ringtone
RING-tohn
/ˈrɪŋtoʊn/
An audible sound played by a telephone to signal an incoming call.
Refers specifically to the customizable sound or melody produced during an alert.
The story behind the word. The compound word joins the ancient bell-ringing sound ('ring') with musical pitch ('tone'). Early telephones used physical brass gongs struck by electric hammers. In the late 1990s, custom monophonic and polyphonic digital audio files replaced physical bells, coining the term 'ringtone'.
Word relationships
- ring: Ring refers to the general sound of a telephone bell, while ringtone refers to the specific digital audio file.
- chime: Chime usually refers to a soft, bell-like alert sound rather than a standard telephone ringer.
- silence: Silence is the complete absence of sound, the direct opposite of an audible ringtone.
Commonly confused with
- notification: A ringtone announces an incoming voice call, whereas a notification alerts you to messages, emails, or app updates.
Collocations
- custom ringtone
- loud ringtone
- set a ringtone
- polyphonic ringtone
Example sentences
- "His retro ringtone suddenly blasted during the silent board meeting." Public environment setting
Memory hook
RING (the phone bell) + TONE (the music pitch) = the music your phone plays when ringing. The musical ring of your incoming call.
When not to use
Do not use for non-phone acoustic alerts like microwave beeps or oven timers.
Fun facts
- In the early 2000s, ringtone downloads were a multi-billion dollar music industry sector.
Related words
Explore more words
notification, auditory, radio, mention, amplification, melody
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