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TOEICB1→B2Business English

TOEIC Essential Vocabulary

400 high-frequency business English words organised by workplace topic — finance, HR, travel, marketing, legal, and more. Covers the core vocabulary tested across all TOEIC Listening and Reading parts.

400 essential words8 business topicsWorkplace scenariosTarget: 600–800+

What does TOEIC test?

The TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) measures your ability to use English in real workplace situations. Unlike academic English, TOEIC vocabulary is built around professional scenarios — office conversations, business emails, announcements, reports, and phone calls.

TOEIC does not test highly technical or industry-specific jargon. Instead, it focuses on universal workplace communication: scheduling meetings, discussing budgets, dealing with customers, booking travel, and understanding HR policies.

Browse by topic
400
Core business wordsCovering 8 workplace topics — the foundation for TOEIC 600+.
7
Parts in TOEIC L&RVocabulary appears in every section: photo descriptions, conversations, talks, sentence completion, and reading passages.
B1–B2
CEFR level rangeMost TOEIC core vocabulary is intermediate. Advanced scores (850+) also require strong listening fluency.
990
Maximum TOEIC score495 Listening + 495 Reading. Vocabulary knowledge directly impacts both sections.

Word list by topic

400 Essential TOEIC Words

Choose a business topic to study its vocabulary, related word forms, and example sentences from real workplace contexts.

Finance50 wordsFinance & Business — 50 words. Accounting, banking, investment, and financial reporting vocabulary. Appears in TOEIC Parts 6 and 7 business documents.Office50 wordsOffice & Administration — 50 words. Day-to-day office communication: schedules, meetings, correspondence, and documents. Core for TOEIC Parts 2, 3, and 6.Human Resources50 wordsHuman Resources — 50 words. Recruitment, performance, benefits, and employment law vocabulary. Common in TOEIC Parts 4 and 7 announcements and notices.Travel50 wordsTravel & Transportation — 50 words. Airport, hotel, and business travel vocabulary. Frequently tested in TOEIC Parts 1, 3, and 7 with announcements and conversations.Marketing50 wordsMarketing & Sales — 50 words. Campaigns, product launches, sales negotiations, and market research. Key for TOEIC business articles and email texts.Technology50 wordsTechnology & Operations — 50 words. IT systems, procedures, and operations management vocabulary. Common in TOEIC emails and technical notices.Legal50 wordsLegal & Contracts — 50 words. Contract terms, compliance, dispute resolution, and regulatory vocabulary. Tested in TOEIC Part 7 formal documents.Customer Service50 wordsCustomer Service — 50 words. Inquiries, complaints, warranties, and service interactions. Heavily tested in TOEIC Parts 2, 3, and the short email texts in Part 7.

Score reference

TOEIC Score & CEFR Level

Where do these 400 words fit in the TOEIC score scale?

220–545A2

Elementary. Basic workplace vocabulary — greetings, simple requests, numbers.

550–780B1–B2

This word list. Business discussions, reports, emails, and workplace scenarios.

785–900B2+

Upper-intermediate. Nuanced business language, complex negotiations.

905–990C1

Advanced fluency. Near-native comprehension of natural business speech.

Frequently asked questions

TOEIC Vocabulary Questions

TOEIC tests business English vocabulary across workplace scenarios: office administration, finance, HR, travel, marketing, legal, and customer service. A core set of 400 high-frequency business words covers the language patterns that appear repeatedly in TOEIC Listening (Parts 1–4) and Reading (Parts 5–7).
Mastering these 400 essential words is designed to support a TOEIC score of 600–800+. Learners at B1 level can expect to reach 550–650 with strong vocabulary knowledge; B2 learners aiming for 750–850 should also focus on listening fluency and reading speed alongside vocabulary.
By topic. Unlike academic vocabulary (AWL), TOEIC words appear in themed listening passages and reading texts. Learning words in their business context clusters (HR, finance, travel) makes them easier to remember and faster to recognise in the exam.
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