Why vocabulary comes first
All TOEIC questions take place at work: meetings, orders, hiring, travel, finance. One unknown word in a Part 2 question is enough to miss it, and Part 7 (54 questions) means reading e-mails and notices full of this vocabulary, fast.
How to use this list: don't learn it in one go. Ten words a day, reviewed at the right time, beat a hundred read once. That is what the LexiLoop app does: it brings each word back right before you would forget it.
Vocabulary by topic
Pick a topic: each list fits on one screen.
Meetings and scheduling
| English | Definition | French |
|---|---|---|
| agenda | list of topics for a meeting | ordre du jour |
| minutes | written record of a meeting | compte rendu (de réunion) |
| to postpone | to move to a later time | reporter |
| to reschedule | to set a new time for | reprogrammer |
| attendee | person who attends | participant |
| to chair (a meeting) | to lead a meeting | présider |
| deadline | latest time to finish | date limite, échéance |
| to brief | to give essential information | informer, mettre au courant |
| conference call | call with several participants | téléconférence |
| to wrap up | to finish | conclure, terminer |
Human resources and hiring
| English | Definition | French |
|---|---|---|
| applicant / candidate | person applying for a job | candidat |
| résumé (US) / CV (UK) | document listing experience | CV |
| to hire / to recruit | to employ someone | embaucher, recruter |
| position / opening | job / available job | poste / poste à pourvoir |
| qualifications | skills and degrees | compétences, diplômes |
| payroll | list of employees and their pay | paie, masse salariale |
| benefits | insurance, leave, etc. besides salary | avantages sociaux |
| to promote | to give a higher position | promouvoir (à un poste) |
| to lay off | to dismiss for lack of work | licencier (économique) |
| to resign | to leave a job voluntarily | démissionner |
| performance review | assessment of an employee's work | entretien d'évaluation |
| training (session) | teaching of skills | formation |
Finance and accounting
| English | Definition | French |
|---|---|---|
| revenue | income from sales | chiffre d'affaires, recettes |
| profit / loss | gain / deficit | bénéfice / perte |
| budget | planned spending | budget |
| invoice | request for payment | facture |
| receipt | proof of payment | reçu, ticket de caisse |
| to reimburse | to pay back | rembourser |
| expenses | money spent | frais, dépenses |
| quarterly | every three months | trimestriel |
| forecast | prediction of future figures | prévision |
| shareholder | owner of shares | actionnaire |
| audit | official examination of accounts | audit, vérification des comptes |
| overdue | not paid on time | en retard (paiement) |
Orders, purchasing and deliveries
| English | Definition | French |
|---|---|---|
| to place an order | to order | passer une commande |
| supplier / vendor | company that supplies goods | fournisseur |
| quote / estimate | price offered in advance | devis |
| shipment | goods sent together | expédition, envoi |
| in stock / out of stock | available / unavailable | en stock / en rupture |
| inventory | goods held; list of goods | stock, inventaire |
| warehouse | building for storing goods | entrepôt |
| to dispatch | to send | expédier |
| tracking number | code to follow a parcel | numéro de suivi |
| refund | money returned | remboursement |
| warranty | promise to repair or replace | garantie |
| bulk order | large order | commande en gros |
Business travel
| English | Definition | French |
|---|---|---|
| itinerary | travel plan | itinéraire, programme du voyage |
| boarding pass | pass to board a plane | carte d'embarquement |
| layover / stopover | stop between flights | escale |
| to check in / check out | to register on arrival / to leave | enregistrer, arriver / quitter l'hôtel |
| accommodation | place to stay | hébergement |
| fare | price of a journey | tarif (transport) |
| delayed | later than planned | retardé |
| venue | place where an event happens | lieu (d'un événement) |
| per diem | daily allowance | indemnité journalière |
| to book / reservation | to reserve | réserver / réservation |
Marketing and sales
| English | Definition | French |
|---|---|---|
| campaign | planned series of actions | campagne |
| launch | introduction of a product | lancement |
| target market | intended customers | cible, marché visé |
| survey | set of questions to a group | enquête, sondage |
| market share | percentage of a market | part de marché |
| competitor | rival company | concurrent |
| brand | name identifying a product | marque |
| discount | price reduction | remise, réduction |
| customer loyalty | customers' continued preference | fidélité des clients |
| to promote | to advertise | promouvoir (un produit) |
Office and IT
| English | Definition | French |
|---|---|---|
| to install / to update | to set up / to bring up to date | installer / mettre à jour |
| attachment | file sent with an e-mail | pièce jointe |
| to forward | to send on to someone else | transférer (un e-mail) |
| to log in | to enter a system | se connecter |
| password | secret code | mot de passe |
| help desk | technical assistance service | support informatique |
| supplies | paper, pens, etc. | fournitures |
| to malfunction | to fail to work properly | mal fonctionner |
| maintenance | repairs and upkeep | entretien, maintenance |
| premises | buildings of a company | locaux |
Contracts and legal
| English | Definition | French |
|---|---|---|
| agreement | arrangement between parties | accord, contrat |
| terms and conditions | rules of a contract | conditions générales |
| to sign / signature | to write one's name | signer / signature |
| to renew | to extend | renouveler |
| to expire | to come to an end | expirer |
| clause | part of a contract | clause |
| liability | legal responsibility | responsabilité (juridique) |
| compliance | obeying rules | conformité |
| to negotiate | to discuss terms | négocier |
| merger / acquisition | joining / buying of companies | fusion / rachat |
False friends (for French speakers)
They look like a French word but mean something else. The TOEIC likes to use them as wrong options.
| English | Means (in French) | Do not confuse with |
|---|---|---|
| actually | en fait | actuellement = currently |
| eventually | finalement, à terme | éventuellement = possibly |
| to attend | assister à (une réunion) | attendre = to wait |
| to assist | aider | assister à = to attend |
| library | bibliothèque | librairie = bookshop / bookstore |
| agenda | ordre du jour | un agenda = a diary / planner |
| formation | formation (géologique, militaire) | une formation pro = training |
| sensible | raisonnable | sensible = sensitive |
| to control | maîtriser, diriger | contrôler (vérifier) = to check / inspect |
| location | emplacement | une location = a rental |
| résumé (US) | CV | un résumé = a summary |
| to achieve | atteindre, réaliser | achever = to complete / finish |
| deception | tromperie | déception = disappointment |
| to pretend | faire semblant | prétendre = to claim |
What next?
Once these words are known, the next step is precision: the prepositions and collocations that separate good scores. To check where you stand, the free TOEIC test gives an estimated score in 20 minutes.
Now put it into practice
Estimate your score in 20 minutes with our free TOEIC test, then review vocabulary at the right time with the LexiLoop app.
Frequently asked questions
How many words do you need for the TOEIC?
There is no official list. To aim for 785 (B2), you need the common business vocabulary of these topics, i.e. a few thousand words including general English.
How can I learn TOEIC vocabulary quickly?
In small amounts every day, reviewed at growing intervals (the next day, then after 2, 4, 7 days…): spaced repetition, the most effective known method for long-term memory.
Should I learn American or British English?
Both: the TOEIC uses American, British, Canadian and Australian accents and variants. Knowing both words (résumé / CV) is enough.
Read next
Sources
TOEIC is a registered trademark of ETS. This guide is provided by LexiLoop; it is not produced, endorsed by, or affiliated with ETS.