【英語×日本語】StudyInネイティブ英会話Podcastcurrently outside the Japan top 100
#574 「電話で使う英語フレーズ」← 完全攻略します。
Responding to listener Millie's struggle with nervousness every time the phone rings, episode #574 of StudyIn Native English Conversation Podcast (【英語×日本語】StudyInネイティブ英会話Podcast) delivers a focused drill on practical English phone phrases — from the opening line through taking messages and confirming names. Before the main segment, the hosts also shared listener Yorukuma's story of serving as a bridesmaid at a Filipino friend's wedding, complete with a bachelorette party the night before and lechon on the day itself.
What this episode answers
Why is answering the phone in English so difficult?
International call quality is poor and accents vary enormously, so it is genuinely hard to understand what is being said — unlike ordering at a café, you cannot predict the topic, and the other party's manner varies widely, meaning unexpected situations come up constantly.
What should you say when you answer a phone call?
The standard structure is 'Thank you for calling ○○. This is ○○ speaking. How may I help you?' — on the phone, 'This is' is the natural choice where you would use 'I am' in person; for something shorter, 'Hi, this is ○○ calling.' works on its own.
How do you tell a caller that the person they want to reach is unavailable?
For casual situations say 'He's out right now.'; for something more formal use 'I'm afraid she's not available right now.'; to transfer, follow up with 'Which department do you want me to put you through?' then 'I'll put you through to ○○.'
What phrases do you use to take a message or offer a callback?
To take a message say 'Can I take a message?'; to call back yourself use 'I'll call you back shortly.'; to have the person return the call say 'I'll let him call you back.'; to confirm a contact number, 'What's the best number to reach you on?' is a handy single phrase.
What do you do when you cannot catch the other person's name or phone number?
Ask 'Could you spell that for me, please?' when you cannot catch a name; to read back what you have noted, say 'Let me read that back to you.'; reading back a phone number and asking 'Is this correct?' is also an effective and courteous check.
Listener Story: Being a Bridesmaid at a Filipino Wedding
A comment arrived from listener Yorukuma in response to episode 565, which had a wedding theme. About ten years ago she attended the wedding of a Filipino friend and somehow found herself chosen as one of the bridesmaids. A bridesmaid is a close female friend of the bride who helps organize the ceremony and co-hosts a bachelorette party the night before — a common Western tradition. The male equivalent is called a groomsman or usher, who walks in alongside the bridesmaids during the processional. Yorukuma even had a moment where she got a two-shot photo taken with one of the ushers. She also experienced a striking cultural difference firsthand: in the Philippines, a live pig is slaughtered on the morning of the wedding day, and dishes made from pork blood and pork meat are served to guests throughout the celebration. 'There's also lechon — roast whole pig!' the hosts added, clearly excited.
This Episode's Main Topic: The Fear of Answering the Phone in English
Listener Millie, who lives overseas, wrote in to say that no matter how long she has been there, she still gets nervous every time the phone rings and cannot handle the call well. Taking her request for practical English phone phrases as the starting gun, the hosts moved into the main segment.
Why Phone Calls in English Are So Hard
The hosts related to the difficulty immediately. International call quality is often poor, making it hard to catch what is being said — moments of 'What'd you say? Can you say that again?' come up constantly. Accents and dialects vary enormously on top of that. Unlike ordering at a café or shop, where the subject is predictable, a phone call can go anywhere, so you genuinely have no idea what is coming next. The quality of whoever picks up on the other end also varies: some representatives are wonderfully warm — greeting you with 'It's so great to hear from you!' — while others can be as indifferent as a bored part-timer. The experience is very much down to whoever happens to answer.
Basic Phrases for Answering the Phone
The standard opening when you receive a call works like this:
- **"Thank you for calling ○○ (company or store name)."** — Expresses thanks for the call. - **"This is ○○ speaking."** — Introduces yourself. In person you would say 'I am,' but on the phone 'This is' is natural, carrying the nuance of 'it's me on the other end of this call.' - **"How may I help you?"** — A polished, all-purpose phrase to invite the caller's request.
If you want something shorter, 'Hi, this is StudyIn Angie calling.' works perfectly on its own. To find out who is calling, use 'May I ask who's calling?' or the more casual 'Who am I talking to?'
Phrases for When Someone Is Unavailable or You Need to Transfer
Choose an expression that fits the level of formality required:
- **"He's out right now."** — A casual way to say the person is out. - **"I'm afraid she's not available right now."** — More polished and formal. - **"Which department do you want me to put you through?"** — Confirms where to transfer the call; 'put through' means to connect. - **"I'll put you through to ○○."** — Used when actually connecting the caller to a person or department.
Phrases for Messages, Callbacks, and Confirming Names
When the person the caller wants is not available, use these phrases:
- **"Can I take a message?"** — Offers to take a message. - **"I'll call you back shortly."** — You yourself will call back soon. - **"I'll let him call you back."** — The person in question will return the call. - **"What's the best number to reach you on?"** — Asks for the best contact number; 'reach you on' is the key phrase.
When you cannot catch the spelling of a name, ask 'Could you spell that for me, please?' To read back what you have written down, say 'Let me read that back to you.' Reading back a phone number and following up with 'Is this correct?' is also an effective, courteous touch.
Takeaways
- On the phone, always introduce yourself with 'This is ○○ speaking.' rather than 'I am' — it is the natural, phone-specific form.
- When the person is unavailable, use 'He's out.' for casual situations or 'I'm afraid she's not available.' for formal ones, then transfer with the 'put you through' sequence.
- 'What's the best number to reach you on?' is a single, go-to phrase for confirming a callback number.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.