• 15 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Walkie Talkie

A handheld two-way radio from the front, and from the back with the cover off.

Parts of a Walkie Talkie

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Antenna
  2. Speaker/microphone jack
  3. Volume knob
  4. Push-to-talk button (PTT)
  5. Wrist strap
  6. Display
  7. Menu button
  8. Call button
  9. Channel buttons
  10. Speaker
  11. Microphone
  12. Batteries
  13. Battery cover
  14. Battery cover latch
  15. Belt clip

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

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All 15 parts on the diagram

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Front and top 11

  1. Antenna It sends and receives the radio signal. On license-free family radios it is fixed to the radio and does not come off.
  2. Speaker/microphone jack A headset plugs in here, or a separate speaker and microphone. Then you can use the radio hands-free.
  3. Volume knob Turn it clockwise to switch the radio on. Turn it further to turn the sound up. Some radios use buttons for this.
  4. Push-to-talk button (PTT) Pressing it turns off the receiver and turns on the transmitter. Hold it to talk and let go to listen.
  5. Wrist strap One way to carry the radio: the loop goes round your wrist.
  6. Display It shows the channel the radio is on and the battery level. On many radios a light behind it comes on when a key is pressed.
  7. Menu button It opens the radio's settings. The channel buttons then change the setting on show.
  8. Call button It sends a call tone to the other radios on the channel. This gets attention before you start talking.
  9. Channel buttons One moves up a channel, the other down. Two radios must be on the same channel to talk to each other.
  10. Speaker The other person's voice comes out here.
  11. Microphone Keep it an inch or two from your lips. Hold the radio upright.

Back 4

  1. Batteries Many of these radios take four AA or AAA cells. Some can use a rechargeable pack instead.
  2. Battery cover It closes the battery compartment. Here it has been taken off and laid beside the radio.
  3. Battery cover latch Lifting or pulling this catch frees the cover so it comes off.
  4. Belt clip It slides down into a slot on the back of the radio. It clips onto a belt, a purse or a backpack.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two independent sources use it. (1) Four unrelated makers' user guides for license-free handheld radios, read as full text on the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7336787 (push-to-talk button, call tone button, speaker, microphone, display, battery cover and its latch, batteries); https://archive.org/details/manuallib-id-2653213 (antenna, PTT button, call button, built-in microphone, LCD display, power/menu button, up and down buttons, external speaker/mic jack, belt clip, battery cover); https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-456917 (on/off volume knob, talk button, call button, channel up/down buttons, backlit LCD display, external speaker/microphone jack, speaker/microphone, belt clip, wrist strap, battery door latch, batteries); https://archive.org/details/manualzz-id-1336003 (antenna, on/off/volume, call, up/down, PTT, menu, ear/mic jack, wrist strap, belt clip, battery compartment cover and latch). (2) Wikipedia, text only: Walkie-talkie (speaker, microphone, antenna mounted on the top, push-to-talk button, half-duplex), Push-to-talk and Family Radio Service (permanently attached antennas). The regulator's consumer page named in the plan refuses scripted reading. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's radio, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a walkie talkie in two views: the front, with the antenna, the push-to-talk button, the display and the buttons, and the back, with the battery cover and the belt clip taken off.

Read the full guide

Front first, then the back

Numbers 1 to 3 are on top: the antenna, the speaker/microphone jack and the volume knob. Number 4, the push-to-talk button, is on the side. Numbers 5 to 11 are on the front: the wrist strap, the display, the menu and call buttons, the two channel buttons, the speaker and the microphone. Numbers 12 to 15 are at the back: the batteries, the battery cover with its latch, and the belt clip.

  • To get attention first, press the call button. Then hold the push-to-talk button and speak.
  • Both radios must be set to the same channel, or they will not hear each other.

Questions and answers

What does the PTT button do on a walkie talkie?

PTT stands for push-to-talk. The radio normally listens. Pressing the button turns off the receiver and turns on the transmitter, so you hold it while you talk and let go to hear the reply.

What does the call button do on a walkie talkie?

It sends a short call tone to the other radios on the same channel, like ringing a bell, to get attention before you start talking.

Can two people talk at the same time on a walkie talkie?

No. The radios share one channel, and only one radio on the channel can transmit at a time, although any number can listen. That is why each person lets go of the button to hear the other.

What is the jack on top of a walkie talkie for?

It is for a headset, or a separate speaker and microphone. With one plugged in, the radio can stay on a belt while you talk and listen.

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