ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mobile phone

compound.
A1 Beginner Oxford

compound. A phone that you can carry with you and use anywhere. In American English, people usually call this a 'cell phone'.

compound. A portable telecommunications device that connects to a cellular network. This term is the standard in British English.


SIMPLE

I need to charge my mobile phone.

CONTEXTUAL

She checked for messages on her mobile phone as soon as the plane landed.

COMPLEX

The rapid adoption of the mobile phone has fundamentally reshaped communication patterns and social etiquette across the globe.

Origin

From mobile + phone.

Usage

This is the standard term in British English; the American English equivalent is 'cell phone'.

Teaching tip

Highlight the compound noun stress pattern: the main stress falls on 'MOBILE phone', not 'mobile PHONE', distinguishing it from a simple adjective-noun pair.

Pitfall

I forgot my mobil phone.I forgot my mobile phone.The adjective is spelled 'mobile' with an 'e' at the end.

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