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LET’S LISTEN!

LISTEN, UNDERSTAND & APPLY

Read the following text. Complete the table below.

Compare your answers with a partner.

1

2

How do you read telephone numbers in the US and in the UK?

In the United States (US) people usually, read each number individually (e.g., “five-five -five”) with pauses by section (every three numbers). While in the United Kingdom (UK), people often use “double” for repeated numbers and sometimes pair up digits (e.g., “double five” for "55"). If there’s a “0” in the number, Americans (US) typically say “zero,” while British English speakers often say “oh”.

For example:

US style: (415) 867-5309 would be read as "four-one-five-eight-six-seven, five-three-zero-nine."

British style: (020) 7946 0958 might be read as “oh-two -oh, seven-nine-four-six, oh-nine-five-eight.”

American or British?

The person…

American

British

…reads repeated numbers as “double.”

…reads this number: (317) 909-4233 as "three-one seven, nine-zero-nine, four-two-three."

…says this number (171) 9946 0988 as “one-seven- one, double nine-four-six, oh-nine-double eight.”