30 English phrases to speak up in meetings, and when to use each one

You know what you want to say. The discussion moves on, someone else says something similar, and the moment is gone. If that sounds familiar, the problem is usually not your vocabulary or your grammar. It is the first few words: the phrase that gets you into the conversation while your brain builds the rest of the sentence.

Native speakers use a small set of these phrases again and again. They are not fancy, and that is the point: they buy you a second, they signal politely that you want to speak, and they are easy to say even when you are nervous.

Here are phrases for the six situations that come up in almost every meeting.

1. Getting into the conversation

• Can I add something here?
• Can I jump in here?
• If I could just come in on that…
• Sorry to interrupt, but…
• I’d like to build on what Anna said.
• Just a quick point before we move on.

“Sorry to interrupt” is perfectly polite in a business meeting, as long as you then say something useful. On video calls, it often works better to say the person’s name first: “Tom, can I add something?”

2. Asking for clarification

• Sorry, could you say that again? The connection dropped for a second.
• Just to make sure I understood: you mean…?
• What do you mean by “phase two”?
• Could you give me an example?
• Could you walk me through it?

Many non-native speakers avoid these because they feel they reveal a weakness. In practice it is the opposite. Teams with native speakers ask “What do you mean by…?” all the time, and a precise clarifying question often shows you understood more than others did.

3. Giving your opinion

• From my point of view, …
• The way I see it, …
• I think the main risk here is …
• In my experience, this usually works better when …
• One thing we haven’t considered is …

A useful habit: start with your conclusion, then give the reason. “I think we should wait. The API isn’t stable yet.” It is easier to say, and easier to follow, than a long build-up.

4. Disagreeing politely

• I see your point, but …
• I’m not sure I agree. My concern is …
• That makes sense, although …
• I’d push back on that a little.
• Could we look at it from a different angle?

English business culture, especially British, often wraps disagreement in softer words than Polish, Ukrainian or Russian do. A direct “No, this is wrong” can sound much harsher in English than you intend. The safe pattern is: acknowledge, disagree, give a reason, offer an alternative. “I see your point, but I’m worried about the deadline. What if we release it without the export feature first?”

5. Buying time

• That’s a good question. Let me think for a second.
• I don’t have the numbers in front of me. Can I get back to you on that?
• Let me check and follow up after the meeting.
• Can I come back to that in a minute?

Silence feels longer in a foreign language. A phrase like “Let me think for a second” turns an awkward pause into a normal one, and nobody will hold it against you.

6. Closing with next steps

• So, to sum up, …
• Let’s agree on the next steps.
• Who’s going to take care of this?
• Can we set a deadline for that?
• I’ll send a short summary after the call.

This is the most underrated skill in meetings. The person who summarises and confirms who does what is usually remembered as the one who ran the meeting well, and you can prepare these phrases completely in advance.

Common slips to avoid

• “I want to add one think.” It is “thing”. The th in think and thing is worth practising, because the two words come up in every meeting.
• “Let’s discuss about it.” Say “Let’s discuss it” or “Let’s talk about it”.
• “I didn’t understand you, repeat please.” Grammatically fine, but it sounds abrupt. “Sorry, could you say that again?” does the same job.
• “We need to make a meeting.” In English you “have”, “set up” or “schedule” a meeting.

How to make the phrases stick

Reading a list like this is the easy part. The phrases only become yours when you have said them out loud a few times, in a situation that feels like a real one.

Pick three phrases, one to get in, one to clarify, one to close, and use them in your next meeting on purpose, even if you could manage without them. Next week, add three more. Within a month you will have a set of openings you no longer have to think about, and that is what makes speaking up feel easy.