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Modern professions · IT · with audio

IT vocabulary: development

Deploy, merge, pull request, backend — 20 words developers use every day, with phonetics, audio, simple explanations and real examples.

  • 20 words
  • Audio and phonetics
  • Simple explanations
  • 3 exercises
  • No sign-up
To the wordsPractice

Why IT speaks English

Documentation, tools, commands and most work chats in IT are in English, so these words turn up even when a team speaks another language. Knowing them is the first step into IT, whether you’re a developer, tester, designer, manager or recruiter.

Learn each word with its example: “I merged your branch” sticks better than a definition. And check the pronunciation: API is “A-P-I”, and debug is stressed on the second syllable.

Development words

From code and Git to servers and testing. Tap a word or an example to hear it.

Speed
  1. to put new code live on a server
  2. a new version made available to users
  3. a mistake in a program
  4. a change that solves a problem
  5. a part of a product that does something useful
  6. a saved change to the code (in Git)
  7. a separate line of work in Git
  8. to join changes from one branch into another
  9. a request to add your changes to the main code
  10. when teammates check your code
  11. the part of an app that users see
  12. the server side of an app
  13. an organised store of data
  14. a way for programs to talk to each other
  15. ready-made building blocks for software
  16. a computer that runs a service for others
  17. servers you rent over the internet
  18. a copy of the system: for development, testing or users
  19. checking that software works
  20. to find and remove the cause of a bug

Practice: test yourself

10 words from the list per round. After every answer you hear the word and the right option lights up.

Choose an exercise

How to learn IT words fast

  • Switch your phone and work apps to English: commit, branch and settings will be in front of you every day.
  • Read the titles of tasks in Jira or GitHub out loud — words move from reading to speaking.
  • Keep your own list of words you hear in meetings and practise it with the exercises on this page.

FAQ

Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.

What does “deploy” mean?

To deploy is to put a new version of software live on a server so people can use it. “Deploy to production” means releasing changes to the real system users see.

What’s the difference between a pull request and a merge?

A pull request (PR) is a request: “please review my changes and add them to the main code”. A merge is the act of joining the branches. Usually you open a pull request, teammates review the code, and then it’s merged.

Do I need English to work in IT?

To start, reading documentation and knowing the work words is enough (A2–B1). To grow, join international teams and pass interviews, you need spoken English at B1–B2. Check your level with our free English for IT test.

What’s next

Next step

Keep learning with a mini-course

Short online courses by Slay School teachers: a 15-minute lesson a day with audio, exercises and dialogues, and the words you forget come back on their own.

  • Day 1 is free
  • 15 minutes a day, at your own pace
  • Every word has audio
  • Lifetime access once paid
Start for freeAll mini-courses

All you need to start is an email or a Google account.