This interests me

[imamosher]

Why when people read out a phone number do they always replace the initial number with a letter? ie:

"o"1875 ....... then if there is another "o" in the rest of the number they will then switch back to saying Zero?




It seems strange to me?

Perhaps I have too much free time on my hands

 

[G-MAN2004]

I've thought about this too. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say zero, instead of 'o'.

 

[imamosher]

Well because of this I make a point of sayiing zero instead of "o".

It seems american's tend to say zero instead of "o" initially in the number.

 

[tres]

I do the same - oh1720424zerozero1

then I think back at my mistake, and silently curse.

 

[Amleto]

because oh is a softer sound it's easier to say. but saying it after other numbers isnt always clear and easy to understand. we can say it at the beginning becuase everyone knows phone numbers start with 0

 

[Amleto]

incidentally, when I had area code 01509, I would say oh for both

 

[danza]

Well when I give my landline number to someone, I give it as o1444 23456o.

Infact, I always say 'o', not '0'.

 

[lcg]

I've thought about this before. I say 'o' for the area code, e.g. for 0207 I would say o2o7, but for the rest of the number I would say zero.

 

[imamosher]

incidentally, when I had area code 01509, I would say oh for both

This again seems to be a pettern, people tend to give their initial part of their number using "o" and then for the remainder switch to saying "0" ie: "o"1303 8"0""0"...

 

[imamosher]

I've thought about this before. I say 'o' for the area code, i.e. for 0207 I would say o2o7, but for the rest of the number I would say zero.

Again, same pettern

I honestly feel releived and excited that it is not just me that thinks about such things.

I wonder if its the number before that denotes whether we use an "o" or a "0"? not necessarily the number itself but the sound of the number as Amleto pointed out earlier.

 

[Hxc]

I say "oh" for both the zeros in my phone number...

 

[Cosimo]

It rolls off the tongue easily.

I say "020" as "o2o" and any other occurrences as zero.

 

[JRS]

I always use 'o' in place of '0'/zero.

 

[Nick1881]

I do the same - oh1720424zerozero1

then I think back at my mistake, and silently curse.

I do this too lol.

 

[imamosher]

I find it a strange occurance that most of the population seem to do without any real reason for.

 

[G-MAN2004]

Hmm, come to think of it, when I'm phoning to the US, I say zero zero one for the calling code, but never anything else.

 

[Darg]

I always say "o". I have one at the start and one near the end. I never say zero unless someone is having a hard time understanding me.

 

[Greenlizard0]

I say 'o' because it's one less syllable than 'ze-ro'.

 

[imamosher]

So do you agree that the people who use "o" throught their number do this only because its easier to say and takes less effort than pronouncing "0"?

 

[G-MAN2004]

So do you agree that the people who use "o" throught their number do this only because its easier to say and takes less effort than pronouncing "0"?

I'm guessing so, yes.