All Ears English Podcast

Episode: “Learn Roughly Five New Ways to Stay Broad in English”

Hosts: Lindsay McMahon & Michelle Kaplan
Date: February 14, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Lindsay and Michelle dive into the art of being “broad” or non-exact in English—an essential skill in both business and daily conversation. Listeners learn various words and expressions that allow them to provide approximate information without sounding uncertain or unprofessional. This episode is particularly useful for ESL learners seeking to enhance their workplace communication but also applies to informal, everyday use.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Stay Broad in English?

• Practicality: Life and business often require flexibility. You can’t always give—or be expected to give—exact numbers.
• Politeness & Flexibility: Using broad terms shows openness and respect in conversation, especially when you lack all the details.
• Contextual Usage: Language choice shifts depending on social or professional settings.

“Sometimes we can't give numbers or information that is 100% accurate. So we want to use words to show that there is some wiggle room.”
— Michelle (03:23)

Core Vocabulary and Phrasing

1. Approximately

• Context: Slightly formal; best for workplace or official settings.
• Example: “There are approximately 10 charts we still need to get through before the end of the day.” (05:37)
• “We should reevaluate these figures in approximately three months.” (05:42)

“I think this word’s a little more formal...you might not ask your friend, like, ‘approximately how many people are coming to the party.’”
— Lindsay (05:05)

2. Roughly

• Context: Similar meaning as “approximately,” but slightly less formal. Can be used at work or in general conversation.
• Example: “There are roughly 250 corporate employees and we need to get holiday bonuses to all of them.” (06:28)
• Example: “We will be done at roughly 9:30.” (06:41)

“I wish I used ‘roughly’ a little bit more often because it sounds more interesting to me...maybe I will go for it.”
— Lindsay (06:09)

3. Around/About

• Context: Informal, very common; suitable for social settings and can work in business.
• Example: “Our meeting will be over at around 4.” (07:16)
• Example: “There are around 20 new patient forms to finalize.” (07:29)
• Note: “About” is almost interchangeable with “around” in these contexts.

“This is the one where I was thinking, if you don’t want to say ‘approximately,’ you might say ‘around how many people are coming [to the party]? Or ‘about’.”
— Michelle (06:54)

4. Nearly

• Context: Means “almost”; used when something is just short of a certain point.
• Example: “We nearly tripled our revenue from last year.” (10:02)

5. Circa

• Context: Advanced, formal, “special”; generally connected to years or historical context.
• Example: “Their company has been around since circa 1980.” (11:36)
• Used in: “We established the scholarship circa 2005.” (11:45)

“It definitely points to a more articulate speaker...it's the special one of the episode.”
— Lindsay (14:58)

Bonus Expression: Wiggle Room

• Meaning: Flexibility in plans or numbers.
• Example: “You add a little wiggle room for this and that...” (15:53)

“Wiggle room...It’s a great one. Maybe we’ll do a whole episode on that!”
— Michelle & Lindsay (15:50-16:06)

Role Play Demonstration

Scenario: Planning a conference (12:46–14:28)

Michelle: “So how many people will be there?”
Lindsay: “I heard there will be nearly a thousand attendees.” (12:58)
Michelle: “Wow. So how many bags should we make?”
Lindsay: “Roughly 400, I’d say.” (13:05)
Michelle: “That sounds about right. I heard each day ends around 4, so maybe we can also organize some extra activities for potential clients.”
Lindsay: “Good idea. There are approximately 30 companies I have my eye on.”
Michelle: “Yeah. And this conference is huge. How long have they been holding it?”
Lindsay: “Oh, wow. I don’t know. I’d say it started somewhere circa 2000.” (13:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “So rarely in life are we just [exact]; there’s so much wiggle room in business and regular life.” — Michelle (15:12)
• “Flexibility. You don’t want to get locked into something.” — Lindsay (15:44)
• “If you’re making a budget, you round up to give yourself wiggle room.” — Lindsay (15:53)
• “These are just all really useful for, you know, because very rarely in life are we just—this is this, and this is that. There’s so many times in business and regular life, there’s just wiggle room.” — Michelle (15:12)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:22] — Introducing the topic (“We should record roughly five or six episodes today.”)
• [03:05] — Why being broad matters in conversation
• [04:32] — Deep dive into “approximately”
• [06:00] — How and when to use “roughly”
• [06:54] — “Around” versus “about”
• [09:47] — “Nearly”: what it means and how to use it
• [10:12] — “Circa”: the ‘special’ term for historical context
• [12:46] — Role play putting all expressions in context
• [15:44] — Discussion of “wiggle room” as a useful bonus term

Final Takeaways

• Use these words and phrases to express non-exact quantities and times in both professional and casual English.
• Choose based on your social context: formal (approximately), less formal (roughly), casual (around/about), or for special flair (circa).
• Adding “wiggle room” to your language toolkit helps you maintain both clarity and flexibility in English communication.

“We don’t want to get locked in to having to give exact amounts of things because life is never exact. That’s what I’ve learned.”
— Lindsay (16:30)

Further Listening

• For more business English, the hosts recommend: Business English Podcast, Episode 524: “Who Assigned What: How to Know in English”

If you want to sound more like a native and interact confidently at work or in life, try mixing in these new expressions and keep the focus on connection—not perfection!