# phones

/ˈfoʊnz/ (US) · /fˈəʊnz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/phones
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. plural of phone

noun · CEFR A1

more than one telephone.

For teachers: the plural form of phone, referring to multiple telecommunication devices.

- The office was noisy because several phones were ringing at once.
- Modern offices often lack physical desk phones, as most employees rely entirely on mobile devices for professional communication.

### 2. headphones

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a pair of speakers you wear over your ears to listen to music.

For teachers: an informal, plural-only term for headphones or earphones.

- He put on his phones to block out the noise on the bus.
- She sat in the corner of the library with her phones on, completely absorbed in her podcast.

Usage: Always used in the plural form when referring to headphones.

## Examples

- Please turn off your phones during the movie.
- The students were asked to put their phones in their bags before the exam started.
- While early mobile phones were limited to voice calls, modern devices function as powerful handheld computers capable of high-definition video recording and complex data processing.

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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.