Callback vs. Call Back
“Callback” is a noun for a return phone call, a later audition or interview, or a reference to something earlier. “Call back” is a phrasal verb, including phoning someone again or returning to collect or see something.
Use “callback” for the noun (“I’m waiting for a callback”) and “call back” for the verb (“I’ll call you back”).
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| noun naming a return call or other established noun sense | callback | write as one word |
| verb meaning call again or return a call | call back | write as two words |
Quick tests
Word-class test
Can the expression be conjugated as an action, such as “called back” or “calling back”?
If yes: Use the two-word verb “call back.”
If no: If an article can precede it, as in “a callback,” use the one-word noun.
Caveat: The noun has several senses; the word-class boundary is more reliable than memorizing only the telephone meaning.
Examples
I’m waiting for a callback from the clinic.
The expression is a noun.
I’ll call you back after lunch.
The expression is a verb phrase.
She called back within ten minutes.
The past-tense verb remains two words.
Further guidance
Core difference
“Callback” names the thing or event; “call back” expresses the action.
Fast Test
If you can conjugate it—“called back,” “calling back”—use two words. If an article can precede it—“a callback”—use the noun.
Sense Boundary
The noun has several established senses, so this page focuses on the word-class boundary rather than one narrow definition.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Callback — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Callback as a noun
- Call back — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Call back as a phrasal verb