ENGLISH
REFERENCE

phone number

compound.
A1 Beginner Oxford

compound. The special sequence of numbers you use to call a person or a business on the telephone.

compound. A unique sequence of digits assigned to a telephone line or device, used to route calls to a specific recipient.


SIMPLE

Can I have your phone number?

CONTEXTUAL

He saved the new phone number in his contacts so he wouldn't forget it.

COMPLEX

The old address book contained a phone number for a person who had not been heard from in over a decade.

Usage

This compound noun is often written as two words, though 'phonenumber' is a common informal variant.

Teaching tip

Stress falls on the first word, 'PHONE number', which is a typical stress pattern for English compound nouns.

Pitfall

number of phonephone numberIn English compound nouns, the describing word ('phone') usually comes before the main noun ('number').

© 2026 English Reference