60 English Words for Work & the Office (With Meanings & Examples)

Your first day in an office job has its own small panic. Someone asks you to “print two copies before the meeting,” and you nod — while your brain races through words you half-know. The fix isn’t harder grammar. It’s the right set of English words for work: the words that live on desks, in meetings and on screens.

Here are 60 English words for work and the office, grouped by the places you’ll meet them: your desk, the meeting room, the computer, the paperwork, the clock, and the people around you. Every word comes with a plain meaning and a real office example, so you can use it the same day you learn it.

English Words for Work: How to Learn Them

Don’t try to swallow all 60 in one evening. Learn one group at a time — ten words — and look around your real workspace as you study. Words learned with a place attached are words you keep.

Touch the word. When you study stapler, pick one up. When you study drawer, open yours. Your brain stores the picture with the word, and at the office both come back together.

Say every word out loud. Office English is spoken English — in meetings, on the phone, at the printer queue. Words must live in your mouth, not just on the page. If single words still feel new, begin with our 100 essential English words for beginners, then come back to this list.

Grow words into lines. A word on its own rarely saves you in a meeting; a ready sentence does. Turn these words into full spoken lines with our guide to English for work: 40 workplace phrases. And if the job itself is still ahead of you, prepare with our job interview English questions and answers first.

1. At Your Desk

Start where you sit. These ten words cover the small kingdom in front of your chair — the things you reach for a hundred times a day.

1. desk — the table you sit at to work. “My desk is small, but everything I need fits on it.”
2. drawer — a box that slides in and out of a desk or cupboard. “Keep the company stamps in the top drawer.”
3. notebook — a book of blank pages for writing notes. “She writes every phone message in her notebook.”
4. pen — a small tool for writing with ink. “Could I borrow your pen for a minute?”
5. folder — a folded cover that holds loose papers together. “Put each client’s papers in a separate folder.”
6. stapler — a small machine that joins papers with a metal clip. “The stapler is empty again — who used the last clips?”
7. scissors — a cutting tool with two sharp blades. “Use the scissors to open the parcel, not a knife.”
8. envelope — the paper cover you put a letter in before sending it. “Write the address clearly on the envelope.”
9. calendar — a chart that shows the days, weeks and months of the year. “Mark the training day on the office calendar.”
10. lamp — a light you put on your desk or table. “I switch on my desk lamp when the room gets dark.”

2. Meetings & Talking

Meetings run on a small, friendly vocabulary — the words people use to ask, answer and decide together. These ten will carry you through most of them.

1. meeting — a time when people come together to talk about work. “We have a short meeting every Monday morning.”
2. presentation — a talk where one person shows and explains information to others. “His presentation took ten minutes and three slides.”
3. report — a written or spoken account of something that happened or was studied. “Please send me the sales report by Friday.”
4. idea — a thought or plan that comes into your mind. “That’s a great idea — let’s try it next month.”
5. question — words you use to ask for information. “Does anyone have a question about the new plan?”
6. answer — the reply you give to a question. “Her answer was short and clear: yes.”
7. decision — a choice you make after thinking carefully. “The team made a decision after a long discussion.”
8. plan — a detailed idea of what you will do and when. “Our plan is to finish the project in June.”
9. team — a group of people who work together. “Our team has six people and one shared goal.”
10. boss — the person in charge of you at work. “My boss asked me to lead the meeting today.”

3. Computers & Technology

Every office has a second language hiding inside the machines. These ten words cover the screen, the keys, and the daily small disasters.

1. computer — the machine you use to write, calculate and go online. “This computer is always slow in the morning.”
2. screen — the flat front part of a computer where you see words and pictures. “Please look at the screen while I explain.”
3. keyboard — the board with letter and number keys that you type on. “My keyboard is noisy, so I type quietly in meetings.”
4. mouse — the small device you move to control the pointer on the screen. “Double-click with the mouse to open the file.”
5. printer — a machine that puts words and pictures from a computer onto paper. “The printer on the second floor prints in colour.”
6. email — a message sent from one computer or phone to another. “I start my day by reading my email.”
7. password — a secret word that lets you into a computer or account. “Choose a password you can remember but others can’t guess.”
8. file — information stored on a computer under one name. “Save the file with today’s date in its name.”
9. website — a set of pages on the internet belonging to a person or company. “Our new website works on phones and computers.”
10. charger — a device that gives power back to a phone or laptop battery. “I left my charger at home — may I borrow yours?”

4. Documents & Paperwork

Paper still matters. Contracts get signed, invoices get sent, receipts get kept — these ten words are the paperwork trail of office life.

1. document — an official paper with important information. “Keep this document in a safe place.”
2. letter — a written message sent to someone by post or by hand. “The company sent her a letter with the job offer.”
3. form — a paper or screen with empty spaces to fill in with information. “Please fill in this form with your name and address.”
4. signature — your name written in your own special way to show you agree. “The contract needs your signature at the bottom.”
5. copy — something made to look exactly like the original. “Make two copies of the report for the meeting.”
6. page — one side of a sheet of paper in a document or book. “The answer is on page three of the document.”
7. contract — a written legal agreement between people or companies. “He read the contract twice before he signed it.”
8. invoice — a paper that lists goods or work and asks for payment. “Send the invoice to the finance office today.”
9. receipt — a paper that proves you paid for something. “Keep the receipt — the office will pay you back.”
10. note — a short, quick piece of writing that helps you remember something. “She left a note on my desk about the meeting.”

5. Time & Schedules

Office life runs on the clock. These ten words help you talk about when things start, when they must finish, and when you can finally rest.

1. schedule — a plan that lists times for work and events. “My schedule is full until Thursday.”
2. deadline — the latest time when a piece of work must be finished. “The deadline is Friday at five — no later.”
3. break — a short rest from work. “Let’s take a ten-minute break and have some tea.”
4. holiday — a day or period when you do not go to work. “The office closes for a week during the winter holiday.”
5. morning — the first part of the day, before midday. “We plan the day’s work every morning at nine.”
6. afternoon — the part of the day between midday and evening. “The client is visiting on Tuesday afternoon.”
7. week — seven days, from Monday to Sunday. “This week is busy, but next week is quiet.”
8. month — one of the twelve parts of the year. “We check the budget at the end of every month.”
9. early — before the usual or expected time. “He arrives early and opens the office at eight.”
10. late — after the usual or expected time. “Sorry I’m late — the bus was slow today.”

6. People & Jobs

Last, the people. Some titles you need inside any office — and some belong to the workers whose jobs keep the whole building running.

1. manager — the person who leads a team and makes the big decisions. “Our manager listens carefully before she decides.”
2. colleague — a person you work with. “My colleague Omar checks my reports.”
3. worker — a person who does a job, often with their hands. “The factory workers start their shift at seven.”
4. teacher — a person who teaches others a subject or skill. “Our English teacher gives us office words every week.”
5. driver — a person who drives a car, bus or truck for their job. “The driver delivers the boxes before noon.”
6. cook — a person who prepares food as a job. “The cook in our office canteen makes excellent soup.”
7. writer — a person who writes books, articles or reports for their job. “The writer finished the company blog post today.”
8. cleaner — a person whose job is to clean offices and buildings. “The cleaner empties the bins every evening.”
9. guard — a person who watches and protects a building. “The guard checks every visitor at the front door.”
10. engineer — a person who designs or fixes machines and systems. “The engineer repaired the office network in an hour.”

Quick Practice

Try these without looking back up the page. One: “Keep the stamps in the top ___.” Two: “Our report has a ___ on Friday at five.” Three: “Never tell anyone your computer ___.” Four: “The contract needs your ___ at the bottom.” Five: “My ___ Sara reads my emails when I’m on holiday.” Six: “Let’s take a short ___ and drink some tea.”

Answers: 1. drawer. 2. deadline. 3. password. 4. signature. 5. colleague. 6. break. All six right? These words are becoming part of your working day. Missed one? Give that group five quiet minutes tonight — the second visit is where words move in. Then watch how often office words travel in pairs — meet a deadline, take a break, sign a contract — in our guide to English collocations.

Words are friendlier in pairs, and practice is friendlier as a game — test yourself with our free idiom quiz when your brain wants a break from lists. For serious study, the British Council’s business English lessons on LearnEnglish build office vocabulary inside real workplace situations, and the Cambridge Dictionary entry for “office” shows the word and its family in clear examples you can trust.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many of these words do I need for a first office job?

Start with groups 1 to 3 — your desk, meetings and the computer. Those thirty words cover most of what happens around you on day one. The paperwork and time words in groups 4 and 5 join naturally in your first weeks.

Are office words different in British and American English?

Most are exactly the same. A few famous pairs differ — holiday in Britain, vacation in America — but people understand both everywhere. Learn one as your speaking word; simply recognise the other when you hear it.

What’s the fastest way to learn these 60 words?

Ten a day, at your real desk. Stick a small note on each object you study — the drawer, the lamp, the printer — and say the word every time you use the thing. A week of honest labelling beats a month of silent reading.

I understand the words when I read, but I forget them in meetings. Why?

Reading gives you recognition; meetings demand recall, which is a stronger skill. Close the gap by saying each example sentence out loud while you study, and by reusing one new word in a real meeting the same day you learn it.

Should I learn people’s job titles in English too?

Yes — titles are how offices introduce themselves. Group 6 covers the ones you’ll meet most, from your own manager and colleagues to the guard at the door. Knowing a person’s title is also the polite first step in any email.

How can I practise office words at home?

Turn your home desk into a practice desk. Name everything on it in English each morning, read the example sentences aloud, and finish with the Quick Practice above with the answers covered. Ten minutes a day is enough — small, daily, and done.