Technology and internet collocations in English

By: Collocations.org Admin
Date: 18 June 2026

The language of the digital age

Technology has transformed the way we live, work, and communicate — and it has also transformed the English language. Over the past few decades, a vast number of new collocations have entered everyday English as a result of the digital revolution. These combinations are now used constantly in professional, educational, and casual contexts, and fluency in modern English increasingly requires a command of technology-related word pairings.

Some of these collocations are entirely new, built around words that simply did not exist a generation ago. Others are old collocations applied to new contexts — we "surf" the internet, "stream" content, and "mine" data, borrowing verbs from the physical world and applying them to digital ones.

Collocations for using devices and software

• Turn on a device, power up a computer, restart a system, shut down a machine
• Install an app, update software, run a programme, launch an application
• Save a file, back up data, delete a folder, restore a backup
• Click a link, scroll through a feed, swipe left or right, tap a button
• Connect to a network, lose signal, switch to wifi, run on mobile data

Collocations for the internet and online activity

• Browse the internet, surf the web, search online, go online
• Stream a video, download a file, upload content, share a post
• Send an email, reply to a message, forward a thread, cc someone in
• Create an account, log in, log out, reset a password, verify your identity
• Go viral, trend online, gain traction, build a following

Collocations for cybersecurity and privacy

• Protect your data, secure your account, encrypt a file, safeguard your privacy
• Suffer a data breach, fall victim to a scam, be hacked, detect a threat
• Set a strong password, enable two-factor authentication, update security settings
• Track user behaviour, harvest data, sell personal information, violate privacy

Collocations for artificial intelligence and emerging tech

• Train a model, process data, generate content, deploy a system
• Automate a task, streamline a workflow, optimise a process
• Raise ethical concerns, address bias, ensure transparency, build trust in AI
• Disrupt an industry, transform a sector, reshape the future of work

Keeping up with tech collocations

Technology vocabulary evolves faster than almost any other domain of English. New products, platforms, and practices generate new collocations constantly. Reading technology journalism, following industry blogs, and listening to tech podcasts will keep your vocabulary current and expose you to the latest natural word combinations in this fast-moving field. Make it a habit to note new collocations as you encounter them, and you will build an up-to-date tech vocabulary that serves you well in professional and everyday contexts alike.