Technology and the Internet Vocabulary in English
Do more with this exercise
Learn the words you need to talk about technology and the internet: devices like a laptop and a smartphone, online words like website, app and password, and verbs like download, upload, share and update. Read each word and its example, then do the exercises. Many sentences about technology use the passive, for example: The app was updated last week.
Devices
laptop
I use my laptop for work and for films.
smartphone
She has had her smartphone for three years.
screenthe flat part of a phone or computer that shows pictures and words
The screen of my phone broke when I dropped it.
keyboard
The keyboard on my old laptop was very noisy.
battery
The battery on my new phone lasts all day.
charger
I forgot my charger, so my phone is off.
headphones
I listen to music on my headphones on the bus.
devicea machine like a phone, a tablet or a laptop
Many families have four or five devices at home.
Online life
websitea place on the internet with pages about one topic or company
The website was built by a small team in Spain.
appa program that you use on a phone or tablet
This app was made for people who learn English.
search enginea website that helps you find things on the internet
Most people use a search engine to find information.
social mediawebsites and apps where people share photos and news
Teenagers spend a lot of time on social media.
onlineon the internet
I bought my shoes online last week.
linka word or picture that you click to go to another page
Click the link to read the full story.
email
I send about twenty emails a day.
passworda secret word that lets you into your account
Your password must have at least eight letters.
accountyour own page on a website, with your name and information
I opened an account on the shop's website.
Wi-Fia way to connect to the internet without a cable
Does the café have free Wi-Fi?
connectionthe way your device is joined to the internet
I lost my internet connection during the video call.
What we do with technology
downloadto copy a file from the internet to your device
You can download the app for free.
uploadto send a file from your device to the internet
I uploaded the photos to the website this morning.
log into go into your account with your name and password
You need your password to log in.
log outto leave your account when you finish
Please log out when you finish using a shared computer.
browseto look at web pages without looking for one special thing
I often browse the internet before I go to sleep.
shareto let other people see or use something that you have
He shared the photos with all his friends.
updateto change a program to the newest version
The app was updated last week, and now it works faster.
chargeto put electricity into a battery
I charge my phone every night.
deleteto remove something from a device
I deleted all the old photos from my phone.
postto put a message or a photo on social media
She posted a photo of her dog yesterday.
Audio uses a synthetic voice.
Practice exercises
Match the Words
Match each word with its picture or meaning.
Choose a word on the left, then its match on the right.
Choose the Correct Word
Choose the correct word or phrase for each sentence.
9.The ___ on my phone is almost empty. I need to charge it.
10.I can't ___ to my account because I have forgotten my password.
11.Teenagers spend a lot of time on ___.
12.Before the flight, I ___ two films onto my tablet so I could watch them without Wi-Fi.
13.To find information on the internet, you can use a ___.
14.She sent me a ___ to the article. I just clicked on it.
15.The app ___ last week, and now it works faster.
Fill in the Blank
Type the missing word.
Technology and the internet in English
Most of us use technology every day. We use a laptop or a smartphone with a screen and a keyboard, and we listen to music on headphones. We always need a battery, and when it is empty, we charge it with a charger.
On the internet, you go to a website, or you open an app on your phone. A search engine helps you find information, and a link takes you to another page. To use many services, you open an account with an email address and a password. Then you log in, and you log out when you finish.
Some verbs are very useful. You download a file to your device and upload a file to the internet. On social media, people post photos and share news with their friends. You can also delete old photos and update your apps. Many of these actions are described in the passive: The photo was uploaded last night.
A good connection matters too. Free Wi-Fi in a café or at the airport lets you browse the internet without using your phone data. We say online with no preposition (I read the news online) and on social media (I saw it on social media).
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between download and upload?
Download means to copy a file from the internet to your device: I downloaded a film. Upload is the opposite: you send a file from your device to the internet: I uploaded my photos to the website.
Is it log in or login?
Log in (two words) is a verb: You need a password to log in. Login (one word) is a noun or an adjective: Enter your login details on the login page. The same is true for log out and logout, and for set up and setup.
What is the difference between a website and an app?
A website is a group of pages on the internet that you open in a browser, for example a news website. An app is a program that you install on your phone or tablet. Many companies have both.
Do we say on the internet or in the internet?
We say on the internet, on social media, on a website and on my phone. We use on for things that we see on a screen. We say online without a preposition: I bought it online.
Answer key
1. laptop
Answer: 💻
A laptop is a small computer that you can carry.
2. smartphone
Answer: 📱
A smartphone is a phone with apps and the internet.
3. battery
Answer: 🔋
The battery gives electricity to your phone or laptop.
4. headphones
Answer: 🎧
You put headphones on your ears to listen to music.
5. keyboard
Answer: ⌨️
You press the keys on a keyboard to write.
6. password
Answer: a secret word that lets you into your account
You type your password to log in.
7. download
Answer: to copy a file from the internet to your device
When you download a file, it comes to your device. When you upload, it goes to the internet.
8. search engine
Answer: a website that helps you find things on the internet
Google is an example of a search engine.
9. The ___ on my phone is almost empty. I need to charge it.
Answer: battery
The battery is the part that keeps electricity. We charge it when it is empty.
10. I can't ___ to my account because I have forgotten my password.
Answer: log in
We log in to an account with a name and a password. We log out when we leave it.
11. Teenagers spend a lot of time on ___.
Answer: social media
Social media means websites and apps where people share photos and news. It is uncountable, so we do not say a social media.
12. Before the flight, I ___ two films onto my tablet so I could watch them without Wi-Fi.
Answer: downloaded
Download means copy from the internet to your device. Upload is the opposite direction.
13. To find information on the internet, you can use a ___.
Answer: search engine
A search engine is a website that helps you find things on the internet.
14. She sent me a ___ to the article. I just clicked on it.
Answer: link
You click a link to go to another page.
15. The app ___ last week, and now it works faster.
Answer: was updated
Last week is a finished time, and we do not say who did the action. Use the passive past simple: was updated.
16. I bought these shoes ___ last week. I didn't go to a shop.
Answer: online
Online means on the internet.
17. Please ___ out when you finish. Other people use this computer.
Answer: log
We log out (or sign out) of an account when we finish.
18. The café has free ___, so I can use the internet on my phone.
Answer: Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi connects your phone to the internet without a cable.
19. She ___ a video of her holiday yesterday. Now everyone can see it.
Answer: uploaded
Yesterday is a finished time, so use the past simple: uploaded (or posted, shared).
20. Your ___ must be secret. Don't tell it to anyone.
Answer: password
A password is a secret word that lets you into your account.
21. My phone is slow. I need to ___ the app to the newest version.
Answer: update
To update an app means to change it to the newest version.
22. I don't want these photos. I'm going to ___ them from my phone.
Answer: delete
To delete means to remove something from a device.