mobile number

Meaning

1. 1nouncountableBritish

   The series of digits that you dial to reach a particular person's portable phone rather than a landline.

   Grammar: Countable: I have two mobile numbers, one for work and one for home.

   Patterns

   • someone's mobile number
   • give someone your mobile number
   • call someone on their mobile number

   Could you give me your mobile number in case I get lost?

   She changed her mobile number after she switched networks.

   The form asks for a landline or a mobile number, but you only need one.

Word forms

Common combinations

give someone your mobile number

I gave the plumber my mobile number so he could text me when he was nearby.

save a mobile number

Save my mobile number before you leave, just in case.

dial a mobile number

If you dial the mobile number from abroad, add the country code first.

a valid mobile number

You need a valid mobile number to receive the security code.

update your mobile number

Please update your mobile number if you get a new phone plan.

Synonyms and how they differ

cell number

This is the usual American and Canadian phrase, whereas mobile number sounds natural in British, Irish and Australian English.

cell phone number

It is the longer American form and says exactly the same thing as mobile number.

phone number

It is broader and could mean a landline, so mobile number is more specific when you want a personal portable line.

contact number

It is a general term used on forms, and it might be a mobile or a landline.

Opposites

Word family

mobile noun

short for mobile phone, the handset itself

mobile phone noun

a portable phone that works over a wireless network

number noun

a figure or digit sequence used to identify something

mobility noun

the ability to move or be moved easily

Commonly confused: mobile number or landline number?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “mobile number”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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