Viva voce (adverb) –(vye-vuh VOH-see) means by word of mouth; orally rather than in writing. As used by Alexander Graham Bell: “Grand telegraphic discover today… Transmitted vocal sounds for the first time… With some further modification I hope we may be enabled to distinguish… the ‘timbre’ of the sound. Should this be so, conversation viva voce by telegraph will be a fait accompli.”