settings
noun
What settings means
The options on a phone, app or computer that let you choose how it works.
Open the settings and turn on dark mode.
I changed the privacy settings.
Test yourself
Five questions about settings
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Question 1 of 5Meaning
What does settings mean?
Settings are the choices inside a phone, app or computer, such as the language, the sound or the brightness, that you can change to make it work your way.
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Question 2 of 5Situation
You want to turn off the sound and make the text bigger on your phone. You open the…
The menu where you choose how your phone works, such as its sound and text size, is called the settings. Notifications are only messages that tell you something new.
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Question 3 of 5Gap
If the app keeps sending you emails, you can turn them off in the ___.
You stop an app’s emails by changing how it works, and the place where you change that is the settings menu.
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Question 4 of 5Similar word
Which word is closest in meaning to settings?
In an app, the settings are the options you can choose, so options is the closest word. Updates are new versions, and files are things you save.
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Question 5 of 5Correct use
Which sentence uses settings correctly?
We change or adjust settings, and they are on a phone, not at it. Settings is plural here, so it cannot follow a, and make is the wrong verb.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.
Settings in a sentence
5 more examples of settings in everyday situations.
- At work
IT changed the email settings, and now my signature has disappeared.
- Travel
Before you fly, check your roaming settings to avoid a huge phone bill.
- With family
I helped my dad make the text bigger in his phone settings.
- Social media
Go to settings and choose who can see your posts.
- Troubleshooting
If the sound stops working, check the settings before you call for help.
How to use settings
Settings is plural in this meaning: “The settings are in the menu.” A single option is a setting. Common ones are sound, language and brightness.
Look in Settings first when something does not work.
Forms
- settingsingular, one option
- setrelated verb
Patterns
- change the settings on something
- in the settings
- go to Settings
- privacy / sound / language settings
Common mistakes with settings
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NotI will change the setting of my phone.
SayI will change the settings on my phone.
For the whole menu of options use the plural, settings, and talk about the settings on your phone.
Settings or setting or options?
- settings or setting
- A setting is one single option, like brightness; settings is the whole group of options, or the menu where you find them.
- settings or options
- Options is a general word for choices; settings are the saved choices that control how a device or app works. Some older programs call the menu Options.
Settings is a B2 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.
Settings word family and collocations
The words that go with settings, so you can use it in a whole phrase.
Common collocations
- open the settings
- change the settings
- privacy settings
- default settings
- adjust the settings
Word family
- settings (noun)
- setting (noun)
- set (verb)
Similar words
- options
Questions about settings
Is it setting or settings?
Use settings for the menu or for all the options together: “Open the settings.” Use setting for one option: “This setting turns off the sound.”
Do you say settings on or settings of a phone?
Say the settings on your phone, or simply your phone settings. “The settings of my phone” is understood but sounds less natural.
Should Settings have a capital letter?
When you mean the name of the app or menu on a phone, many people write Settings with a capital letter. When you talk about options in general, use a small letter.
Yesterday’s word
Do you still remember departure?
One question about the word from 16 October. Remembering a word a day later helps it stay.
One question
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What does departure mean?
A departure is the moment a plane, train or bus leaves, or the act of leaving a place at the start of a journey.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.
More tech words
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B2
glitch
A small fault that stops something, usually a machine or an app, from working properly for a short time. -
C1
verify
To check that something is true or correct, for example your identity or an email address. -
B2
storage
The space on a device or online where files, photos and apps are kept. -
B1
update
A new version of a program or app that fixes problems or adds small improvements. -
C1
automate
To make a machine or program do a job by itself, without a person. -
B2
buffering
The short stops in a video or song while your device waits for more data to load.