Okuzeka
Office & Administration vocabulary · Phone Calls & Etiquette

Dial tone

Meaning in office & administration, with examples

nounCommon term

In office & administration, dial tone means: The steady telephone sound indicating that a line is ready for a number to be dialled.

In Turkish: çevir sesi

How it is used

Used when checking landline faults; a dial tone is heard before dialling, unlike a ringing or busy tone after the number is entered.

Example sentences

  1. There is no dial tone on the reception phone, so I cannot make an outside call.

    The missing sound suggests the line is not ready for dialling.

  2. Wait for the dial tone before entering the supplier's number.

    The instruction asks the caller to check line readiness first.

Common collocations

  • hear a dial tone
  • no dial tone
  • wait for the dial tone
  • landlineA telephone connection that uses a fixed wire system in a building, not a mobile network.
  • put on holdTo keep a caller waiting on the line for a short time, usually while you check something or find the right person.

More terms: Phone Calls & Etiquette

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