Technology & Media — B1 Essential Words
Ten essential B1 words (Technology) with the complete apparatus: pronunciation, simple definitions, natural American examples, collocations, family, the common mistake and spoken usage — plus a 15-question practice quiz. Mark your status on every word.
upload /ʌpˈloʊd/ verb B1 Technology
Meaning: To send a file, photo, or video from your device to the internet or to another computer.
Example: Sophia uploads her photos to the cloud every night.
Another example: It took ten minutes to upload the video.
Collocations: upload a photo · upload a file · upload to the cloud
Synonyms: send up, post (online)
Antonyms: download
Word family: upload (v) · upload (n) · uploader (n)
⚠ Common mistake: The opposite is ’download’ (get from the internet). Don’t say ’put up’ for files — say ’upload’.
🗣 In spoken American English: People say ’It’s still uploading’ while a file is going up to the internet.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
software /ˈsɔːft.wer/ noun B1 Technology
Meaning: The programs that run on a computer or phone and tell the machine what to do.
Example: This software helps students learn English.
Another example: You need to update the software on your laptop.
Collocations: computer software · install software · software update
Synonyms: programs, apps (on phones)
Antonyms: hardware
Word family: software (n) · soft (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: ’Software’ is uncountable: say ’a piece of software’ or ’some software’, not ’a software’ or ’softwares’.
🗣 In spoken American English: People often say ’an update’ for a new software version: ’My phone got an update last night.’
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
device /dɪˈvaɪs/ noun B1 Technology
Meaning: A small machine or piece of equipment made for a special job, like a phone, a tablet, or a medical tool.
Example: You can read this book on any device.
Another example: The doctor used a small device to check his heart.
Collocations: mobile device · electronic device · a medical device
Synonyms: gadget, machine, tool
Word family: device (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Don’t confuse ’device’ with ’advice’: a device is a thing; advice is ideas that help you.
🗣 In spoken American English: Customer service often asks, ’What device are you using?’ meaning your phone or computer.
Register: neutral — a little formal, common in instructions and support
battery /ˈbæt̬.ɚ.i/ noun B1 Technology
Meaning: The part inside a phone, car, or toy that stores electricity and gives it power.
Example: My phone battery is almost dead.
Another example: We need new batteries for the remote control.
Collocations: phone battery · a dead battery · charge the battery
Synonyms: power cell
Word family: battery (n) · batteries (plural n)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’My battery is dead’ or ’My battery died’ when the power is finished — not ’My battery is closed’.
🗣 In spoken American English: People ask ’Do you have a charger? My phone is dying’ when the battery is low.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
wireless /ˈwaɪr.ləs/ adjective B1 Technology
Meaning: Using radio signals to connect devices, without wires or cables.
Example: The café in Austin has free wireless internet.
Another example: Lisa bought wireless headphones for her morning runs.
Collocations: wireless internet · wireless headphones · a wireless connection
Synonyms: cordless, Wi-Fi (for internet)
Antonyms: wired
Word family: wireless (adj) · wire (n) · wirelessly (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: ’Wireless’ describes the connection or the product: ’wireless headphones’, ’wireless internet’ — not a person or a place.
🗣 In spoken American English: Most people just say ’Wi-Fi’ for wireless internet: ’What’s the Wi-Fi password?’
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
online /ˌɔːnˈlaɪn/ adjective B1 Technology
Meaning: Connected to or available on the internet.
Example: You can buy tickets online for the game in Houston.
Another example: Tom is online now — send him a message.
Collocations: shop online · online class · go online
Synonyms: on the internet, connected
Antonyms: offline
Word family: online (adj/adv) · offline (adj/adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’on the internet’ but just ’online’ without ’the’: ’I read it online’, not ’in online’.
🗣 In spoken American English: People say ’I’m online’ to mean ’you can reach me on the internet now’.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
digital /ˈdɪdʒ.ə.t̬əl/ adjective B1 Technology
Meaning: Using computers and numbers to store and show information, like photos, music, and clocks with numbers.
Example: A digital camera saves photos as files.
Another example: The library in Seattle has thousands of digital books.
Collocations: digital camera · digital clock · the digital world
Synonyms: electronic, computer-based
Antonyms: analog
Word family: digital (adj) · digit (n) · digitally (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: A digital photo is a file, not paper. The old style is called ’analog’ or ’film’: ’a film camera’ vs ’a digital camera’.
🗣 In spoken American English: People say ’go digital’ when a business moves from paper to computers.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
keyboard /ˈkiː.bɔːrd/ noun B1 Technology
Meaning: The set of letter and number keys you press to write on a computer; also the piano-like part of a musical instrument.
Example: The K key on my keyboard is broken.
Another example: Jack plays keyboard in a small band in Nashville.
Collocations: a computer keyboard · keyboard player · on the keyboard
Synonyms: keys
Word family: keyboard (n) · key (n)
⚠ Common mistake: For computers, you ’type on the keyboard’. The mouse moves the pointer; the keyboard is for writing.
🗣 In spoken American English: People say ’keyboard warrior’ jokingly about someone who argues a lot online.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
channel /ˈtʃæn.əl/ noun B1 Technology
Meaning: A television or online video service that shows programs; you choose a channel to watch a show or to follow a creator.
Example: This cooking channel has two million followers.
Another example: Change the channel — the news is on channel 5.
Collocations: a TV channel · a video channel · change the channel
Synonyms: station (for TV)
Word family: channel (n) · channel (v)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’on this channel’ for programs: ’I saw it on a cooking channel’, not ’in this channel’.
🗣 In spoken American English: Online, creators say ’Subscribe to my channel’ to ask people to follow their videos.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
video /ˈvɪd.i.oʊ/ noun B1 Technology
Meaning: Moving pictures with sound, recorded by a camera or phone, that you can watch on a screen.
Example: Emma made a short video of her trip to Chicago.
Another example: We watch videos to learn new words.
Collocations: watch a video · a short video · video call
Synonyms: clip, recording
Word family: video (n) · video (v)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’watch a video’ and ’in the video’ for things shown in it: ’In the video, she visits New York.’
🗣 In spoken American English: People say ’Send me the video’ or ’It’s all on video’ about recordings of events.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing