call back
SeparableThe object can go before or after the particle — but a pronoun MUST go in the middle: “clean it up”, never “clean up it”.
How to say it
Stress the particle, not the verb: call BACK. Saying “CALL back” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.
No pause between the words. /l/ runs straight into /b/ — “call back” is one rhythmic unit with a single stressed beat on the particle.
What it means
To return someone's phone call.
- “She's in a meeting — can she call you back this afternoon?”
- “I called back three times and nobody picked up.”
Similar: return a call