Why Phone Calls in English Are So Much Harder: ESL Phone Communication Tips and Tricks

No matter how great your English is, speaking on the phone in English is usually much more difficult than having a face-to-face conversation. In real life, you’re able to have conversations, catch jokes, and follow complex discussions. 

But understanding English on the phone and replying with the right answer can be tricky. These English phone conversation tips will bring out the best in your English; listening skills, phone calls, and fluent speaking are just a few steps away! 

Speaking on the Phone in English is Harder Than it Seems

Why is answering the phone in English so much harder? It’s not necessarily a lack of English listening skills; phone calls present their own unique challenges. 

Without the visual information of face-to-face communication, you’re left without some important tools for understanding while speaking on the phone in English. Plus, there's the differences between the American accent, British Received Pronunciation, and other English accents that are harder to hear on the phone. Let’s look at some of the reasons you’re having a hard time with phone calls in English.

You’re Used to Reading Lips

You may not notice it, but you probably watch people’s mouths when they talk. Lip reading gives you extra information about the sounds and words that the other person is pronouncing, which helps your brain fill in the blanks about the message and improves your listening comprehension English.

Some studies suggest that visual cues -- including lip reading -- can help your speech comprehension by 20% or more! But with phone communication, English has to happen without all those cues. For phone calls in English, you’re working with just the audio input. 

Sometimes, the Phone Audio is Just Terrible

Phone calls in English can only be as good as the phone you’re using. Telephones compress the audio in the microphone, which narrows the frequency range. This makes subtle sounds in workplace phone communication (like the difference between S and F, or between M and N) get lost. 

Often, native speakers are able to quickly and easily compensate for these audio differences. However, non-native speakers have to take some time and ear training to compensate for the shifts in sounds. English phone conversation tips can only take you so far; the rest is practice and experience!

You’re Missing the Body Language for Phone Calls in English

In person, you can get clues from the other person’s facial expressions or gestures. When you’re talking on the phone, all of those cues disappear, which can make the interaction harder to navigate. English conversation without visual cues is just objectively harder.

English Phone Conversation Tips to Make Communication Easier

While English phone calls have their own difficulties, there are a few ESL phone communication tips to make them easier overall. 

For Real-Time Conversation English, Make Your Context Clear

At the start of every call, establish what you’re calling about. “Hi, I’m calling about the order I placed yesterday.” This tells the other person what to expect, which helps them understand everything that follows. Don’t dive straight into details.

Speak Slowly and Clearly: Use English Telephone Phrases

Sure, you may think that understanding is the hardest part about the phone call. But being understood can be just as difficult. What sounds clear to you may be muddled to the listener. On phone calls, speak slower and pronounce endings more clearly than you would in person. Take extra special care about consonants at the end of words.

Spell Things Out: It’s Good Telephone Etiquette English

For names, emails, order numbers, or anything else with letters and numbers in business communication English, you can spell out exactly what you’re saying. Don’t rely on the listener to catch it correctly. For example, “That’s Maria, M-A-R-I-A, at gmail dot com.” Use the NATO alphabet if needed: “B as in Bravo, P as in Papa.”

Improve English Listening Skills: Confirm What You Hear

Repeat the key information for peak professional phone communication. You can say something like, “Just to confirm, you said the appointment is at 3:30 PM on Tuesday?” This catches misunderstandings before they cause problems in your English workplace communication.

It’s Always Okay to Ask for Help with English Telephone Phrases 

In workplace phone communication, you can use phrases like “Could you speak a little slower?,” “Could you repeat that?,” or “I didn’t catch the last part.” These are normal things to say on phone calls. Native speakers say them too. Don’t let embarrassment keep you from understanding important information.

Use Another Approach if Understanding English on the Phone Isn’t Working

If something is complex or high-stakes, suggest continuing over email. Simply ask, “Could you send me those details by email so I have them in writing?” Video calls are also easier than audio-only: at least you get to see faces.

Practice Speaking on the Phone in English with Low-Stakes Phone Calls

You can get some extra phone call speaking practice by ordering food by phone, calling to check store hours, or scheduling appointments on the phone. Each call is practice, and you’ll build the confidence and phone-specific vocabulary over time.

Main Takeaways

These English phone conversation tips address the main reasons people struggle with English conversation without visual cues. Essentially, phone calls test pronunciation differently than face-to-face conversation. 

The sounds that are “close enough” in person might not be clear enough when answering the phone in English. If you’re serious about clearer phone communication English, working on specific sounds and clear endings will pay off, especially on calls.

Syranto focuses on exactly the clarity issues that make phone calls difficult, so you can sound confident even without visual cues.