Types of Businesses Vocabulary in English
Talk about shops, services, and companies without doing that thing where you point and say, “the place… you know… the place.”
Need to buy bread? Fix a leaky tap? Book a haircut? English has a specific business word for each place, and knowing the right one makes you sound instantly more natural.
Heads up: some terms change by region (US, UK, and beyond). This guide sticks to global-friendly words and shows common alternatives so you can understand people everywhere.
Yak Snark
If you forget the word, don’t panic. You can survive with “the shop,” but you’ll sound 43% cooler with the exact term. Yes, I measured it with science.
1) Visual cards: common businesses you’ll actually use
Tap Hear to practice. Then steal the example sentence for real life.
Bakery
A place that sells bread, cakes, and pastries.
I stopped at the bakery to buy fresh bread for breakfast.
Cafe
A relaxed place for coffee, tea, and light food.
Let’s meet at a cafe near the station and grab a latte.
Supermarket
A large grocery store with many departments.
I’m going to the supermarket to pick up vegetables and milk.
Pharmacy
A place to get medicine and health products.
The pharmacy can help you find cold medicine and bandages.
Hardware store
A store for tools, paint, and home repair supplies.
We went to the hardware store to buy a screwdriver and light bulbs.
Salon
A place for haircuts, styling, or beauty treatments.
I booked a haircut at the salon for Saturday morning.
Bank
A business that handles money: accounts, loans, and payments.
I need to go to the bank to open a new account.
Gym
A place to exercise and use workout equipment.
This gym is open 24 hours, so I can work out after work.
2) Table of business words (with ready-to-use sentences)
These are common in everyday English. Some are “places,” and a few are “business-related terms” you’ll hear a lot when shopping or booking services.
| Word or phrase | Meaning | Example sentence | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Businessbakery | Sells bread, cakes, pastries, and baked snacks. | Is there a bakery nearby that sells whole-grain bread? | |
| Businesscafe | Coffee and light meals, often casual seating. | That cafe has great Wi-Fi, so I like working there. | |
| Businessrestaurant | A place where you order meals and eat there. | We tried a new restaurant, and the noodles were amazing. | |
| Businesssupermarket | A large store selling food and household items. | I’m going to the supermarket after work to buy fruit and rice. | |
| Businessconvenience store | A small shop for quick items, often open late. | I grabbed a bottle of water at the convenience store. | |
| Businesspharmacy | Sells medicine and health products; may fill prescriptions. | The pharmacy can tell you which pain relief is best for a headache. | |
| Businesshardware store | Sells tools, screws, paint, and repair supplies. | Do you know a hardware store that cuts keys? | |
| Businessbookstore | Sells books, magazines, and sometimes stationery. | I found this novel at a small bookstore downtown. | |
| Businessclothing store | Sells clothes, shoes, and accessories. | The clothing store has a sale on winter jackets. | |
| Businesssalon | Haircuts, styling, and sometimes nails or skincare. | I’m going to the salon to get my hair trimmed. | |
| Businessbank | Money services: accounts, transfers, loans, cards. | I need to visit the bank to replace my card. | |
| Businessgym | A place for workouts, classes, and exercise equipment. | This gym offers yoga classes on weekday evenings. | |
| Businesshotel | A business that provides rooms for travelers. | We booked a hotel near the airport for one night. | |
| Businessstartup | A new, fast-growing company, often in tech. | My friend works at a startup that builds language apps. | |
| Relatedchain store | A store with many locations under the same brand. | It’s a chain store, so you can find the same products in different cities. | |
| Relatedfamily owned business | A business run by a family, often local and independent. | We try to support a family owned business whenever we can. | |
| Relatedcustomer service desk | The place to ask for help, returns, or store information. | If you need a refund, go to the customer service desk. | |
| Relatedappointment | A scheduled time for a service (haircut, doctor, repairs). | I made an appointment for 3 p.m., so I won’t have to wait long. |
3) Useful regional variants (so nobody confuses you)
Different English-speaking regions use different words for the same place. Learn one, recognize the other, and you’re basically unstoppable.
| Global-friendly | Also common as | Example sentence | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| pharmacy | drugstore (US), chemist (UK) | I’ll stop at the pharmacy to pick up cough drops. | |
| convenience store | corner shop (UK), bodega (some US cities) | The convenience store on the corner is open late. | |
| hardware store | DIY store (UK) | We went to the hardware store to buy paint and brushes. | |
| shopping mall | shopping centre (UK) | Let’s meet at the shopping mall near the метро station. | |
| gas station | petrol station (UK) | Is there a gas station nearby? I need to fill up. | |
| takeout | takeaway (UK) | Let’s get takeout tonight and watch a movie. |
Yak Snark
If you ever forget the word, try this: “Excuse me, where can I buy this?” It’s the universal survival spell. Use it wisely.
