A wireless telephone which includes the functionality to operate in a plurality of dialing modes. When a wireless telephone is powered up and in an idle mode, a telephone user has the option of operating the phone in a first dialing mode which simulates the operation of a land line phone and a second dialing mode which is a wireless mode of operation. Either mode may be initiated without requiring any additional steps to be performed by the telephone user. In the first mode, the telephone user may depress a “Talk” button on the keypad of the wireless phone. A dial tone is transmitted through the speaker and at this point a telephone number may be entered through the keypad. After entry of the number and the passing of a timeout period, the telephone number is automatically transmitted to the telephone network in order to establish a telephonic connection. In the second mode, a telephone user begins by entering the telephone number into the memory. When entry is complete the “Talk” button may be depressed which acts to transmit the telephone number to the network.