Learn important telephone vocabulary and phrases in English.
Learn more about useful telephone phrasal verbs in English.
Telephone Vocabulary and Phrases
Useful English Phrases On the Phone
- To run out of credit
Meaning: To use all of the credit in your phone
E.g. I’m running out of credit
- To have credit/ no credit
Meaning: To be with/ without credit
E.g. I don’t have any credit. Sorry!
- To check your balance
Meaning: To check how much credit you have
E.g. One sec. I’ll check my balance.
- To top up your phone
Meaning: To add credit to your phone
E.g. I need to top up my phone today.
- To text sby
Meaning: To tend somebody a message
E.g. I’ll text you later. OK?
- To leave a voicemail
Meaning: To leave a voice message
E.g. I never leave voicemails.
- To call sby back
Meaning: To return a phone call.
E.g. Call me back when you have time.
- To pick up
Meaning: To answer a phone call.
E.g. Please pick up the phone!
- To hang up
Meaning: To end a phone call.
E.g. Ok. I have to hang up now.
- To hang up on sby
Meaning: To angrily terminate a phone call.
E.g. Oh my God! She hung up on me!
- To give sby a missed call
Meaning: To call sby and hang up
E.g. Give me a missed call when you arrive.
- To have reception
Meaning: To have a good signal.
E.g. I don’t have reception here.
- To charge your phone
Meaning: To charge your phone battery
E.g. I have to charge my phone.
- To have low battery
Meaning: When your battery is low.
E.g. I can’t talk. I have low battery.
Important Telephone Words
- A missed call
Meaning: A call that you didn’t hear/ couldn’t answer
E.g. I have 10 missed calls! Uh-oh!
- Dead (adj)
Meaning: When your phone has no battery.
E.g. My phone is dead so I can’t call.
- Engaged (adj)
Meaning: When a phone line is busy
E.g. His phone is always engaged.