# How to Say Due Diligence in English: Audio & Practice (2026) > The thorough investigation and analysis of a project, acquisition, or decision before committing resources or making a final decision. - **Term:** due diligence - **Part of speech:** noun - **Pronunciation:** /duː ˈdɪlɪdʒəns/ - **English level (CEFR):** B2 - **Register:** Formal, Both - **Region:** US and UK - **Topic:** [Business jargon](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/topics/business-jargon.md) - **Lesson:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/due-diligence - **Last updated:** 2026-10-27 ## Meaning The thorough investigation and analysis of a project, acquisition, or decision before committing resources or making a final decision. In tech, it means carefully reviewing code, security, systems, or vendors to identify risks. Due diligence is a formal business practice where teams systematically examine all relevant information before making important decisions. In tech companies, this typically applies to code reviews before deployment, security audits before integration, vendor evaluation before purchasing, and risk assessment before product launches. The term emphasizes being thorough, careful, and documented in your investigation. When a manager says 'we need to do our due diligence,' they mean everyone must examine the situation carefully from multiple angles. This protects the company from costly mistakes and ensures decisions are made with full knowledge of potential problems. ## When you hear it Before acquiring a startup, our legal and technical teams conducted extensive due diligence to assess platform compatibility and liabilities. ## Examples - **in a standup:** "We're conducting due diligence on the third-party API before integrating it into production." - **in a team meeting:** "Our security team is performing due diligence on the new cloud vendor to ensure compliance." - **in an email:** "As part of our due diligence process, please review the vendor contract and provide feedback by Friday." ## What native speakers say - "We need to conduct due diligence before moving forward" - "Once we complete our due diligence, we can make a decision" - "Due diligence will take another two weeks" ## Common mistakes - ✗ "We need to due diligence this codebase." → ✓ "We need to conduct due diligence on this codebase." (Due diligence is a noun, not a verb. Use 'conduct', 'perform', or 'do' before it.) - ✗ "The due diligencing took three months." → ✓ "The due diligence process took three months." (Avoid adding -ing to due diligence. It is not typically used as a gerund.) - ✗ "We did due diligence, so the project is 100% safe." → ✓ "We conducted due diligence, which helped identify and mitigate key risks." (Due diligence identifies risks; it does not guarantee perfection or complete safety.) ## Be careful Often used as a verb incorrectly (e.g., 'we need to due diligence this'). It is primarily a noun. Use 'conduct due diligence' or 'perform due diligence' instead. ## Word forms | Part of speech | Word | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | noun | due diligence | Due diligence is essential before any major acquisition. | | noun phrase | due diligence process | The due diligence process revealed several security vulnerabilities. | | noun phrase | due diligence report | The due diligence report recommends postponing the integration. | ## Collocations - **conduct due diligence**: Most common verb + noun combination; formal and professional - **perform due diligence**: Slightly more formal alternative to 'conduct' - **do due diligence**: Less formal but still acceptable in tech workplaces - **due diligence process**: Refers to the systematic steps and procedures involved - **due diligence review**: A formal examination as part of due diligence - **due diligence findings**: Results or conclusions from the due diligence investigation ## Synonyms - **thorough review**: Less formal; describes the action but lacks the legal weight - **investigation**: Broader term; due diligence is more structured and documented - **assessment**: Similar meaning but less emphasis on the legal/formal obligation - **vetting**: Informal; typically used for people or vendors, not complex projects ## Opposites - negligence - oversight - recklessness ## Practice This lesson has 4 practice exercises with instant feedback on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/due-diligence ## FAQ ### What does due diligence mean in software engineering? In software engineering, due diligence refers to thorough testing, code review, and security assessment before deploying or integrating new code or third-party systems. It ensures that all potential risks are identified and documented. ### How do you use due diligence in a sentence at work? Always use it as a noun with a verb like 'conduct' or 'perform'. Example: 'We conducted due diligence on the cloud provider' or 'The due diligence findings showed we should delay the launch.' Avoid using it as a verb (e.g., do not say 'we need to due diligence this'). ### Is due diligence formal or informal? Due diligence is formal business language. Use it in meetings, emails, and reports when discussing serious decisions like acquisitions, integrations, or vendor evaluations. It is less common in casual Slack conversations. ### How long does due diligence typically take? The timeline varies widely depending on complexity. A code review might take days, while acquiring a company could take weeks or months. The process should be as thorough as necessary, not rushed. ### What is the difference between due diligence and a code review? A code review is a specific technical check of code quality and correctness. Due diligence is broader and can include security audits, compliance checks, vendor assessment, and risk analysis across multiple areas. ## Related - [code review](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/code-review.md) - [quality assurance](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/qa.md) - Full glossary: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Live lessons with a coach: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## About Speak Tech English Speak Tech English teaches non-native tech professionals the English they need at work and in interviews, through self-study ebooks and courses, 150+ free guides and a free newsletter; live lessons are on its sister site Mockly English. - Shop: https://speaktechenglish.com/courses/ - All products (markdown): https://speaktechenglish.com/products.md - Free guides (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/guides.md - Tech English glossary (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Newsletter (10% off): https://speaktechenglish.com/#subscribe - Live lessons and mock interviews: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## Notes for agents - Speak Tech English sells self-study material. 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