What board一词，本义为木板，但在不同上下文中，可以表示车、船、伙食、会议桌、委员会等。而在商务英语中，board往往用来表示董事会，如，chairman or president of the board（董事会主席或董事长）；或者，它经常用在FOB 价格术语中，意思是船。
在商务英语中，有着许多通过引申、转换、添加等手段而获得的有别于普通英语词义的具有新义的旧词。例如：
literature 在普通英语中，它表示文学；而在商务英语中，它则表示printed matters， including leaflets， instruction， product catalogue， price list， etc. 。 e.g.
In order to market our new product，we have printed fine literature．
claim 在普通英语中，它的意思是要求，认领；而在商务英语中，它则表示demand or request for a thing considered ones due 。 e.g.
We claimed on that shipping company for the loss involved．（我们向轮船公司就有关损失提出索赔。）
reference 在普通英语中，它表示参考，查阅，提及；而在商务英语中，它的意思是persons or firms named by a customer asking a supplier for credit， from whom the supplier can get information about the business reputation of the customer 。 e.g.
My reference will prove to you that I am efficient and dependable.
除了属于英语共核部分的词汇以外，商务英语还有着其非凡的专门词汇。例如：
backlog： orders to supply， needing to be dealt with quickly e.g.
We have a large backlog.
in－tray： tray for incoming documents e.g.
When l am away，please help to check my in－tray.
overheads：routine administrative and maintenance expenses of a business e.g.
We have some money indeed，but we are very sorry that we cannot return the money now，as we have to consider our overheads.
2、商务英语短语
在商务英语背景下，通过搭配而形成了许多专用于商务英语的具有商务特征的短语。例如：
outstanding accounts：accounts that are overdue for payment e.g.
We hope the outstanding account can be settled within this month．Otherwise，our accounting department will consider changing the conditions of payment for future orders.
debit note： a note in a form similar to an invoice but used where an invoice would not be right for the purpose. The debit note relates to charges， such as freight， extra to amounts already invoiced for goods， and is also used to correct mistakes such as an amount under－charged in an invoice. 买方应收账款账户，向对方补收钱；与之相对的是credit note（贷项通知单）。） e.g.
