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You know your subject. You could explain the architecture to another engineer in two minutes. But now the person across the table is a client, a manager, or an operations director — and halfway through your explanation of the API integration, you can see it in their eyes: they stopped following you three sentences ago.
Explaining technical concepts to non-technical people is one of the most valuable — and hardest — communication skills in IT. It's what separates engineers who stay behind the screen from those who get invited into client calls, pre-sales meetings, and leadership conversations. And when you're doing it in English as a second language, you're managing two challenges at once: the complexity of the idea and the language itself.
The good news: this skill runs on five repeatable techniques, each with its own set of phrases. In this guide you'll learn all five, with 30+ phrases and real dialogue examples from our Explaining Technical Concepts course — plus a way to practice your own explanations out loud and get instant AI feedback.
This is the third guide in our English for IT series — see also English phrases for stand-up meetings and English for client meetings.
Why technical explanations fail
Most failed explanations break in one of three ways:
- Jargon without translation. You say "webhook" or "encryption" and keep going. Your listener spends the next thirty seconds stuck on the word — and misses everything after it.
- Every detail, in order. Non-technical listeners don't need the complete picture. They need the main idea and why it matters. Detail is something you offer, not something you impose.
- Features without benefits. "The system uses event-driven notifications" means nothing to an operations director. "Your team stops entering the same data twice" means everything.
The five techniques below fix each of these — and they're exactly what a good solutions architect does in front of a client.
Technique 1: Simplify the language (without losing the meaning)
When a technical term comes up, translate it immediately — before your listener has to ask. These phrases signal "here comes the plain-English version":
- In simple terms, … — "In simple terms, an API is a way for two software systems to communicate with each other."
- Basically, this means … — "Basically, this means they can exchange information automatically instead of people entering the same data twice."
- What this does is [verb] … — "What this does is keep both systems up to date without any manual work."
- [Technical term] is basically … — "A webhook is basically an automatic message sent from one system to another when a specific event happens."
- If you put aside the technical details, what matters is (that) … — "If you put aside the technical details, what matters is that the information is shared automatically, so everyone is working with the latest data."
💡 Tip: That last phrase is your emergency exit. When you feel an explanation getting too deep, if you put aside the technical details, what matters is… lets you climb back up to the level your listener cares about — without making them feel lost.
Technique 2: Use analogies and comparisons
An analogy connects the unfamiliar to the familiar. It's the fastest way to make an abstract concept land:
- Think of it like … — "Think of it like sending a valuable package in a locked box instead of an open one. Only the person with the right key can open it." (encryption)
- Imagine … — "Imagine a visitor logbook at the entrance to a building. Every visitor signs in, and the logbook records who entered and when." (audit logs)
- A good example is … — "A good example is online banking. Your payment information is encrypted while it's traveling between your device and the bank."
- It's similar to …, except … — "It's similar to a visitor logbook, except it records actions in the software instead of people entering a building."
- The difference is that … — "The difference is that passwords control who can sign into the system, while encryption protects the information itself as it travels."
Notice what these examples have in common: locked boxes, logbooks, bank transactions. The best analogies come from everyday life, not from other technology. If your analogy needs its own explanation, pick a simpler one.
Technique 3: Check understanding (before it's too late)
Good communicators don't assume the explanation worked — they check. This feels unnatural to many ESL speakers ("won't it seem condescending?"), but done right, it reads as care, not condescension:
- Does that make sense?
- Should I go into more detail about …? — "Should I go into more detail about how the system chooses between several suitable locations?"
- Let me explain that another way. — the phrase to reach for the moment you hear "I'm not sure I follow."
- Do you have any questions about …? — "Do you have any questions about putaway rules?"
💡 Tip: Let me explain that another way is the most underrated phrase on this list. It takes the blame off the listener ("you didn't understand") and puts the effort on you ("I'll find a better explanation") — which is exactly how a confident expert sounds.
Technique 4: Explain processes step by step
When someone asks "how does it actually work?", resist the urge to describe everything at once. Announce the structure, then walk through it:
- Let me break this down into steps.
- First, … — "First, a warehouse employee scans the delivery. The system checks that the shipment matches the purchase order."
- Next, … — "Next, the system suggests where each product should be stored."
- After that, … — "After that, warehouse staff store the products in their assigned locations."
- At the end (of the process), … — "At the end of the process, the system marks the delivery as completed and saves the full history."
Five phrases, and any workflow — deployment pipeline, password reset, data migration — becomes a story your listener can follow. Sequence words are cheap for you and priceless for them.
Technique 5: Translate technology into business value
This is the technique that gets budgets approved. Clients and stakeholders don't buy features; they buy outcomes. When the operations director asks "how can I be sure it's worth it?", answer in her language:
- The main benefit is that … — "The main benefit is that the system helps your team work more efficiently and reduce errors."
- This reduces … — "This reduces the risk of running out of critical products."
- This improves … — "This improves visibility because you can see stock levels and warehouse activity in one place."
- … allows you to [verb] … — "Having everything in one place allows you to identify problems earlier and make decisions more quickly."
- In practice, this means … — "In practice, this means less time spent on manual work, fewer errors, and a warehouse that runs more smoothly."
The pattern is always feature → consequence → real-world result. In practice, this means… is the bridge that turns a system capability into something a stakeholder can picture on a normal Tuesday.
Putting it all together: explaining an API to a client
Here's how the techniques combine in a real conversation — a solutions architect explaining system integration to an operations director:
Client: What exactly is an API?
You: In simple terms, an API is a way for two software systems to communicate with each other. Basically, this means they can exchange information automatically instead of people entering the same data twice.
Client: So if a product is received in our inventory system, the warehouse platform updates automatically?
You: Exactly. What this does is keep both systems up to date without any manual work. Does that make sense?
Client: Yes — but you also mentioned webhooks?
You: A webhook is basically an automatic message sent from one system to another when something happens. Think of it like a notification: when a product is scanned in the warehouse, the system immediately notifies your inventory software. If you put aside the technical details, what matters is that everyone is always working with the latest data.
Simplification, an analogy, a comprehension check, and a value statement — in under a minute. That's the skill.
Quick reference: phrases for explaining technical concepts
Common mistakes ESL speakers make when explaining tech
- Explaining to prove expertise, not to create understanding. More detail feels safer when your English is under pressure — but detail is where listeners get lost. Lead with the main idea; offer depth with Should I go into more detail about…?
- Using technology to explain technology. "A webhook is like a callback URL" helps no one outside your team. Analogies must come from everyday life: packages, logbooks, envelopes, bank accounts.
- Never checking in. Without Does that make sense?, you find out the explanation failed twenty minutes later — in the form of a wrong decision.
- Stopping at the feature. If you don't say in practice, this means…, your listener has to translate tech into business value themselves. Most won't.
- Repeating the same words louder and slower. When someone doesn't understand, repetition doesn't help — reformulation does. Let me explain that another way plus a new analogy beats saying the same sentence twice.
How to practice explaining technical concepts (before the client call)
Reading about analogies won't make you fluent at inventing them mid-conversation. That takes speaking practice — ideally with feedback.
Our Explaining Technical Concepts course on SmallTalk2Me is built around exactly this skill. Across 7 lessons, you follow Alex, a Solutions Architect, as he walks Emma, a non-technical Operations Director, through a Warehouse Management System — explaining APIs, webhooks, encryption, audit logs, and warehouse workflows in plain English. In every lesson you:
- Listen to realistic expert-to-client conversations and check your understanding
- Learn one technique at a time: simplifying, analogies, checking understanding, processes, business value
- Practice pronunciation with short speaking drills
- Explain your own technology — the concept you actually explain at work — in your own words
- Get instant AI feedback on every recording, so each explanation is clearer than the last
Each lesson takes 20–30 minutes, and you can split it into shorter sessions. By the end, you won't just know the phrases — you'll have already explained your system, in English, out loud, several times.
👉 Sign up free and start the Explaining Technical Concepts course — practice explaining your own project today, before the next client asks you to.
FAQ: explaining technical concepts in English
How do I explain a technical concept to a non-technical person?
Lead with the main idea in plain language ("In simple terms…"), connect it to something familiar ("Think of it like…"), check understanding ("Does that make sense?"), and finish with why it matters ("In practice, this means…"). Offer detail only if they ask for it.
How do I explain what an API is in simple terms?
"In simple terms, an API is a way for two software systems to communicate with each other. Basically, this means they can exchange information automatically instead of people entering the same data twice." Follow with a concrete example from the listener's own workflow.
What are good analogies for explaining technical concepts?
Use everyday experiences, not other technology: encryption is a locked box only the right key can open; an audit log is a visitor logbook recording who entered and when; a webhook is an automatic notification sent the moment something happens. If the analogy itself needs explaining, choose a simpler one.
How do I check if someone understood my explanation?
Ask directly but supportively: "Does that make sense?", "Do you have any questions about…?", or "Should I go into more detail about…?" If they hesitate or say they're not sure they follow, don't repeat yourself — say "Let me explain that another way" and use a different analogy.
How do I explain the business value of a technical solution?
Use the feature → consequence → result pattern: "The system alerts your team when supplies are low. This reduces the risk of running out of critical products. In practice, this means less manual work and fewer errors." Stakeholders decide based on outcomes, not features.
What English level do I need to explain technical concepts?
From B1–B2 you can deliver clear technical explanations using the phrase frameworks above — simple, structured language actually works better for this skill than complex vocabulary. See how CEFR levels map to tech communication, or take our free 15-minute English level test to find your level.
