ringer

The term "telephone" originates from Greek roots meaning "far" and "sound." While initially applied to simple devices, it now refers to electrical instruments derived from inventions like Alexander Graham Bell's. A key component of a telephone is the ringer, which alerts users to incoming calls.

There are two main types of ringers:

• Mechanical Ringers: These early versions use a magnet, clapper, and two bells. Alternating current causes the clapper to vibrate rapidly, striking the bells to create a loud sound. A switch can mute the volume.1
• Electronic Ringers: Introduced in the 1980s, these use an oscillator to adjust current for a piezoelectric transducer. This transducer, often paired with a small loudspeaker, produces adjustable-volume tones.1

Both types are activated by a specific alternating current from the switching office and remain connected even when the phone is on its hook. A "ringtone" is the sound a cell phone makes for an incoming call, a term first used in 1983.12