Ní ọdún 1876, [[Alexander Graham Bell]] ló kọ́kọ́ gba [[patent|ìwé àṣẹ ìdọ́gbọ́n]] ní [[United States|Amẹ́ríkà]] fún ẹ̀rọ kan tó gbé ohùn ènìyàn jáde kedere. Ẹ̀rọ yìí gba àtúnṣe lọ́wọ́ àwọn ọ̀pọ̀ ènìyàn míràn, nítorí bẹ́ẹ̀ ó di ohun ìlò dandan fún [[business|ìkòwò]], [[government|ìjọba]], àti àwọn [[Household|agbolé]].
TheẸ̀rọ essentialtẹlifóònù elements of a telephone are aní [[microphone|gbohùngbohùn]] kan (''ẹ̀rọ ìfiránṣẹ́''', ''transmitter'') toláti speakfi intosọ̀rọ̀ and anàti [[earphone|ẹ̀rọ ìgbọ́ràn]] (''ẹ̀rọ olùgbà'', ''receiver'') whichláti reproducesfi the voice in agbé distantohùn locationjáde.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://media.defense.gov/2017/Mar/16/2001717399/-1/-1/0/CIM_9430_1.PDF|title=United States Coast Guard ''Sound-Powered Telephone Talkers Manual'', 1979, p. 1}}</ref> In additionBákannáà, mosttẹlifóònù telephonestún contain aní ''ringerago'' totó [[wikt:Special:Search/announcement|announce]]ún anpolongo incomingìpè telephonetẹlifóònù tó callúnbọ̀, andó atún dialní orẹ̀rọ keypadayíwọ́ totàbí enterbọ́tìnì aláti fi tẹ [[telephone number|nọ́mbà tẹlifóònù]] whenfún initiatingìpè atẹlifóònù callmíràn. toẸ̀rọ anotherìgbọ́ràn telephone.àti ẹ̀rọ Theìfiránṣẹ́ receiverwà andpapọ̀ transmitternínú aretẹlifóònù usuallykannáà built intotí a [[handset]]gbé whichsí isetí heldàti upẹnu tonígbà the ear and mouth during conversation. The dial may be located either on the handset or ontí a basebá unitún to which the handset is connectedsọ̀rọ̀. TheẸ̀rọ transmitterìfiránṣẹ́ convertsún theyí [[sound wave|ohùn]]stosí [[Signal (information theory)|electricalàmi signalsẹ̀rọ-oníná]] whichtó areúnjẹ́ sentfífi throughránṣẹ́ alátorí telephoneìsopọ̀mọ́ra networktẹlifóònù tosí thetẹlifóònù receivingtó telephoneúngba ìpè, whichníbi convertstó theti signalsúnyí intoàmì audiblenáà soundsí inohùn thetó receiverṣe oré sometimesgbọ́ alétí pẹ̀lu ẹ̀rọ ìgbọ́ràn tàbí nígbà míràn pẹ̀lú [[loudspeaker|ẹ̀rọ asọ̀rọ̀pariwo]]. TelephonesÀwọn aretẹlifóònù jẹ́ àwọn ẹ̀rọ [[duplex (telecommunications)|duplex]] devices, meaningtó túmọ́si pé wọ́n ún theygba permitìgbéránṣẹ́ transmissionlọ inàti bothbọ̀ directionsní simultaneouslyẹ̀kannáà.