at-oncollocationprepositionstelephoneword-choice
What is the difference between the following when referring to telephone calls?
Please call me on this number. You can reach me on this number.
Please call me at this number. You can reach me at 0088000900.
Please call me through this number. You can reach us through this number.
Are they interchangeable? Which one would sound more natural and accurate?
I will hazard a guess:
There were no more trams in Denmark after 1972 - however my grandmother would tell me to take the tram for another 20 years.
They had petroleum lamps in their summer house, and when you wanted to turn off the light, you turned a brass knob until the wick was low and blew out the flame or turned it further down so the flame went out. Similar with gas lights. That is turning the lights out.
Since then, we flick a switch on and off. Turning the lights off is then taking over.
The expression does not seem to have waned much in popularity though:
Neither sounds natural to me, in the sense that I would say, and would expect to hear, slightly different versions. I'd expect to hear what time... or when should; for example:
What time will you do this?
When should we do this?
Note, this is not to say the phrases in question do not occur; ngrams for What is the right time,When is the right time (or with lower-case w's) clearly shows that they do, with use of the When... form rising steadily since the 1970's. But as shown by ngrams for What is the right time,When is the right time,What time,When should (or with lower-case w's), use of “What time” and “When should” outstrips use of those phrases, perhaps beyond the level attributable to the inherent matching advantage of two-word phrases against five-word phrases.
Also, although I don't know where else it would fit, having “is the right time” plopped down between the first word and the final phrase in the question's examples seems ungainly.
Best Answer
Acceptable everywhere, principally used in UK/Australia/New Zealand. Sounds strange to North American ears, but understood.
Acceptable everywhere, principally used in US/Canada. Might sound strange to English speakers outside North America, but widely understood.
Usually used when the caller will need to speak to an intermediary before being connected to the desired party (such as when a receptionist answers all incoming calls). Not generally used when the number connects directly to the desired party (which is "DID" Direct Inward Dial in North America, and "DDI" Direct Dial-In elsewhere).