Call (verb) means to contact someone by telephone, to shout in order to attract attention, or to give a name or label to something or someone. As a noun, a call is a telephone conversation or an instance of shouting out.
What Does Call Mean?
Call is one of the most common and versatile words in English. Its core meaning is to make contact — either by telephone, by raising your voice, or by giving a designation. It comes from Old Norse kalla (to shout, to cry out) and entered Middle English around the 13th century. Before the telephone existed, call already meant both to shout and to pay a brief visit. The telephone sense developed in the late 19th century and is now its most frequent use in everyday British English.
The word belongs to the A2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) because it appears constantly in basic communication: making arrangements, giving names, and requesting attention. However, its many phrasal verb forms — call off, call back, call out, call for — extend its usefulness right up to C1 and beyond.
In British English, call also carries a formal sense of a brief visit, particularly in professional contexts: "The doctor will call at nine." This usage is less common in American English, where stop by or come over would typically be used instead. See Cambridge Dictionary's full entry on “call” for more examples.
Example Sentences (A2–C1)
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| She called to say she would be late. | A2 — telephoning, basic past simple |
| Can you call me back when you're free? | A2/B1 — phrasal verb: call back |
| They called the new policy a breakthrough, though critics disagreed. | B1/B2 — naming / labelling with noun complement |
| The manager called an emergency meeting for the following morning. | B2 — to arrange or convene an event |
| The inspector's report called into question the company's entire approach to risk management. | C1 — idiomatic: call into question = to challenge or cast doubt on |
Common Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| make a call | I need to make a quick call before we leave. |
| take a call | She stepped outside to take a call. |
| give someone a call | Give me a call when you get home. |
| answer a call | Nobody answered the call for volunteers. |
| call a meeting | The chair called a meeting for Thursday. |
| call someone's name | The teacher called every student's name in turn. |
| close call | That was a close call — the car nearly hit us. |
| on call | The GP is on call every third weekend. |
Usage Notes — Formal vs Informal
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Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I called to him by phone yesterday.
I called him yesterday. (No preposition needed for the telephone sense.)
She called at me from across the street.
She called to me from across the street. (Use "to" when shouting to attract someone's attention.)
They called off the match because of the rain was heavy.
They called off the match because of the heavy rain. (Phrasal verb followed by a noun phrase, not a clause.)
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Synonyms & Alternatives
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Frequently Asked Questions about “call”
What does call mean in English?
Call has several meanings. As a verb it most commonly means to telephone someone ('I'll call you tonight'), to shout to attract attention ('She called his name'), or to give a name to something ('They called the baby Oliver'). As a noun it refers to a telephone conversation ('I had a long call with my manager') or a shout ('There was a call for help from upstairs').
What is the difference between call and phone?
Both call and phone are used to mean contacting someone by telephone, but call is more versatile — it can also mean to shout or to name something. Phone is only used for telephone contact. Call is also slightly more formal and is the standard British English choice in professional writing. 'Give me a call' is more natural than 'Give me a phone' in most British contexts.
Is call a regular or irregular verb?
Call is a regular verb. Its past simple and past participle are both called: 'She called yesterday', 'I have called three times'. There are no irregular forms. The present participle is calling: 'He is calling from abroad.'
What are the most common phrasal verbs with call?
The most common phrasal verbs with call are: call off (to cancel — 'They called off the meeting'), call back (to return a phone call — 'I'll call you back later'), call in (to telephone an organisation — 'She called in sick'), call out (to shout, or to challenge — 'He called out the answer'), and call for (to demand or require — 'The situation calls for patience').
What is a wake-up call in English?
A wake-up call has two meanings. Literally, it is a telephone call made to wake someone up, often in a hotel. Figuratively, a wake-up call is an event that makes someone suddenly realise they need to change something: 'The accident was a wake-up call — he finally stopped speeding.' The figurative use is very common in both spoken and written English.
What is the difference between call and visit?
Call can mean a brief physical visit, especially in British English: 'The doctor will call at 10 o'clock' means the doctor will come to your home. A visit usually implies a longer or more planned stay. 'Drop in' and 'pop round' are informal British alternatives suggesting a short, often unannounced visit — similar to this sense of call.
How do you use call as a noun?
As a noun, call is used in phrases like: give someone a call ('Give me a call when you arrive'), take a call ('She stepped out to take a call'), make a call ('I need to make an important call'), answer a call ('No one answered the call'), and on call ('The doctor is on call tonight'). It can also mean a demand or need: 'There is no call for rudeness.'
What does 'on call' mean?
On call describes a person who is available and ready to work if needed, particularly in medical or emergency contexts: 'The surgeon is on call this weekend.' It can also appear with a hyphen before a noun: 'an on-call nurse'. The phrase implies that the person may be contacted at any time during their on-call period.
What is the etymology of the word call?
Call comes from Old Norse 'kalla', meaning to shout or cry out. It entered Middle English around the 13th century, replacing the Old English 'clipian'. The telephone sense developed in the late 19th century after the telephone was invented. Related Germanic words include German 'hallen' (to resound) and Dutch 'kallen' (to talk).
How can I practise using call in English?
Try LexFizz's Complete the Sentence exercise to practise call in context, or use Flash Cards to learn call alongside related vocabulary like ring, contact, reach, and answer. Listening to authentic English conversations — podcasts, films, and radio — is also highly effective, as call appears extremely frequently in everyday spoken British English.