voip

IPA/vɔɪp/
IPA/vɔɪp/

voip — noun

1. a way of making telephone calls by sending speech as digital data over the inter

1.nounB2
Definition

a way of making telephone calls by sending speech as digital data over the internet, instead of using a traditional telephone network

Example

Camille calls her family in France using VoIP; it is cheaper than a regular line.

uncountable noun as direct object

The company switched to VoIP last year, so employees can take calls from home.

noun modifier pattern: VoIP + noun (system)

Common collocations
  • VoIP call
  • VoIP service
  • VoIP provider
  • VoIP system
  • VoIP technology
  • VoIP network
  • VoIP solution
  • VoIP platform
Synonyms
  • internet telephony

    more formal and technical; often used in business or academic contexts

  • IP telephony

    a technical synonym that emphasises the Internet Protocol aspect

Usage Note

VoIP is uncountable, so it does not take an article ('a VoIP') or a plural form. Frequently used as a modifier: a VoIP call, a VoIP provider.

Common Mistakes

I bought a VoIP for my office.
I switched to VoIP for my office.
VoIP is uncountable and does not take an article.
The VOIP connection is unstable.
The VoIP connection is unstable.
The standard spelling uses a capital V followed by lowercase oIP.

2. the complete name that the abbreviation VoIP represents, describing how voice da

2.nounB2
Definition

the complete name that the abbreviation VoIP represents, describing how voice data is transmitted through internet technology instead of over traditional phone circuits

Example

The technician explained that VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.

pattern: stands for + expansion

On the job application, Owen wrote he had experience with VoIP — Voice over Internet Protocol.

Common collocations
  • stands for
  • short for
  • abbreviation for

Usage Note

This sense is only used when explaining or defining what the letters in VoIP mean — not for describing how the technology works.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

VoIP is the everyday term used by consumers and businesses for making phone calls over the internet — you sign up with a VoIP provider and use a VoIP phone or app. Internet telephony is a broader, more formal term that covers all methods of voice communication over the internet, including video calling software. IP telephony is the most technical of the three, commonly found in networking manuals and engineering documents; it emphasises the underlying Internet Protocol rather than the user experience. In daily conversation, VoIP is the natural choice. A job posting might say 'experience with internet telephony required,' while a router manual would use 'IP telephony settings.'

VoIP ↗internet telephonyIP telephony

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • VoIP phone
  • VoIP call
  • VoIP service
  • VoIP provider
  • VoIP network

Prepositions

  • over VoIP
  • via VoIP
  • through VoIP

Etymology

English

VoIP is an acronym formed from the initial letters of Voice over Internet Protocol. The term emerged in the mid-1990s as companies began offering internet-based phone services as an alternative to the traditional public switched telephone network. The lowercase 'o' in 'VoIP' reflects the word 'over' in the full name, which is conventionally left lowercased even in the acronym.