We have several forms which enable users to enter a phone number. Corresponding to the number, we have a "Phone Type" field which allows them to select work, mobile, home etc.
Phone Type lacks descriptiveness but I haven't been about to see any particular semantics for the term.
In this case, what is the proper term for "Phone Type"?
Why do you need to know the phone type? Is what you really want to know the preferred phone number and secondary phone number?
It seems to me that when people ask for "home", "work" and "mobile" phone numbers, they are assuming that the home number is preferred, and you should try to reach them at that number first. One might then try work number during the day and then the mobile phone last since that was once considered an expensive call.
But none of these assumptions holds true today. I might want you to call me at work in the evening if the mobile number is somehow not answered (when does THAT happen?) and really never to call the home landline (if such a thing exists). In my case, for example, I do not have a home landline and nobody ever calls me at my work number (except for wrong numbers). I prefer everyone just call my mobile phone.
This situation is a good example of the UX principle to identify the need rather than just collect data or go with what we've always done before or what our competition does.
Unless you are gathering data on what sorts of telephones your users have, I would assume you are trying to gather information on how to contact them and some priority of method.
So why assume when you can ask them?
Give three phone number options:
Or
Please let us know how to reach you:
I think Apple has a very good and simple design pattern for the "Phone Type". They are not even displaying a label (see below).
Given the customer base you have, take a look at the most common "type" people are choosing / selecting and make it your default.
O.R. Mapper brought up a good point in comments below about tooltips, which I think is a good point and maybe a better UX given a different audience. The tooltip could provide all necessary information describing the group and labels for each field.
I think you should leave it more of a free form, because the labels may not necessarily correspond to the numbers assigned. It is up to the user to label them appropriately, thus LABEL or TYPE
I can have someone's number that is a mobile phone but it could act as an office number...so to lessen the confusion I think just LABEL and leave it in the hand of the user to allocate them as they see fit.
One thing that could be clarified is the meaning of phone type. Does it refer to the situations and types of calls the phone is used for? Or the location of the phone? Is a work-phone one that is physically located at the office all the time (like a typical stationary/landline phone), or could a mobile phone which you take with you also be a work-phone if you use it for work related calls/tasks from home?
If phone type refers to physical location, then perhaps "Phone Location" would be the right term. In this case "office" might be a more precise term than "work".
If phone type refers to situation/type of calls, then perhaps "Phone Usage" would be the right term. In this case "personal" might be a better term than "home", and you might remove the "mobile" option.
A more generic term to cover both cases would be "Phone Context", but the ambiguity (are they asking me for location or usage?) might be confusing for some users.
Also, it is worth considering whether the options should be mutually exclusive or not. For example, I only have a mobile phone, which I use for everything, both personal and work. If you were asking me for location, I would select "mobile". If you were asking me for usage then I would select both "work" and "personal".
If you are collecting contact information, you are presumably also collecting email address, and/or other information. You can add a contact method subsection and allow user to select any at random.
Alternatively, if the options are predefined, you can use toggles below the input to select the type.
Also you can autodetect if it is a mobile phone number or a landline and show appropriate toggles, so you can reduce the options shown at a time.
"Device type" is a good term if you want to stick with your method.
As long as it is clear that it pertains to the phone number provided*, what about "Contact Type"? (*so as not to invite answers like "email", ie. confusion with "preferred contact type")
