Based on 1 Million+ Real Emails
We analyzed more than a million real emails to uncover the corporate clichés that just won’t die. From “reaching out” to “circling back,” here are the phrases cluttering inboxes everywhere.
This report is part of the ZeroBounce Insights Studio, our editorial series exploring email behavior, digital culture, and the trends shaping how people and brands communicate.
We all roll our eyes at them. And yet, we keep writing them. After combing through 1,000,967 real emails, ZeroBounce uncovered the most overused buzzwords in business email. These aren’t just phrases people say they hate – they’re the phrases people actually use. And we know, because we looked at the data and saw just how often they show up.
Who knows what kind of corporate nonsense is lurking in the depths of your inbox? A “hope this finds you well” infestation? A “just checking in” epidemic? The horror!
No shaming (we’ve all used at least one of these!) – just a snapshot of real-world email language and the worst offenders filling inboxes every day.
“Reaching out” leads the pack. With 6,117 appearances (0.61% of all emails), it’s the reigning champ of corporate jargon. Next up: follow-ups of all kiznds (“to follow up,” “following up,” “will follow up”) with 5,755 mentions (0.57%), and “check in” variants with 4,286 mentions (0.43%).
Here’s the full ranking:
Nearly 1 in 4 employees use AI daily to help with workplace emails, but it hasn’t made our writing any fresher. Email clichés are alive and well, and even our tools haven’t managed to kill them off. It seems the machines have learned our favorite phrases a little too well.
“Reaching out” is the monarch.
6,117 sightings (0.61%). It’s the “Hello, it’s me” of business email. Adele would be proud.
We love to follow up
Mash together Follow up + Check in and you get 10,041 pings – just over 1.00% of all emails. It’s the national pastime of project management.
We’re much happier on Fridays
“Happy Friday” (512) appears about 3× as often as “Happy Monday” (169). The weekend glow is real – and it paints a pretty clear picture of our work culture.
The corporate world is very hopeful
The “hope” trilogy – “Hope you’re doing well” (1,300) + “Hope this email finds you well” (974) + “Hope all is well” (592) – shows up 2,866 times (~0.29%).
“Alignment” is the new “synergy”
Aligned (all variations): 1,714 (0.17%). Let’s align on this: nothing says teamwork like pretending we’re all “aligned.”
“Please advise” – Decide already
1,459 (0.15%). The CC-friendly way to say pick a lane so we can move.
“Circle back” refuses to circle out.
533 appearances. It’s the boomerang of phrases – you throw it away and it returns to your subject line.
“E-meet” survived…and it’s thriving.
536 uses (0.05%). It’s 2025; screens are default. “Nice to meet you” works perfectly in email.
Almost extinct, but not quite
We didn’t expect to spot “per my last email,” but we logged 89 cameos. “Low-hanging fruit” is basically endangered at 18.
Calls are…fine, we guess.
“Hop on a call” (243) shows up less than “Touch base” (331). We still love a meeting – just preferably in theory.
A safe, familiar phrase can come in handy when you don’t know what else to say. But over time, these words lose meaning and impact.
By the millionth repetition, they’re not just clichés, they’re white noise.
If you reach out and follow up often, your emails may need a little extra clarity or warmth. Small tweaks go a long way. Save this list, borrow the swaps, and give your next email a tiny refresh.
Buzzwords won’t tank your emails, but they will make you blend in. So maybe, armed with this list, you’ll think twice before “circling back.”
Language shapes how we connect, and email is still where business gets done. Forget touching base or aligning on low-hanging fruit – clarity is what moves the needle. Cleaner, clearer writing gets faster replies. And that’s how your email can be one in a million.
ZeroBounce analyzed 1,000,967 emails across multiple internal inboxes to see which phrases show up most often in real communication – not just the ones people say they dislike. We tallied specific buzzwords and their close variations (for example, follow up includes “to follow up,” “following up,” and “will follow up”) sent and received between January 2024 and October 2025.
All analysis was conducted on aggregated, anonymized internal data. No human reviewed, read, or accessed the content of any individual’s private emails. The study relied solely on keyword frequency searches to determine how often specific phrases appeared.
For questions or media inquiries about this report, please contact Corina Leslie at corina@zerobounce.net.
Email clichés are the overused phrases we’ve all seen (and written) a thousand times – things like “just circling back” or “hope this finds you well.” They start as polite or professional shorthand, but with repetition, they lose impact and make your message blend in.
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