What's the Difference Between 'In a Call' and 'On a Call'?

In this blog post we look at when to use in a call and when to use on a call.

'In a Call' or 'On a Call'?

The phrases "in a call" and "on a call" both refer to being in a telephone conversation and the difference between the two phrases is so subtle that they can generally be used interchangeably.

"In a call" generally refers to the fact that a person is participating in a telephone conversation at the present time. It does not necessarily imply anything about the nature of the call or the role of the person in the conversation.

"On a call" generally refers to the fact that a person is scheduled to participate in a telephone conversation at a specific time. It does not necessarily imply anything about the nature of the call or the role of the person in the conversation.

It is possible that "in a call" could be used to imply that the person is a passive participant in the conversation, perhaps because they are listening to a presentation or lecture, or because they are in a conference call with multiple people speaking. 

However, this is not a strict rule, and "in a call" could be used to describe any type of telephone conversation. Similarly, "on a call" could be used to describe any type of telephone conversation, regardless of the person's role in the conversation.

Here are some examples of "in a call" and "on a call" that may help to illustrate the subtle difference between the two phrases:

  • "I'm sorry, I can't talk right now. I'm in a call with my boss." (This means that the person is currently participating in a telephone conversation with their boss.)

  • "I'm sorry, I can't talk right now. I'm in a conference call with several other people." (This means that the person is currently participating in a telephone conversation with multiple people.)

  • "I'm sorry, I can't meet with you at that time. I'm already on a call with a client." (This means that the person has a scheduled telephone conversation with a client at the time of the meeting.)

  • "I'm sorry, I can't meet with you at that time. I'm already on a call with my team." (This means that the person has a scheduled telephone conversation with their team at the time of the meeting.)

Examples of In a Call in a Sentence

Here are ten sentences using the phrase "in a call":

  1. I'm sorry, I can't talk right now. I'm in a call with my classmates.

  2. Can you send me that information by email? I'm in a call with my team and can't write anything down.

  3. I'm sorry, I can't meet with you at that time. I'm already in a call with my supervisor.

  4. I'm sorry, I can't participate in the meeting. I'm in a call with a potential partner.

  5. Can you remind me to join the call at 3:00 PM? I don't want to forget that I'm in a call with my colleagues.

  6. I'm sorry, I can't talk right now. I'm in a call with my lawyer.

  7. Can you send me that information by email? I'm in a call with a vendor and can't write anything down.

  8. I'm sorry, I can't meet with you at that time. I'm already in a call with my investor.

  9. I'm sorry, I can't participate in the meeting. I'm in a call with a prospective employee.

  10. Can you remind me to join the call at 3:00 PM? I don't want to forget that I'm in a call with my business partners.

Examples of On a Call in a Sentence

Here are ten sentences using "on a call":

  1. I'm sorry, I can't meet with you at that time. I'm already on a call with my team.

  2. Can you remind me to join the call at 3:00 PM? I don't want to forget that I'm on a call with my supervisor.

  3. I'm sorry, I can't participate in the meeting. I'm on a call with a potential partner.

  4. I'm sorry, I can't talk right now. I'm on a call with my lawyer.

  5. Can you send me that information by email? I'm on a call with a vendor and can't write anything down.

  6. I'm sorry, I can't meet with you at that time. I'm already on a call with my investor.

  7. I'm sorry, I can't participate in the meeting. I'm on a call with a prospective employee.

  8. Can you remind me to join the call at 3:00 PM? I don't want to forget that I'm on a call with my business partners.

  9. I'm sorry, I can't talk right now. I'm on a call with my client.

  10. Can you send me that information by email? I'm on a call with my colleagues and can't write anything down.


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In a Call or On a Call
In a Call or On a Call