The correct way to verbally express telephone numbers?

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#1014648 28-Mar-2014 14:58

I have a long 021 number, I always go 021 xxx xxx xx. I've had instances where I couldn't put my number in online because there wasn't enough space in the form

clevedon

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#1014652 28-Mar-2014 15:02

dimsim: i think some of the confusion arose when TC changed from 025 to 027/0274 didnt it?

its always seemed easiest to me to just have 021/022/027.. then the number

numbers like 027 4444 888 instead of 0274 444 888

in the above examples id say oh two seven, double 4, double 4, triple 8 or oh two seven four, triple four, triple eight

although whenever i do actually say that i want to correct myself to say zero two seven etc.

My original number with Telecom was 025 *** *** and then 027 *** *** and now 0274 *** ***

So the 4 at the end 0274 has never been part of my original number so I never say it with my number - if you know what I mean.

kiwirock

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#1014658 28-Mar-2014 15:18

Batwing:
kiwitrc:
Geektastic: As to whether it is 'oh'or 'zero'

it is zero. 'oh' is a letter not a number.

Correct but no one says zero two one

Radio Operator here, yes we do.

I say zero as zero. It makes people sit there thinking about it when I say it.

In the old days, didn't 0 mean operator? Perhaps that's where the lazy oh comes from.

I say my mobile as 027 xxx-xxxx because the xxx part is easier for me to remember grouped like that.

My landline I'm fortunate enough to have the last 5 digits as my mobile given the exchange I'm on. So I say 21x xxxx since I have always grouped the last 4 digits in my mind for my mobile it's easier for me to say my land line that way too.

kiwirock

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#1014662 28-Mar-2014 15:26

kiwitrc:
Batwing:
kiwitrc:
Geektastic: As to whether it is 'oh'or 'zero'

it is zero. 'oh' is a letter not a number.

Correct but no one says zero two one

Radio Operator here, yes we do.

What sort of radio do you operate?

It's easier to say zero if you're a pilot too. 0's and o's are very different in aircraft registration so you get in the habit of saying zero's as zero's in everything.

Behodar

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#1014686 28-Mar-2014 16:03

I say 021 123 4567. There's a guy at work that says 02112 34567... those five-digit groups are tough to transcribe so I'm not sure where he picked up that habit!

MikeB4

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#1014691 28-Mar-2014 16:16

I don't think I have ever really thought about it, I guess I would say and I think I do say 027-******* much the same as would write it and many forms format it.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

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LennonNZ

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#1014753 28-Mar-2014 17:41

I usually say a number in the easiest way. i.e. 0214444444 would probably say 021 444 (gap) 4444, 021444000 would say 021 triple four triple oh. It all depends all on the number.

Saying Quadruple 4 is hard sometimes for people to understand. (When I worked @ Voyager the number was 09 444 4444 so would usually say 09 four four four (wait) four four four four.
Saying to someone 09 triple four, quadruple 4 confused people. Or just say 09 and keep press 4 until we answered worked as well :-)

If we where in France. things would be completely different..

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM1FFhaWj9w

ajobbins

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#1014790 28-Mar-2014 18:23

clevedon: My original number with Telecom was 025 *** *** and then 027 *** *** and now 0274 *** ***

There were never any 027 xxx xxx numbers. The 027 prefix was always 027 xxx xxxx from launch.

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ajobbins

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#1014794 28-Mar-2014 18:30

My NZ mobile number is 021 ABC BCB and I would write is at such, but if I was saying it, I would read it as 021 AB CB CB because it's easier to understand.

Saying zero as 'oh' is fine in typical speech and over a clear line. In more important situations or say via radio where it may be less clear you would probably use the nato number alphabet to read phone number (wun, too, tree, fow-er, fife, six, sev-en, ait, nin-er, zee-ro)

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clevedon

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#1014811 28-Mar-2014 19:25

ajobbins:
clevedon: My original number with Telecom was 025 *** *** and then 027 *** *** and now 0274 *** ***

There were never any 027 xxx xxx numbers. The 027 prefix was always 027 xxx xxxx from launch.

Yes you are right, but my phone number has always been the same six numbers *** *** irrespective of the prefix numbers they have added and I always say the prefix separately before my original number *** ***

TwoSeven

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#1014814 28-Mar-2014 19:40

From a cognitive point of view, numbers (and items) are generally remembered when split into groups of three and/or four items, so when writing a phone number you probably want to be writing it using a 3-3-4 pattern so 000 111 2222. One will find this used in quite a few places - car number plates for example, post codes are another.

In NZ people usually say oh rather than zero for mobile phone area codes - I suspect because they picked up a bit of branding before number portability, otherwise for numbers it is common to say zero - for example I often hear oh-3 or zero-3 for land line area codes.

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richms

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#1014855 28-Mar-2014 21:16

WOrst is when people that have like 02x 86 40 909 say oh two one eigthy six fourty nine oh nine. So you get 021 80 6 49 09 and wonder why you get someone else.

Richard rich.ms

LennonNZ

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#1014858 28-Mar-2014 21:21

richms: WOrst is when people that have like 02x 86 40 909 say oh two one eigthy six fourty nine oh nine. So you get 021 80 6 49 09 and wonder why you get someone else.

I would say this "oh two one , eight six four , oh nine oh nine"

hio77

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#1014880 28-Mar-2014 21:47

richms: WOrst is when people that have like 02x 86 40 909 say oh two one eigthy six fourty nine oh nine. So you get 021 80 6 49 09 and wonder why you get someone else.

wow, that is bad...

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richms

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#1014888 28-Mar-2014 21:57

Yeah, ever since that episode I read it back if I am taking a message for someone.

Richard rich.ms

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