Communication Misunderstandings and Conflict

B2 · 100 entries · Five themes

Communication Misunderstandings and Conflict

Created by , British English teacher.

Open a theme, then select a word or phrase for its meaning, example and pronunciation.

1. Intent and interpretation (20 entries)
  1. literal meaning
  2. take something literally
  3. take a hint
  4. hint at
  5. pick up on
  6. sound abrupt
  7. come across as
  8. give the impression
  9. mixed message
  10. read between the lines
  11. discriminate
  12. imply
  13. distinguish
  14. acknowledgement
  15. suggest
  16. hint
  17. subtle difference
  18. misunderstand
  19. intonation
  20. say more than you intend
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2. Communication barriers (20 entries)
  1. distraction
  2. talk past each other
  3. fail to get through
  4. break in
  5. lack of context
  6. conflicting instructions
  7. technical jargon
  8. lose the thread
  9. mixed signals
  10. break the silence
  11. awkward pause
  12. fall silent
  13. falter
  14. dead silence
  15. tone
  16. stunned silence
  17. strained
  18. whine
  19. rattle
  20. remark
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3. Disagreement and tension (20 entries)
  1. dispute
  2. insist on
  3. a sensitive issue
  4. a sticking point
  5. criticism
  6. object to
  7. make matters worse
  8. push back
  9. accusation
  10. take sides
  11. stand your ground
  12. get heated
  13. get defensive
  14. different emphasis
  15. another interpretation
  16. reject a conclusion
  17. keep your temper
  18. I couldn't agree more
  19. face opposition
  20. add fuel to the fire
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4. Clarifying meaning (20 entries)
  1. clarify
  2. specify
  3. rephrase
  4. put it another way
  5. be more specific
  6. if I understand correctly
  7. spell out
  8. illustrate
  9. go back to the point
  10. let me start again
  11. that's precisely my point
  12. let me rephrase that
  13. that's not quite what I meant
  14. let me put that another way
  15. more precisely
  16. clarify a term
  17. I was thinking of
  18. I could be mistaken
  19. inconsistency
  20. I stand corrected
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5. Resolving conflict (20 entries)
  1. settle a dispute
  2. reach agreement
  3. agree to differ
  4. talk it through
  5. miss the point entirely
  6. repair trust
  7. consider the alternative
  8. alternative perspective
  9. leave something unanswered
  10. not in itself
  11. a separate question
  12. reasonable objection
  13. sound a warning
  14. concern
  15. pick it up another time
  16. open to interpretation
  17. competing priority
  18. legitimate concern
  19. I share your concern
  20. exchange of views
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