Meaning & use
microphone
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A device that changes sound into an electrical signal, used to record or make sound louder.
Grammar: Countable; you can say a microphone, the microphone, or microphones.
Patterns
- speak into a microphone
- a microphone for something
- on microphone
She spoke into the microphone so everyone could hear.
The singer dropped the microphone during the show.
We need a microphone for the interview.
Word forms
| plural | microphones |
|---|
Common combinations
- speak into a microphone
- Please speak directly into the microphone.
- wireless microphone
- The presenter wore a small wireless microphone.
- microphone stand
- He adjusted the microphone stand before singing.
- on microphone
- The host was already on microphone when the show began.
- microphone check
- The sound engineer did a quick microphone check.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mic
- Informal short form; use it in conversation but not in formal writing.
- mike
- Another informal spelling of mic; common in speech and casual writing.
Opposites
Word family
- microphonic adjective
- Relating to a microphone or the quality of picking up sound.
- microphony noun
- Unwanted noise caused by mechanical vibration in electronic equipment.
Commonly confused: microphone or mic? microphone or speaker?
microphone vs mic
Mic is the informal short form of microphone. In writing, mic is more common than mike.
microphone vs speaker
A speaker makes sound; a microphone picks up sound. They are opposites in function.
Practice
The singer held the ______ close to her mouth.
Choose one answer.
You hold a microphone to sing into it. A speaker produces sound, and headphones or earphones are worn on the ears, so they do not fit the action of singing into something.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “microphone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.