Telephone vs. Telegraph: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 29, 2023
The telephone is a device for voice communication over distances, while the telegraph is an older technology for transmitting text messages using coded signals.
Key Differences
The telephone, a device used for transmitting voice across distances, revolutionized personal and business communication by allowing real-time conversation. In contrast, the telegraph, an older form of communication, transmitted messages in the form of Morse code, a series of electrical signals representing letters and numbers.
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Dec 29, 2023
Telephones evolved to include features like mobile communication, internet connectivity, and video calling. Telegraphs, being the forerunners in long-distance communication, paved the way for modern telecommunications but became obsolete with the advent of more advanced technologies like the telephone.
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Dec 29, 2023
Telephones became household items, essential for daily communication, offering a personal touch through voice. Telegraphs, primarily used for business and urgent communications in the past, required operators to send and decode messages, making them less accessible for personal use.
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The telephone had a profound impact on social interactions, business operations, and emergency services by providing immediate and direct communication. The telegraph, during its time, was revolutionary, enabling faster decision-making in areas like commerce, journalism, and military operations.
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Dec 29, 2023
Telephone communication is auditory and requires no special skills to operate, making it universally accessible. Telegraph communication was text-based, transmitted through a series of coded signals, and required trained operators to send and receive messages.
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Dec 29, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Communication Type
Voice-based, allowing real-time conversation.
Text-based, using coded signals for messages.
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Technological Era
Modern, with ongoing advancements.
Historical, with no current advancements.
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User Accessibility
Accessible to the general public without special training.
Required trained operators to send and decode messages.
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Impact on Society
Broad impact on daily life, business, and emergencies.
Revolutionized long-distance communication in its era.
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Features
Includes mobile and internet connectivity, video calling.
Limited to sending coded text messages.
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Telephone and Telegraph Definitions
Telephone
A communication device for transmitting voice across distances.
She used the telephone to call her friend in another city.
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Telegraph
An apparatus for transmitting coded messages over distances.
The telegraph operator sent an urgent message to the next town.
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Telephone
A means of communication using voice over wires or wireless networks.
The business relied heavily on telephone communication for its operations.
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Telegraph
A method for sending text messages through coded signals.
Telegraph lines connected major cities in the early 1900s.
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Telephone
A telecommunication device for audio exchange.
Emergency services are often reached via telephone.
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Telegraph
A device for long-distance transmission of textual information.
News of the victory was sent via telegraph.
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Telephone
A device connected to a network for real-time voice communication.
He installed a new telephone line in his home office.
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Dec 29, 2023
Telegraph
An early form of electronic communication for text.
Businesses used the telegraph for transmitting orders and information.
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Telephone
An instrument for simultaneously transmitting and receiving speech or other sounds over a distance by converting the sounds into signals that are sent to a similar instrument and converting them back into sounds.
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Telegraph
A communications system that transmits and receives simple unmodulated electric impulses, especially one in which the transmission and reception stations are directly connected by wires.
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Telephone
To make or try to make a telephone connection with; place a call to
Telephoned the police station.
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Telephone
To transmit (a message, for example) by telephone
I telephoned that I was sick and could not come to work.
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Telephone
To engage in communication by telephone
She telephoned to invite us to the party.
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Telegraph
To make known (a feeling or an attitude, for example) by nonverbal means
Telegraphed her derision with a smirk.
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Telephone
A telecommunication device (originally mechanical, and now electronic) used for two-way talking with another person (now often shortened to phone).
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Telegraph
To make known (an intended action, for example) in advance or unintentionally
By massing troops on the border, the enemy telegraphed its intended invasion to the target country.
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Telephone
Chinese whispers; a situation in which an initial message has been distorted and misunderstood by being passed from person to person.
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Telegraph
(uncommon) telegraphy, any process for transmitting arbitrarily long messages over a long distance using a symbolic code.
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Telephone
(ambitransitive) To (attempt to) contact someone using a telephone.
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Telegraph
The electrical device gradually developed in the early 19th century to transmit messages using Morse code; the entire system used to transmit its messages including overhead lines and transoceanic cables.
The first message transmitted by telegraph in the WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT.
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Telegraph
(video games) A visible or audible cue that indicates to an opponent the action that a character is about to take.
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Telephone
An instrument for reproducing sounds, especially articulate speech, at a distance.
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Telegraph
(figurative) To clearly communicate to another nonverbally, whether by gesture, a change in attitude, or any other sign, especially unintentionally.
Her frown telegraphed her displeasure.
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Telephone
Electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds;
I talked to him on the telephone
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Telegraph
An apparatus, or a process, for communicating intelligence rapidly between distant points, especially by means of preconcerted visible or audible signals representing words or ideas, or by means of words and signs, transmitted by electrical action.
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Telephone
Get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone;
I tried to call you all night
Take two aspirin and call me in the morning
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Telegraph
Apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)
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Telephone
An instrument for speaking to someone remotely.
The telephone rang loudly in the quiet office.
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Telegraph
A communication system using Morse code over wire networks.
The telegraph was the fastest means of communication in the 19th century.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What is Morse code used in telegraphs?
A system of dots and dashes representing letters and numbers for message transmission.
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Are telephones still widely used?
Yes, especially with advancements like smartphones and VOIP technology.
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What is a telephone?
A device used for real-time voice communication over distances.
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What is a telegraph?
An apparatus for transmitting text messages using coded signals.
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What replaced the telegraph?
Technologies like the telephone and later, the internet and email.
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How do telephones work?
They convert sound into electrical signals for transmission and then back into sound.
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Do people still use telegraphs?
No, they are largely obsolete and replaced by modern communication technologies.
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Did telegraphs need physical wires?
Originally, yes, but later versions like wireless telegraphs were developed.
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Can telephones transmit text?
Yes, modern telephones like smartphones can send text messages.
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When were telephones invented?
The first practical telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.
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Who invented the telegraph?
Samuel Morse is credited with the invention of the electric telegraph in the 1830s.
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Were telegraphs used in war?
Yes, they were crucial for military communication in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
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Are there still telephone landlines?
Yes, though they are less common with the rise of mobile phones.
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Is a smartphone considered a telephone?
Yes, it's a modern evolution of the traditional telephone.
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Do telephones require electricity?
Yes, either from a direct power source or batteries for mobile phones.
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How fast were messages sent by telegraph?
Almost instantaneously over the wire, limited only by the operator's speed.
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Was the telegraph the first form of electronic communication?
Yes, it was one of the earliest electronic communication devices.
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Dec 29, 2023
Can telephones be used for video calls?
Yes, modern smartphones and computers with telephone capabilities can make video calls.
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How did telephones impact society?
They drastically changed communication, making it instant and accessible.
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What was the impact of the telegraph on communication?
It was the first means of rapid long-distance communication, revolutionizing news dissemination and business.
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Dec 29, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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