# How to Use Kanban at Work: English for Engineers (2026) > A visual project management method that uses a board with columns to track work items as they move from one stage to another, typically from to-do to in-progress to done. - **Term:** kanban - **Part of speech:** noun - **Pronunciation:** /ˈkænbæn/ - **English level (CEFR):** B2 - **Register:** Neutral, Both - **Region:** US and UK - **Topic:** [Agile and project terms](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/topics/agile-project-management-terms.md) - **Lesson:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/kanban - **Last updated:** 2026-10-27 ## Meaning A visual project management method that uses a board with columns to track work items as they move from one stage to another, typically from to-do to in-progress to done. Kanban originated in Japanese manufacturing and has become central to Agile software development. The term literally means 'billboard' or 'visual signal' in Japanese. In tech, teams use physical or digital kanban boards to visualize workflow, limit work in progress, and improve delivery speed. Each task or user story appears as a card that moves across columns representing different stages of completion. Kanban emphasizes continuous delivery, quick feedback loops, and reducing bottlenecks. Unlike Scrum, which uses fixed sprints, kanban is a continuous flow process where work is pulled as capacity allows. ## When you hear it Our team switched to kanban last quarter to reduce our deployment cycle time. ## Examples - **in a standup:** "I moved the authentication feature to in-progress on our kanban board this morning." - **in a team meeting:** "Our kanban board is getting crowded in the in-progress column, so we need to limit new work." - **in a retrospective:** "Since we adopted kanban, our average cycle time has dropped from three weeks to five days." ## What native speakers say - "Let's move this card across the kanban board" - "We're using kanban to manage our workflow" - "The kanban board shows our current work in progress" ## Common mistakes - ✗ "We need to kanban this bug immediately." → ✓ "We need to add this bug to our kanban board immediately." (Kanban is a noun and system, not a verb. You cannot 'kanban' something; you track it on a kanban board.) - ✗ "Kanban is the same thing as Agile." → ✓ "Kanban is one framework within the broader Agile methodology." (Kanban is a specific approach to Agile delivery, not synonymous with Agile itself. Scrum is another popular Agile framework.) - ✗ "Our kanban works best with two-week sprints." → ✓ "Our kanban uses continuous flow rather than time-boxed sprints." (Kanban is not sprint-based; it emphasizes continuous delivery. Sprint-based delivery is a Scrum concept.) ## Be careful Kanban is a noun referring to a methodology or board, not a verb. Do not use it as 'to kanban something.' Also, it is not synonymous with Agile—it is one Agile framework among several. ## Word forms | Part of speech | Word | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | noun | kanban | Our kanban board tracks tasks across four stages: backlog, ready, in-progress, and done. | | noun | kanban board | The kanban board is displayed on the wall next to the developer workstations. | | noun | kanban card | Each kanban card represents one user story or bug. | ## Collocations - **kanban board**: The physical or digital board used in kanban methodology - **kanban card**: Individual work items represented as cards on the board - **work in progress (WIP) limit**: A kanban practice that restricts how many cards can be in the in-progress column - **kanban column**: Each vertical section of a kanban board representing a stage in the workflow - **kanban workflow**: The entire process of moving work items through the kanban system ## Synonyms - **kanban system**: Broader term referring to the entire methodology and implementation - **visual workflow**: General term for any system using visual representation of work - **continuous flow**: The underlying principle of kanban, emphasizing ongoing delivery rather than sprints ## Opposites - waterfall - Scrum ## Practice This lesson has 4 practice exercises with instant feedback on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/kanban ## FAQ ### What does kanban mean in software engineering? Kanban is a visual project management methodology where work items are represented as cards on a board and move through columns representing different stages of completion. It emphasizes continuous delivery, limiting work in progress, and improving workflow efficiency. Unlike Scrum, kanban does not use fixed sprints. ### How do you use kanban in a sentence at work? You typically use kanban as a noun: 'We use a kanban board to track our work,' 'I moved the task to the in-progress column on our kanban,' or 'Our kanban has really improved our cycle time.' Avoid using it as a verb (e.g., 'to kanban something'). ### Is kanban formal or informal? Kanban is neutral in formality. It is used in both casual team conversations and formal documentation. You can say 'We are using kanban' in a standup meeting, a presentation, or a written process document equally appropriately. ### What is the difference between kanban and Scrum? Both are Agile frameworks, but Scrum uses fixed time-boxed sprints (usually two weeks), while kanban uses continuous flow. Kanban emphasizes limiting work in progress and pulling new work as capacity allows, whereas Scrum plans work for each sprint. Teams can use one or the other, or even combine elements of both (a practice called Scrumban). ### What is a WIP limit in kanban? A WIP (work in progress) limit is a rule in kanban that restricts the maximum number of cards allowed in the in-progress column at any time. This prevents the team from taking on too much work simultaneously and helps identify bottlenecks early. ## Related - [Scrum](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/scrum.md) - [user story](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/user-story.md) - [sprint](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/sprint.md) - [backlog](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/backlog.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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