home page
B1Neutral to formal
Definition
Meaning
The main or introductory page of a website.
Can refer to the personal start page a user sets in their browser, or more broadly to any central page from which other sections of a site are accessible.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
While historically two words ('home page'), modern usage increasingly accepts 'homepage' as a single compound noun, especially in technical writing.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical in meaning. Spelling conventions vary slightly: 'home page' (two words) is more common in formal British writing, while 'homepage' (one word) is slightly more prevalent in American technical contexts.
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both dialects due to the global nature of web terminology.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [noun] home page [verb]...Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A doorway to...”
- “The shop window of a website”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The primary digital storefront for customer engagement and branding.
Academic
The entry point to a research portal or institutional website.
Everyday
The first page you see when you go to a website.
Technical
The index.html or default document served from a web server's root directory.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We need to homepage that content for better visibility.
- They've homed the new policy document on their main site.
American English
- We should homepage the announcement.
- They homepage all major press releases.
adverb
British English
- The article was featured homepage.
- The banner displays homepage.
American English
- The promotion runs homepage for a week.
- The video is placed homepage.
adjective
British English
- The homepage design is crucial.
- Check the homepage link in the footer.
American English
- The homepage content needs updating.
- A homepage slider displays featured news.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Go to the home page and click on 'Contact us'.
- Our home page has pictures of our school.
- The home page of the news website is updated every hour.
- You can find the search bar at the top of the home page.
- A cluttered home page can overwhelm visitors and harm the user experience.
- The redesign focused on making the home page more intuitive for new customers.
- Critics argued that the media outlet's home page prioritised sensationalist headlines over substantive reporting.
- The algorithm dynamically personalises the content displayed on each user's home page.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'HOME' as your starting point on a website, just like your physical home is where you start your day.
Conceptual Metaphor
A HOME/BASE (The home page is the central location from which one explores the rest of the site).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation as 'домашняя страница' in highly technical contexts where 'главная страница' is more precise.
- Do not confuse with 'personal page' ('личная страница').
Common Mistakes
- Writing it as one word ('homepage') in formal British English documents.
- Using it to mean 'browser start page' without specifying context.
- Capitalising unnecessarily (e.g., 'Home Page').
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of a home page?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Both 'home page' and 'homepage' are acceptable. 'Home page' is traditional and preferred in some formal British styles, while 'homepage' is common in American English and technical writing.
Not exactly. A home page is the main, persistent page of a site. A landing page is any page a visitor arrives at, often created for a specific marketing campaign, and the visitor may not proceed to the home page.
Yes, but it can be ambiguous. In the early web, this was common. Now, it's clearer to say 'browser start page' or 'new tab page' for that function, and reserve 'home page' for the main page of a website.
While it depends on the site's goals, clear navigation and communicating the site's purpose/value proposition within seconds are universally critical for user retention.