Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dial tone

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.82 in modern English

Syllables: di-al -tone
IPA

9

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A telephony signal, usually in the form of a sound, used to indicate that the telephone exchange is working, has recognized an off-hook, and is ready to accept a call.

Example Sentences

"Are we jaded? Has living with AIDS become no big deal? Has AIDS had its "15 minutes?" We're over it. Goodbye. Click. Dial tone."

Inflected Forms

dial tones (plural)

Synonyms

dialling tone

Questions

What does dial tone mean?: A telephony signal, usually in the form of a sound, used to indicate that the telephone exchange is working, has recognized an off-hook, and is ready to accept a call.

How to pronounce dial tone

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “dial tone”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “dial tone” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.