I telephoned him

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I telephoned him" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a past action of making a phone call to someone. Example: "After the meeting, I telephoned him to discuss the project further."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

"I telephoned him straight away," said Smith, a former professional cricket player.

The New York Times - Sports

I telephoned him at his home in St-Paul de Vence and we agreed a date and a very small fee, and he said, "I'd better get to work, baby".

The Guardian - Books

One evening soon after that, when I telephoned him from London, he said that he had known it would be me; he had come in from the fields ten minutes before the Angelus tolled, because of this hunch he had that I would be ringing.

The New Yorker

When I telephoned him a week later, he explained in a hush that he was in Istanbul attending a conference on Iraq's plans to vastly expand its power stations by offering contracts and operating profits to private investors like Shamara Holding.

The New York Times - Magazine

When I telephoned him then to explain that I was a man, he paused for a long time, chuckled and said we must get together soon, but refused ever to see me -- until tourism took a nose dive and Moi told him to fix it.

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

I telephone him.

The Guardian

"When he was very young, Roger had been the last editor of Lord Beaverbrook's flagship daily, the Express," began Benson, "and one day there was a major story brewing, and His Lordship, from his country estate, gave orders: 'Mr. Wood is not to leave his office until I telephone him.'".

Forbes

I had telephoned him at the Reed house, explained what I had done and asked him to meet me outside Manny Troy's realty company office.

The New York Times

I always telephoned him at 12 o'clock at night then at 2 o'clock and told him: 'Go home, why can't you go home?' And my son would say: 'I can't Mum, this must be done by tomorrow morning.' "This schedule continued every day during the 10 weeks of the internship.

The Guardian - Business

Finally, Gautier telephoned him.

The New Yorker

On first glance, Judge Posner, who is known for his fiery opinions, seemed to be on my side, but I decided to telephone him to see if he had any advice for resolving my marital standoff.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider your audience: "telephoned" might be less familiar to younger audiences.

Common error

Avoid using "telephoned" in very casual conversations. It can sound overly formal or stiff. In informal settings, options such as "I called him" or "I rang him" are more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I telephoned him" functions as a statement describing a completed action in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English. It specifies that the speaker initiated a phone call to the person referred to as "him".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Science

10%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "I telephoned him" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe a past phone call. While Ludwig AI confirms its correctness, it's slightly more formal than alternatives like "I called him". It is most commonly found in news and media contexts and less so in informal settings. Consider your audience and the desired tone when choosing between this and other options to ensure effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I called him

Uses a more common and concise verb "called" instead of "telephoned".

I rang him

Replaces "telephoned" with the verb "rang", which is more common in British English.

I gave him a call

Uses a more idiomatic expression to indicate making a phone call.

I phoned him up

Adds the particle "up" to the verb "phoned", slightly changing the nuance.

I reached out to him by phone

Emphasizes the act of initiating contact using a phone.

I contacted him via telephone

More formal alternative, using "contacted" and "telephone".

I got in touch with him by phone

Highlights the successful connection made.

I had a phone conversation with him

Focuses on the conversation aspect of the phone call.

I spoke with him on the phone

Emphasizes the act of speaking with the person.

I communicated with him by telephone

A more general and formal way to express contact via phone.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "I telephoned him"?

You can use alternatives like "I called him", "I rang him", or "I gave him a call" depending on the context.

Is "I telephoned him" formal?

"I telephoned him" is slightly more formal and less common than "I called him". Use it when a slightly elevated tone is desired.

Which is correct, "I telephoned him" or "I telephone him"?

"I telephoned him" is the past tense and used to describe an action that happened in the past. "I telephone him" (present simple tense) is technically correct but rarely used; "I call him" is more natural in present tense.

When should I use "I telephoned him" over "I called him"?

Use "I telephoned him" when you want to sound slightly more formal or emphasize the act of using a telephone specifically, as opposed to other forms of communication.