Telephone Vocabulary

Here are many of the words and terms we use to talk about telephones and
using them. With example sentences and special meanings related to landline
phones, mobile phones and smartphones. You can check your understanding
by doing the Telephone Vocabulary Quiz.
Word Example sentence Meaning
answer verb I phoned the shop but nobody answered so I guess they're
closed. to take the call and speak after a phone has rung
answering machine noun Leave a message on the answering machine and
I'll call you back when I can. a recording device a caller can leave a spoken
message on if their call isn't answered
busy (AmE) or engaged (BrE) adj If the line's busy and you can't get through,
call again later. already being used, of a telephone line or number
busy signal (AmE) or engaged tone (BrE) noun Mum's always on the phone
after dinner, so I'll get a busy signal if I call now. the sound you hear if you
dial a landline number that's already being used
call noun I'm sorry, but I really have to take this call. the act of telephoning
someone, or a telephone conversation
call verb If you need a lift home, call me and I'll come and get you. to try to
contact someone by phone, either by dialling their number or finding their name
in the list of contacts on a mobile or smartphone
caller noun I spoke to hundreds of callers every day while I was a receptionist.
the person who calls a telephone number
charge or recharge verb Don't forget to charge your phone before you go
camping. to connect a smartphone, tablet computer, digital camera, etc. to an
electricity source to add power to its battery
conference call noun I'm having a conference call with some old friends
tonight. a telephone call in which three or more people can hear and speak
with one another
cordless phone noun Have you seen the cordless phone? I had it in the
bathroom but it isn't there now. a landline telephone receiver you can carry
for short distances while using
dial verb Are you sure you dialled the right number? to press numbers on a
landline phone or touch numbers on a smartphone keypad to call someone
dialling tone (BrE) or dial tone (AmE) noun I think the line's dead. There's no
dial tone when you pick up the phone. the sound a landline phone makes
when you pick it up
hang up verb Someone called, but as soon as they heard my voice they
hung up. to end a telephone call
hotspot or Wi-Fi hotspot noun Why don't we use that free Wi-Fi hotspot at
the public library? a place where people can get Internet access either for
free or by using a network access password
icon noun The icon for email on my phone is a white envelope on a blue
square. a graphic symbol or picture on a smartphone or computer screen
that represents an application or file and opens it when touched
landline noun We've all got smartphones, so do we really need a landline in
the house? a physical telephone line, or a telephone that uses one
line or connection noun The line was really bad so I called again to get a
better connection. a telephone connection used to make a voice call
missed call noun I check my missed calls every night in case I've missed an
important one. a call that wasn't answered
mobile phone (also cell phone or feature phone) noun Oh no! I left my mobile
phone in the taxi. a portable phone with a SIM card for network
connections, with more features than a landline phone but fewer than a
smartphone
pay phone or phone booth noun There aren't many pay phones left these
days. a public telephone that takes coins or phonecard payment for each call
made
pick up verb The phone rang and everybody stared at it. Then Maria slowly
picked it up. to answer a landline phone by lifting the receiver
receiver noun The phone rang and John picked up the receiver and said
"Hello?" the part of a landline telephone set you pick up and speak into
return a call or call sb back verb He didn't return my call, so I knew something
was wrong. to telephone someone who tried to telephone you
ring verb The phone was in the bathroom so I didn't hear it ring. (of a
telephone) to make the sound that tells you someone is calling
ringtone noun I should change my ringtone. I'm sick of hearing this one. one
of many sounds a smartphone can make when someone is calling
robocall noun Most people hate getting robocalls, don't they? an
automatic call that plays a recorded message, usually to sell something or get
votes in an election
save verb Don't forget to save his number if he calls again. to keep a phone
number, text message, e-mail or other digital data on a smartphone or computer
SIM card noun You can use any mobile phone that's got your SIM card in it.
a small card with a microchip that's sold by a network provider and
inserted into a mobile phone
smartphone noun We were on the bus watching video clips on my
smartphone. a small hand-held computer with a touchscreen that can be
used as a mobile phone, web browser, media player, digital camera, etc.
telephone directory (also directory or phone book) noun Do you have to pay to
have your number in the telephone directory, or is it free? an alphabetical
list (online or in a book) of people and businesses with telephone numbers
text message or text noun He sent me lots of text messages after I told him
our relationship was over. a Short Message Service (SMS) text-only message
or a multimedia message (MMS) with digital images, videos, sound content, etc.
text verb We don't call each other much, but we're always texting each other.
to send an SMS or other text message from a mobile phone, smartphone
or computer
touch screen or touchscreen nounMy grandma says she has trouble using the
touchscreen on her phone. a screen that allows a smartphone, tablet
computer, game console or similar device to be controlled with the touch of a
finger
voicemail noun If I can't answer your call, leave a message on voicemail if you
like. a system that records and stores spoken messages left by people whose
phone calls aren't answered
Wi-Fi or WiFi noun We have Wi-Fi throughout the building, so you can use
your smartphone or computer anywhere you like. a technology that allows
smartphones, personal and tablet computers, video-game consoles, smart TVs,
etc. to access a wireless local area network
wireless network or network noun Your phone can hook into networks in other
countries if your service provider has deals with them. a system of radio-
frequency cell towers that transmit phone calls and other digital data within a
limited service area
This quiz tests your understanding of words listed on the Telephone Vocabulary
page.

1. If someone leaves you a message on voicemail, you have to _______ it.

read
listen to
text
2. I'm sorry, but I really have to take this

ring
tone
call
3. We don't speak on the phone much because _______ each other is cheaper.

calling
texting
dialling
4. I was fined for using my _______ while I was driving.

landline phone
mobile phone
pay phone
5. If I really like a song, I make it my phone's

ringtone
dial tone
pick-up tone
6. I'm busy right now. Can you _______ later?
hang up
call back
call through
7. To use the phone in your hotel room, you have to _______ "0" for the
operator first.

answer
pick up
dial
8. Maria's not here just now. Would you like her to _______ your call?

return
answer
take
9. You'll need coins or a phone card if you want to use a

cell phone
pay phone
smartphone
10. A telephone call in which three or more people can hear and speak with one
another is a

conference call
robocall
busy signal

1. listen to
2. call
3. texting
4. mobile phone
5. ringtone
6. call back
7. dial
8. return
9. pay phone
10. conference call

The Vocabulary of Mobile Phones

zombie
This article is a summary of vocabulary I have taught on the topic of smart
phones. [Updated May 2020 with new vocabulary]

A mobile phone a telephone with access to a cellular network (3G, 4G, 5G)
system so it can be used over a wide area, without a physical connection to a
network. Before mobile phones there were land-line phones. In Australia we
call it a “mobile” and in America they call them cell-phones.

A smart phone is a mobile phone that performs many of the functions of a

computer, typically having a touchscreen interface, Internet access, camera,
and an operating system capable of running downloaded apps (programs
downloaded from the Apple iStore or Google Play). A user needs to find a
service provider and a plan of which there are many kinds – prepaid, SIM Only,
or a monthly plan. Often there is a contract which includes the purchase of the
phone. When you get a new phone check if it is locked (meaning it can only be
used with one cellular network or provider) or unlocked meaning you can
change phone companies after your contract expires.

The main service providers in Australia are Telstra, Optus, Virgin and
Vodaphone . Do you use another provider? Let me know in the comments.
What do you call smart phone in other languages? keita-denwa (Japanese),
handphone 핸드폰 Handeupon (Korean), teléfono móvil (Spanish), cellular
(Portuguese).

Here is some introductory vocabulary from a YouTube video.

Power Button (to turn on and off)

Home Button (used to unlock)
Volume Controls – Up and Down
Sound Off Switch
Settings
WiFi – wireless networking
Bluetooth – for wireless connection to other devices nearby such as
headphones.
Cellular Data – accessing the Internet over the mobile network
Keyboards (English, Emoji, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, etc….), Shift, Cap Locks
Icons – colourful symbols representing apps
Vibrate – a quieter way of being alerted to a call or message notifications
Flight mode – turn off mobile data and wifi connection so the phone stops
transmitting and receiving signal.
Home screen – what you see when you unlock your phone
Ring Tone, Alert Tone …. the different sounds used to alert the user of an
event.
Actions
There are many actions you can do with a phone. Some of these are phrasal
verbs (verb + preposition).

Tap an icon
Double tap
swipe left
swipe right
scroll up
scroll down
turn on
turn off
turn up, turn down (the volume or brightness)
plug in your earphones or charger
Some more actions:

Send a message (text)

Read a message, text, post, article, etc…
Reply to a message
Browse Facebook or Instagram
Post a photo to Instagram or Facebook.
Take a photo – a photo of yourself is a selfie.
Edit a photo
Make a call
Choose a ringtone
Answer a call
Text and Message are now used as verbs as well as nouns): I will text you
when I get home. Message me when you get to work. Text is also a shortened
form of text message: Send me a text.

Social Media
Social Media is the collection of online communications technology that allows
users to publish, share and comment on photos and content. There are many
popular social media (Social Networking Service) apps in use today.

Facebook
Instagram
SnapChat
Twitter
LinkedIn
TikTok (for making videos)
Is there another Social Media platform you use?

Messaging
Messaging is the ability to exchange messages with other people – either one
to one messaging or to a group of people. As well as exchanging text you can
record voice clips, send photos or videos, send your location.

Text Message – SMS (Short Message Service).

Messages sent between The iPhone messages show in blue
Whatsapp – popular in Australia and South America
iMessage (blue messages) – messages sent between iPhones appear in blue
Instagram has a messenging feature
Facetime – video call
Line – popular in Japan, Thailand and Indonesia
Kakaotalk – popular in Korea
Facebook Messenger
Viber – I dont know you uses this?

Abbey Road today

Problems
Smartphone zombies – people walking with heads bowed while they use their
phones

Smartphone addiction – an unhealthy attachment to using your phone.

nomo phobia – fear (phobia) of being separated from your phone. No mobile!

phubbing – phone-snubbing – ignoring talking to your friend by using your

phone
selficide – killing yourself by doing stupid dangerous things to take a selfie.
Read this article – over 250 people have died.

talk and text – not watching where you are walking can lead to accidents.
Watch this video:

A short film about cell phone addiction.

einstein2
More Information:
https://www.englishclub.com/speaking/telephone-vocabulary.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking_service

https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/social-media

https://www.payetteforward.com/difference-between-imessage-text-messages-
iphone/

All About Nomophobia

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October 8, 2018
English Language, Technology
3 responses to “The Vocabulary of Mobile Phones”
Obsolete landline telephones – The Blog of Charles says:
May 5, 2020 at 7:08 am
[…] may be interested to read about the vocabulary of mobile phones. This is
an article I prepared for teaching […]

Reply
chuck says:
June 2, 2020 at 10:22 pm
My sister in law who is 85 wants to buy her first cellphone I tried to find a
glossary of terms for newbies but could not. There are a lot of critical terms
which i am trying to help her with so that she can make an informed decision.
Terms like locked vs unlocked phone are critical especially for a first time buyer

Reply
Charles says:
June 2, 2020 at 11:10 pm
Good suggestion to add locked, unlocked, pre-paid, post-paid, contract … I will
look at some advertisements for phones to see what words are now used.
Thank you for your comment.

Reply
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