How many vocabulary words do I need for the TOEIC®?

To aim for an 800+ score, you should master around 1,000 to 1,500 business vocabulary words. The 600 most frequent words already cover about 80% of the situations you will encounter on the TOEIC®.

What is the best way to learn TOEIC® vocabulary?

The most effective method combines spaced repetition (flashcards) with learning in context. Read business emails, listen to workplace dialogues, and use each word in a complete sentence rather than memorizing isolated lists.

Which vocabulary categories are most common on the TOEIC®?

The most frequent categories are human resources (hiring, reviews), finance (budgets, invoices), and office/workplace (meetings, supplies). These three areas account for roughly 50% of the tested vocabulary.

Are phrasal verbs important on the TOEIC®?

Yes, phrasal verbs are very common in Parts 5, 6, and 7. Expressions like carry out, look into, and follow up appear regularly in the business emails and dialogues on the test.

What are collocations and why do they matter on the TOEIC®?

A collocation is a natural word combination that frequently appears together, such as make a decision or meet a deadline. The TOEIC® often tests these pairings in Part 5, where you must choose the correct verb or adjective that goes with a noun.

TOEIC Vocabulary List: 300+ Words by Topic for 800+

TOEIC® Vocabulary: The Key to All 7 Parts

TOEIC vocabulary is the set of business-English words and expressions most frequently tested across all seven parts of the exam, from listening comprehension (Parts 1 through 4) to reading comprehension (Parts 5 through 7). Every question relies on your ability to recognize and understand terms from the business world, so a strong vocabulary lets you grasp the meaning of dialogues, complete fill-in-the-blank sentences, and read professional documents such as emails, reports, and announcements.

This guide organizes 300+ of the most frequently tested TOEIC® words into 7 thematic categories, followed by essential phrasal verbs and high-frequency collocations. Mastering this list is enough to move from roughly 600 to 800+, because the same business words recur in every section of the test.

TOEIC vocabulary list by topic: business English words for all 7 parts

How Many Words You Need for 800+

There is no single magic number, but vocabulary size correlates closely with your TOEIC® score. The 600 most frequent business words already cover about 80% of the situations you will meet on the test, and reaching the high score bands is mostly a matter of widening and deepening that core. Use the table below as a rough guide to the active vocabulary each band requires.

Target score	Approximate active vocabulary
600 (B1)	around 750 words
785 (B2 threshold)	around 1,000 words
800+	around 1,200 words
945+ (C1)	around 1,500 words

These figures are approximate, since recognizing a word in context is easier than producing it. An 800+ score lines up with a strong B2, so it helps to know what an 800 score means on the CEFR and exactly what score you need to reach a B2 level.

TOEIC® Vocabulary by Topic

The TOEIC vocabulary below is grouped into the seven business themes the test draws from most often. Each entry gives a short definition and a realistic example sentence, so you learn each word the way it actually appears on the exam. Study one topic at a time rather than alphabetically: clustering words by theme is far easier to remember.

Finance & Accounting

Term	Definition	Example
revenue	income generated from business operations	The company's revenue increased by 15% this quarter.
expenditure	money spent on goods or services	We need to reduce our annual expenditure.
invoice	a bill sent for goods or services	Please send the invoice by the end of the month.
budget	a financial plan for a set period	The marketing budget has been approved.
audit	an official examination of accounts	The annual audit will begin next Monday.
profit margin	percentage of revenue remaining after costs	Our profit margin improved thanks to cost reductions.
reimbursement	repayment of money already spent	Submit your receipts to request a reimbursement.
fiscal	relating to government or company finances	The new fiscal year begins in April.
overdue	not paid or done by the due date	The invoice is now two weeks overdue.
statement	a record of financial transactions	Your bank statement is available online.
transaction	an instance of buying or selling	Every transaction is recorded for the audit.
asset	something valuable a company owns	The building is the company's largest asset.
liability	a debt or financial obligation	The report lists all assets and liabilities.
quarterly	happening once every three months	We review the figures at the quarterly meeting.
deduction	an amount subtracted from a total	Tax deductions are applied before the final salary.

Human Resources

Term	Definition	Example
recruit	to find and hire new employees	We plan to recruit five new engineers this year.
resign	to voluntarily leave a position	She decided to resign after ten years with the company.
promotion	advancement to a higher role	He received a promotion to senior manager.
benefits	non-salary compensation (insurance, leave)	The benefits package includes health insurance and paid leave.
performance review	formal evaluation of an employee's work	Performance reviews are conducted every six months.
applicant	a person who applies for a job	All applicants must submit a resume and cover letter.
appraisal	a formal assessment of performance	Your annual appraisal is scheduled for next month.
severance	money paid when employment ends	The package includes three months of severance pay.
onboarding	the process of integrating new hires	Onboarding for new staff takes one full week.
headcount	the total number of employees	The department plans to increase its headcount.
retention	keeping employees from leaving	Better benefits improved staff retention this year.
candidate	a person being considered for a job	We interviewed four candidates for the position.
supervisor	a person who manages others' work	Report any issues to your direct supervisor.
workforce	all the people who work for a company	Half of the workforce now works remotely.
vacancy	an unfilled job position	There is a vacancy in the accounting team.

Marketing & Sales

Term	Definition	Example
campaign	a coordinated marketing effort	The advertising campaign will launch in September.
survey	a questionnaire to gather opinions	We conducted a customer satisfaction survey.
launch	the introduction of a new product	The product launch exceeded all expectations.
target audience	the intended group of consumers	Our target audience is young professionals aged 25-35.
brand awareness	how well consumers recognize a brand	Social media has greatly increased our brand awareness.
market share	a company's portion of total sales	The company gained market share in the Asian region.
outreach	efforts to contact and engage customers	Our outreach to new clients doubled this quarter.
endorsement	public support for a product or brand	The celebrity endorsement boosted online sales.
projection	an estimate of future figures	Sales projections for next year look promising.
quota	a fixed sales target	Each representative met their monthly quota.
retail	the sale of goods to the public	The product is now available at retail stores.
discount	a reduction in the usual price	Members receive a 10% discount on all orders.
promotion	a special offer to increase sales	The summer promotion runs until the end of August.
revenue stream	a source of income for a business	Subscriptions became our main revenue stream.
competitor	a rival company in the same market	Our main competitor lowered its prices last week.

Travel & Logistics

Term	Definition	Example
itinerary	a planned route or schedule	Please review the travel itinerary before departure.
reservation	a booking for accommodation or travel	I made a reservation at the hotel near the conference center.
departure	the act of leaving or setting off	The departure time has been changed to 3 p.m.
customs	the authority controlling imported goods	All goods must be declared at customs.
freight	goods transported in bulk by ship or truck	Freight costs have risen due to higher fuel prices.
shipment	a batch of goods sent together	The shipment is expected to arrive by Friday.
layover	a short stop between flights	We have a two-hour layover in Frankfurt.
expense report	a record of business costs to be repaid	Please file your expense report after the trip.
accommodation	a place to stay while traveling	The company covers accommodation during conferences.
voucher	a document exchanged for goods or services	Use this voucher for a free airport shuttle.
warehouse	a building where goods are stored	The order was dispatched from the central warehouse.
carrier	a company that transports goods	We switched to a faster carrier for deliveries.
delay	a period when something is late	Bad weather caused a delay in the flight.
boarding pass	a document allowing you to board a flight	Please have your boarding pass ready at the gate.
destination	the place to which someone is traveling	Our final destination is the Tokyo branch office.

Manufacturing & Quality

Term	Definition	Example
assembly line	a production system of sequential stations	The new assembly line can produce 200 units per hour.
defect	a flaw or imperfection in a product	A defect was found during the final inspection.
inspection	a careful examination for quality	All products undergo a thorough inspection before shipping.
warehouse	a large building for storing goods	The warehouse is located near the main distribution center.
inventory	the total stock of goods available	We need to update the inventory before the end of the quarter.
quality control	procedures to ensure product standards	The quality control team rejected the entire batch.
assembly	the act of putting parts together	Final assembly takes place at the main plant.
warranty	a promise to repair or replace a product	The appliance comes with a two-year warranty.
output	the amount produced in a given time	The new machine doubled our daily output.
component	a part used to build a product	A faulty component caused the delay.
recall	an order to return a faulty product	The manufacturer issued a recall on the model.
supplier	a company that provides materials	We signed a contract with a new supplier.
maintenance	the work of keeping equipment in order	Routine maintenance is scheduled for Sunday.
specification	a detailed description of requirements	The parts must match the engineer's specifications.
durable	able to last a long time	These containers are durable and reusable.

Technology & IT

Term	Definition	Example
software update	a newer version of a program	A software update will be installed overnight.
database	an organized collection of data	The customer database contains over 50,000 records.
network	a system of connected computers	The network will be down for maintenance this weekend.
backup	a copy of data for safekeeping	Please create a backup before making any changes.
troubleshoot	to identify and fix problems	The IT team was called to troubleshoot the printer issue.
cybersecurity	protection of digital systems from threats	All employees must complete the cybersecurity training.
upgrade	to improve to a newer or better version	We need to upgrade the servers next quarter.
outage	a period when a service stops working	A power outage took the website offline.
deployment	the release of software for use	The deployment of the new app is set for Monday.
server	a computer that supplies data to others	The files are stored on a secure server.
interface	the point where a user interacts with a system	The new interface is much easier to use.
encryption	coding data so only authorized users can read it	All payments are protected by encryption.
bandwidth	the capacity of a network connection	Video calls use a lot of bandwidth.
install	to set up software or equipment for use	IT will install the program on every laptop.

Office & Workplace

Term	Definition	Example
supplies	materials needed for daily work	We need to order more office supplies.
memo	a short internal written message	A memo was sent to all staff regarding the new policy.
conference room	a room designated for meetings	The conference room is booked until 3 p.m.
deadline	the latest time something must be done	The deadline for submissions is next Friday.
workload	the amount of work assigned	The team's workload has increased significantly this month.
colleague	a person you work with	Please consult your colleague before finalizing the report.
agenda	a list of items to discuss in a meeting	The first item on the agenda is the budget.
premises	the building and land a business occupies	Visitors must sign in when entering the premises.
refurbish	to renovate and modernize a space	The lobby will be refurbished over the holidays.
attendance	the act of being present	Attendance at the training session is mandatory.
minutes	a written record of a meeting	Could you take the minutes during the meeting?
overtime	time worked beyond normal hours	Staff are paid extra for overtime.
schedule	a plan of times for tasks or events	The project is currently ahead of schedule.
policy	an official rule or course of action	The new policy takes effect next week.

Essential Phrasal Verbs for the TOEIC®

Phrasal verbs are verb + particle combinations whose meaning often differs from the verb alone. They are ubiquitous in the emails and dialogues on the TOEIC®. The curated list below covers the most common business ones; for separable vs inseparable rules and the full method, see our complete guide to phrasal verbs for the TOEIC®.

Phrasal Verb	Definition	Example
look into	to investigate	We will look into the matter immediately.
carry out	to execute or perform	The team carried out the plan without any issues.
put off	to postpone	The meeting was put off until next week.
turn down	to reject or refuse	The board turned down the merger proposal.
set up	to establish or arrange	They set up a new branch office in Tokyo.
take over	to assume control of	Ms. Park will take over as department head in April.
follow up	to check on progress	I will follow up with the client after the presentation.
figure out	to solve or understand	We need to figure out why sales dropped last quarter.
fill in	to complete a form, or to substitute for someone	Please fill in the attached application form.
hand in	to submit something to someone	All reports must be handed in by Friday.
call off	to cancel a planned event	The conference was called off at short notice.
run out of	to have no more of something left	The warehouse ran out of packaging materials.

High-Frequency Collocations

Collocations are natural word pairings that English speakers use instinctively. The TOEIC® frequently tests these in Part 5, where you must select the correct verb:

Collocation	Definition	Example
make a decision	to decide on a course of action	The committee will make a decision by Friday.
reach an agreement	to come to a mutual understanding	Both parties reached an agreement after lengthy negotiations.
meet a deadline	to finish by the required date	The team worked overtime to meet the deadline.
submit a report	to formally deliver a written document	All managers must submit a report by the end of the month.
attend a meeting	to be present at a meeting	She was unable to attend the meeting due to a conflict.
place an order	to request goods or services	We placed an order for 500 units last week.
conduct a survey	to carry out a systematic investigation	The marketing department conducted a survey of 1,000 customers.
raise concerns	to express worries or objections	Several employees raised concerns about the new schedule.
hold a meeting	to organize and run a meeting	We hold a team meeting every Monday morning.
take measures	to take action to deal with a problem	The firm took measures to cut its costs.
launch a product	to release a new product to the market	They plan to launch a product in early spring.
sign a contract	to formally agree to a legal document	Both companies signed a contract last week.

How to Learn TOEIC® Vocabulary (so it sticks)

A long word list only raises your score if it stays in your memory. These four habits turn the tables above into lasting recall:

Use spaced repetition. Review words with flashcards at growing intervals so they move into long-term memory instead of fading after a day.
Learn each word in context. Read business emails and listen to workplace dialogues, then study how a word behaves in a full sentence. A full practice test is the most realistic context of all.
Study by topic cluster, not alphabetically. The themed tables above mirror how the exam groups vocabulary, which makes related words reinforce one another.
Test yourself often. Active recall beats passive rereading, so try free TOEIC practice exercises and the quick check below.

Quick Check: 10 TOEIC® Words

Test yourself on ten words from the lists above. Read each definition, recall the word, then open the answer to check.

1. Money paid to an employee when their job ends.

severance

2. The total number of employees in a company.

headcount

3. Not paid or completed by the due date.

overdue

4. A short stop between two flights.

layover

5. A promise to repair or replace a product.

warranty

6. A period when a service stops working.

outage

7. A list of items to discuss in a meeting.

agenda

8. To cancel a planned event (phrasal verb).

call off

9. The collocation meaning to finish by the required date.

meet a deadline

10. The collocation meaning to decide on a course of action.

make a decision

Frequently Asked Questions

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