# phone call

CEFR A1 · Compound

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/phone-call
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

A conversation that you have with someone using a telephone.

For teachers: A communicative act conducted via a telephone network between two or more parties

## Examples

- I need to make a quick phone call.
- She received an important phone call from her doctor during the meeting.
- The tense silence was finally broken by a shrill, insistent phone call that nobody dared to answer.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I did a phone call to my mother." but "I made a phone call to my mother." — The standard verb for initiating a call is 'make', not 'do'.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: Drill the key collocations 'make a call' (to initiate) and 'get/receive a call' (to be the recipient) to build fluency.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.