ready-made phrases for greetings, requests, clarifications, attachments, and polite closings, and after that reinforce everything with a short email example and flashcards. This structure helps you write work emails faster, avoid getting stuck on standard phrasing, and keep the tone professional without sounding too sharp or too casual.

Word list to learn

Download PDF
Word
subject line [ˈsʌbdʒɪkt laɪn]
recipient [rɪˈsɪpiənt]
sender [ˈsendə]
attachment [əˈtætʃmənt]
inquiry [ɪnˈkwaɪəri]
request [rɪˈkwest]
response [rɪˈspɒns]
deadline [ˈdedlaɪn]
follow-up [ˈfɒləʊ ʌp]
reminder [rɪˈmaɪndə]
confirmation [ˌkɒnfəˈmeɪʃn]
draft [drɑːft]
approval [əˈpruːvl]
availability [əˌveɪləˈbɪləti]
clarification [ˌklærɪfɪˈkeɪʃn]
forward [ˈfɔːwəd]
reply [rɪˈplaɪ]
cc [ˌsiː ˈsiː]
bcc [ˌbiː ˌsiː ˈsiː]
greeting [ˈɡriːtɪŋ]
closing [ˈkləʊzɪŋ]
urgent [ˈɜːdʒənt]
regards [rɪˈɡɑːdz]
available [əˈveɪləbl]
salutation /ˌsæljuˈteɪʃən/
email thread /ˈiːmeɪl θred/
body text /ˈbɒdi tekst/
signature /ˈsɪɡnətʃə(r)/
enclosed /ɪnˈkləʊzd/
reply all /rɪˈplaɪ ɔːl/
acknowledgment /əkˈnɒlɪdʒmənt/
action required /ˈækʃən rɪˈkwaɪəd/
out-of-office /ˌaʊt əv ˈɒfɪs/
mailbox /ˈmeɪlbɒks/
email address /ˈiːmeɪl əˌdres/
opening line /ˈəʊpənɪŋ laɪn/
closing line /ˈkləʊzɪŋ laɪn/
proofread /ˈpruːfriːd/
formal tone /ˈfɔːməl təʊn/
polite request /pəˈlaɪt rɪˈkwest/
resend /ˌriːˈsend/
attachment link /əˈtætʃmənt lɪŋk/
distribution list /ˌdɪstrɪˈbjuːʃən lɪst/
email chain /ˈiːmeɪl tʃeɪn/
send later /send ˈleɪtə(r)/
unread /ˌʌnˈred/
mark as read /mɑːk əz red/
archive /ˈɑːkaɪv/
delete /dɪˈliːt/
attachment size /əˈtætʃmənt saɪz/

Useful phrases

Click the icon to hear the pronunciation

Phrase
I hope you’re doing well.
I’m writing to ask about the updated timeline.
Could you please send me the latest version?
Please find the attachment below.
Let me know if you need any clarification.
I’m following up on my previous email.
Could you confirm receipt of this message?
I would appreciate your response by Friday.
Thank you for your quick reply.
Please let me know your availability.
Best regards,
Thank you in advance.
Please let me know if the deadline has changed.
I’m attaching the revised document for your review.
Could we schedule a quick call to discuss this?
Thank you for confirming the details.
I’m just checking whether you had a chance to review it.
Please ignore my previous message.
I’ve copied the finance team on this email.
Looking forward to your reply.

Dialogue

Click the speaker icon to hear the full dialogue

Sender
Hi Anna, I’m writing to ask whether you could send the updated budget file by Thursday.
Recipient
Sure, I’ll send the draft tomorrow morning.
Sender
Thanks. Please let me know if you need any clarification from finance.
Sender
Hi Anna, I’m following up on my previous email regarding the updated budget file.
Recipient
Apologies for the delay. Please find the attachment below.
Sender
Thanks, I’ve received the file and I’m reviewing it now.
Sender
There is one number in the final tab that needs to be updated.
Recipient
Understood. I’ll send you the corrected version within an hour.
Sender
That would be great. We need the final file before the client call.
Recipient
I’ve updated the number and attached the final version.
Sender
Perfect, thank you for the quick turnaround.
Recipient
You’re welcome. Let me know if anything else comes up.

Common mistakes

Avoid these common mistakes

Wrong I wait your reply
Correct I look forward to your reply

In business email, "I wait your reply" sounds unnatural. For a polite closing, use "I look forward to your reply" or "I look forward to hearing from you."

Wrong Please find attached the file in attachment
Correct Please find the file attached

This repeats the same idea unnecessarily. In business email, a short and clean phrase without tautology sounds better.

About This List

Most useful phrases for business emails in English

In work emails, you usually need short and polite phrases: address the recipient, explain the purpose of the message, ask for information, mention an attachment, send a follow-up, and close professionally. Tone and structure matter a lot here: the email should be clear, professional, and not too casual or too heavy.

Typical business email situations

  • opening the email: I hope you're doing well. I'm writing to ask about...
  • requests and clarification: Could you please send me the updated file?
  • attachments and documents: Please find the attachment below.
  • follow-up and closing: I'm following up on my previous email. Best regards,

How to use this page

Start with the main vocabulary for business emails so you can understand common email elements and standard work phrasing. Then review the phrases and the sample email to remember how to start politely, make a request clearly, and close professionally. This structure helps you write work emails in English faster and with a more natural tone.

Who this page is for

This page is especially useful for people who write to colleagues, clients, managers, or partners in English. It focuses not on general business English, but specifically on professional email language: requests, replies, reminders, attachments, and follow-up.

Frequently Asked Questions

People often use "I hope you're doing well", "I'm writing to ask about ...", and "Thank you for your email." These formulas help you start politely and show the purpose of the message right away.

Useful request phrases are "Could you please send ...", "Could you let me know ...", and "I would appreciate it if you could ..." These sound softer and more professional than a direct command.

A follow-up often starts with "I'm following up on my previous email" or "Just a quick follow-up regarding ..." After that, you briefly remind the reader of the topic and the action you need.

The most useful ones are subject line, attachment, request, response, deadline, clarification, approval, reminder, and regards. This is core vocabulary for business correspondence in English.

Common closings include "Best regards", "Kind regards", and "Thank you in advance." The best choice depends on the tone, but these work well in most professional emails.

This page is useful for requests, replies, reminders, approvals, sending attachments, and short follow-up emails. It focuses specifically on professional email English rather than general business English.

Learn words more effectively in the app

Spaced repetition, smart trainings and progress tracking.
Download OneMoreWord and remember words forever

App Store Google Play

Related lists

English for Meetings

Presentations in English

Negotiations in English

Business Phone Calls in English

Job Interview in English