5 exercises on the natural phrases for video-call glitches — mute, breaking up, screen checks, reconnecting and lag.
Key patterns
You\'re on mute! — the universal "we can\'t hear you" line.
You\'re breaking up — choppy, intermittent audio.
Can you see my screen okay? — a quick visibility check.
I dropped off — did I miss anything? — rejoining smoothly.
0 / 5 completed
1 / 5
A colleague is speaking but no sound is coming through — they have forgotten to unmute. What is the most natural way to let them know?
"You're on mute" is the single most common phrase in remote meetings.
It is friendly, instantly understood, and non-blaming. The other options are stiff or robotic.
You're on mute! — the standard, often with a smile or hand gesture.
I think your mic is muted. — equally natural.
We can't hear you — check your mic? — when you're not sure mute is the cause.
Avoid "rectify", "activate the microphone function" and similar literal translations — native speakers keep this light. A quick "you're on mute!" needs no apology and breaks the awkwardness fast.
2 / 5
Someone's voice keeps cutting in and out — you only catch every few words. What do you say?
"You're breaking up" is the idiom for a choppy, intermittent connection.
It specifically means the audio is dropping in and out, not just quiet.
You're breaking up — can you repeat that?
Sorry, you cut out there for a second. — for a brief drop.
You're a bit choppy — might be your connection.
I only caught the last part — could you go back?
Pairing the observation with a polite request ("could you say that again?") is the natural pattern. Don't over-explain the technical cause; "you're breaking up" already says it.
3 / 5
You've just opened a document and want to confirm everyone can see it before you start. Which phrasing sounds most natural?
"Can you see my screen?" is the go-to check before screen-sharing or presenting.
Short, casual, and it invites a quick thumbs-up.
Can you see my screen okay?
Are you all seeing the slides / my editor?
Just to check — is everyone seeing this?
Let me know if the screen isn't coming through.
The word "okay" softens it into a yes/no check. The formal options ("confirm visual reception", "broadcast") are unnatural — remote-meeting English stays conversational even when you're being precise.
4 / 5
Your connection has dropped and you've just rejoined the call. What do you say as you come back in?
When you reconnect, briefly apologise and ask whether you missed anything.
This is the smooth, professional way to rejoin without derailing the discussion.
Sorry, I dropped off — did I miss anything?
I got kicked out for a sec, I'm back now.
My connection dropped — could someone catch me up quickly?
Apologies, I lost you there. Where are we?
"Drop off" / "drop out" / "get kicked out" are the natural verbs for losing a call. Keep the apology light and move on — nobody expects a detailed explanation of your router.
5 / 5
There's a noticeable delay, so people keep talking over each other. How do you most naturally name the problem?
"Lag" is the everyday word for audio/video delay on a call.
Naming the lag and proposing a fix ("leave a pause") is the considerate move.
There's a bit of lag — let's pause between turns.
The audio's slightly delayed, so bear with the gaps.
I think there's a delay on my end.
Let's give each other a beat so we don't talk over each other.
"Lag" and "delay" are interchangeable here; "latency" is fine in a technical context but sounds clinical mid-meeting. The phrase "talk over each other" is the standard way to describe overlapping speech.