timetable
noun
What timetable means
A list that shows the times when buses, trains or planes leave and arrive.
According to the timetable, the next bus is at nine.
Check the train timetable before you go.
Test yourself
Five questions about timetable
-
Question 1 of 5Meaning
What does timetable mean?
A timetable tells you when each bus, train or plane leaves and when it arrives, so you can plan your journey.
-
Question 2 of 5Situation
You want to know what time the last train to Oxford leaves tonight, so you look at the…
A timetable lists the times when trains leave and arrive. The platform is where you wait for the train, the route is the way it goes and the fare is its price.
-
Question 3 of 5Gap
I printed the bus ___ so that I would know when the buses leave the village.
You want to know when the buses leave, and the list of those times is the timetable. A route shows where a bus goes, not when it goes.
-
Question 4 of 5Similar word
Which word is closest in meaning to timetable?
Schedule is the American word for a timetable, a list of the times when buses, trains or planes leave and arrive.
-
Question 5 of 5Correct use
Which sentence uses timetable correctly?
We say according to the timetable, with to and the, because timetable is a countable noun. For a time of day, say at six or at six o’clock, not at 6 hours.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.
Timetable in a sentence
5 more examples of timetable in everyday situations.
- At the station
The timetable on the wall says the last train leaves at 11:40.
- Online
You can download the bus timetable from the city’s website.
- A message
Sorry, I misread the timetable, and my train gets in at six, not five.
- The news
The rail company will publish a new winter timetable next week.
- Weekend plans
Buses run less often on Sundays, so check the weekend timetable first.
How to use timetable
Timetable is British. Americans usually say schedule for transport and class schedule for school.
A timetable in school is also called a timetable: a list of lessons.
Forms
- timetablesplural
Patterns
- according to the timetable
- a bus / train / ferry timetable
- check / look at the timetable
Common mistakes with timetable
-
NotThe timetable says the bus is at 9 hours.
SayThe timetable says the bus is at 9.
You give the time of day as at 9 or at 9 o’clock. Hours is for how long something takes, not for what time it is.
Timetable or schedule?
- timetable or schedule
- Timetable is more common in British English. In American English people usually say schedule for bus and train times, as in 'Check the train schedule.'
Timetable is a B2 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.
Timetable word family and collocations
The words that go with timetable, so you can use it in a whole phrase.
Common collocations
- bus timetable
- train timetable
- check the timetable
- a school timetable
- according to the timetable
Word family
- timetable (noun, verb)
Similar words
- schedule (US)
Questions about timetable
Is timetable British or American?
Timetable is used in both, but it is much more common in British English. Americans usually say schedule, for example the bus schedule, though everyone understands timetable.
What does 'according to the timetable' mean?
It means that is the time given on the official list. 'According to the timetable, the ferry leaves at noon' tells you the planned time, which is not always the real one.
The word before
Do you still remember thorough?
One question about the word from 20 October. Remembering a word a day later helps it stay.
One question
-
What does thorough mean?
Thorough work leaves nothing out: you check every part carefully, not just the main points, so very little is missed.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.
More travel words
-
B2
accommodation
A place to stay while you travel, such as a hotel, a hostel or an apartment. -
C1
linger
To stay somewhere longer than necessary, because you enjoy it or do not want to leave. -
B2
souvenir
Something you buy or keep to remember a place or a trip. -
B1
departure
The act of leaving a place, especially at the start of a journey. -
C1
overbooked
Having more people with reservations than there are seats or rooms available. -
B2
destination
The place where a person or thing is going, especially at the end of a journey.