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Moguwai007 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

dial vs call

Could you please tell me which is more common to use in general?
I know people still use the word "dial" for expressions for using phones, so I am not asking which is technically correct.

1) Please dial 123426*** for more information.
2) Please call 123426*** for more information.
  

Top answer

" But for a phone that is part of some courtesy system, then "dial" or "press" -- for example a phone in a hotel lobby may have a little sign that says "Dial 1 for the front desk. )

— BarbaraPA

  • " But for a phone that is part of some courtesy system, then "dial" or "press" -- for example a phone in a hotel lobby may have a little sign that says "Dial 1 for the front desk.
  • )
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6 Answers
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For a full phone number, I'd use only "Call."

But for a phone that is part of some courtesy system, then "dial" or "press" -- for example a phone in a hotel lobby may have a little sign that says "Dial 1 for the front desk. Dial 2 for valet parking." (etc.)
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Both make sense, but I think that "call" is more appropriate there. For me, "call" focuses more on the communication, and "dial" on the physical process of dialling the number (though obviously almost no one literally "dials" numbers any more).

(Overlapped with Barbara.)
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I just remembered a lot of those little signs actually say "Touch 1" or "Touch 2" instead of "Dial." That always seemed a bit odd to me - you have to actually press it. A simple touch isn't really enough.

GYP - do you agree about the "call" for a full number?
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"Dial" tends to be used to indicate the actual physical inputting of a phone number. "Call" is more abstract and general. These words tend to be used in certain set expressions, to the exclusion of the other.

Call me when you get home. (Dial is never used in this construction. However, the following okay: "Dial me up when you get home.")

Dial the number after depositing $0.5
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BarbaraPAGYP - do you agree about the "call" for a full number?
Usually yes, because the main focus is usually on connecting with someone at the other end, not on the act of dialling per se. But I would use "dial" in connection with a full number in cases like "please dial the number carefully", for example, where you are focusing on the actual process of dial
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please help. is it correct to say " i want to dial james" is it the same as i want to call james?
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