Usually, yes. "Commence" is correct English, but to native speakers it sounds stiff, dated, and ceremonial in everyday work. For a routine meeting or email, they say "start," and for a project or initiative they say "kick off." So "the meeting will commence at 3" reads as over-formal to a native ear, not polished.
The instinct to upgrade "start" to "commence" runs backwards for daily work. Native speakers downshift to the plain verb and reach for "kick off" when they want some energy. Reaching for the fancier word to sound serious lands the way "whom shall I say is calling" does: technically right, a little over-correct.
"Commence" still has a home. Keep it for genuinely formal moments — ceremonies and event notices, legal or official language, and formal announcements. Just not the Monday standup.
Match the word to the moment. For routine work, downshift to the plain verb:
Instead of
"The meeting will commence at 3."
Write
"The meeting starts at 3."
For everyday scheduling, native speakers say "start"; "commence" sounds ceremonial and dated for a routine meeting.
Instead of
"We'll commence the project next week."
Write
"We'll kick off the project next week."
"Kick off" is the native go-to for launching a project or initiative, where "commence" sounds like a press release.
Instead of
"Let's commence the call."
Write
"Let's get started."
"Commence" at the top of a call sounds like opening a ceremony; "let's get started" is how native speakers actually begin a meeting.
The word isn't wrong, it's just narrow. It still reads as natural in genuinely formal settings: formal announcements, ceremony or event notices, and legal or official language. "The ceremony will commence at noon" is right at home. The work email about your 3 o'clock standup is not.
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