Technology and the internet
Everyday words for devices, apps and being online, the verbs English uses with them, and the small words learners often get wrong: on, online, log in.
When you need it
Technology is part of every topic now: you use these words to ask for the Wi-Fi password, to explain a problem to a technician, to follow instructions in an app, and to talk about how people study and work. Much of this vocabulary is international, so many words look familiar, but the prepositions and the verbs around them often differ from Ukrainian and Russian. That is where most mistakes happen.
Core words
Devices and their parts.
| Word | Note | Example |
|---|---|---|
| computer | I spend all day at the computer. | |
| laptop | a portable computer | I take my laptop to lectures. |
| tablet | My grandmother reads the news on a tablet. | |
| smartphone | usually just phone | Almost everyone has a smartphone. |
| screen | The screen is cracked. | |
| keyboard | This keyboard has no Cyrillic letters. | |
| charger | /ˈtʃɑːdʒə/ | Have you got a phone charger? |
| battery | The battery lasts all day. | |
| headphones | always plural | I can't find my headphones. |
In British English a phone you carry is a mobile or mobile phone; in American English it is a cell phone. Most of the time both simply say phone. Brand names are common in speech, but in writing and in exams it is safer to use the general word: a laptop, a tablet, a search engine.
Being online. Note that the internet takes the, and in modern style it is written with a small i.
| Word | Note | Example |
|---|---|---|
| internet | on the internet | I found the recipe on the internet. |
| website | one word; a single page is a web page | The website is down again. |
| app | short for application | Download the app to buy tickets. |
| browser | the program you use to open websites | Try a different browser. |
| link | I'll send you the link. | |
| account | Do you have an account? | |
| password | Choose a strong password. | |
| countable for one message; the system is uncountable | I got three emails from him. | |
| online | adjective and adverb, one word | I usually shop online. |
Verbs. Most of them are regular, and many are also nouns: a download, an update.
| Word | Note | Example |
|---|---|---|
| download / upload | to your device / from your device to the internet | I uploaded the photos to the cloud. |
| install | You need to install the latest version. | |
| update | verb /ʌpˈdeɪt/, noun /ˈʌpdeɪt/ | My phone is updating. |
| delete | I deleted the message by mistake. | |
| save | Don't forget to save the file. | |
| click | click on a link | Click on the link below. |
| search | search for something | I searched for the answer online. |
| share | She shared the video with her friends. | |
| charge | put energy into a battery | I need to charge my phone. |
| stream | watch or listen online without downloading | We streamed the concert live. |
Useful phrases
- log in / log out Also sign in / sign out: Log in with your email address. The noun is one word: your login details.
- go online / be online Are you online? I'll call you.
- on the internet / on a website / on social media English uses on for all of them: I saw it on social media.
- text someone Send a short message: Text me when you get home.
- my phone is dead The battery is empty; British also my battery is flat.
- reset your password When you forget it: Click here to reset your password.
- back up your files Make a copy: Back up your work before the update.
- attach a file I've attached the document to this email.
- The Wi-Fi isn't working. Pronounced /ˈwaɪ faɪ/: The Wi-Fi isn't working in my room.
- The connection is slow. Sorry, the connection is slow; I'll turn my camera off.
Common mistakes
- ✗ I found this information in the internet.
✓ I found this information on the internet.
Ukrainian в інтернеті and Russian в интернете use в, but English uses on for the internet, websites, social media, television and the radio. - ✗ I bought a new notebook for work, it has 16 GB of memory.
✓ I bought a new laptop for work, it has 16 GB of memory.
Ukrainian and Russian ноутбук is a false friend: an English notebook is almost always a paper book for notes. - ✗ My phone is discharged.
✓ My phone is dead. / My battery has run out.
Russian разрядился and Ukrainian розрядився suggest discharged, but in everyday English that word sounds technical and is mostly used for patients leaving hospital. - ✗ Enter in your account. / Come into the system.
✓ Log in to your account. / Sign in.
Увійти в акаунт / войти в аккаунт uses a verb of movement; English uses the phrasal verb log in or sign in. - ✗ The laptop froze, so I reloaded it.
✓ The laptop froze, so I restarted it.
Перезавантажити / перезагрузить is restart for a device; reload or refresh is only for a web page in a browser.
Try it
- I read about it ___ the internet.
- My phone is ___. Can I borrow your charger?
- Enter your email address and password to log ___.
- I carry my ___ to every lecture. (ноутбук)
- The app keeps crashing, so try to ___ your phone. (перезавантажити / перезагрузить)
- Could you ___ the photos to the shared folder? (put them online)