Sorry, can you repeat that, please?
Sorry I'm late.
I don't understand.
Can I have a copy, please?
How do you spell it?
I don't know.
How to say the symbols in an email address
Split the address into chunks and say each symbol as a word. Say ordinary words as words; spell only the parts that aren’t words, such as a surname or a number.
- “@” – “at”
- “.” – “dot” (in an address, never “point” or “full stop”)
- “_” – “underscore”
- “-” – “hyphen” or “dash”
- “.com”, “.net”, “.co.uk” – “dot com”, “dot net”, “dot co dot U-K”
- maya.cole8@example.net – “maya dot cole eight at example dot net”
Asking for details and checking them
The questions are short, and so are the answers. To check a detail, read it back as a question: “Is your surname Cole, C-O-L-E?” The other person only has to say yes or no.
- “What’s your email address?” – “It’s maya dot cole eight at example dot net.”
- “What’s your phone number?” – “It’s oh-seven-nine-double-oh, one-two-three, four-five-six.”
- “How do you spell it?” – “C-O-L-E.”
- “Is that right?” – “Yes, that’s right.” or “No, it’s …”
- “Sorry, can you repeat that, please?” – when you missed it
A short conversation: one detail is wrong
Below, the surname is right but the email address is missing a number. Maya doesn’t repeat everything or apologise: she says “No” and gives the correct address once. Listen, then say her lines with your own details.
Owen Is your surname Cole, C-O-L-E?
Maya Yes, that's right.
Owen And is your email maya dot cole at inbox dot net?
Maya No. It's maya dot cole eight at inbox dot net.
Owen Thanks. I have it now.
Spelling letters and numbers so they are easy to write down
Most mix-ups come from a few letters and from numbers said too fast:
- Pause between groups: say a phone number in groups of three or four digits.
- “Double” for a repeated letter or digit: “double L”, “double seven”, “double oh”.
- “Oh” or “zero” for 0: both are fine; “oh” is very common in British English.
- Letters that sound alike (B, D, P, T and V, or M and N): add a word: “B as in book”, “M as in Monday”.
- Numbers in an email: say each digit, “cole one three”, not “cole thirteen”, so nobody writes 30.
Filling in a simple form
A form wants one detail per line: the label, a colon and the detail. Read each line back before you send it. The four-line model:
- Name: Maya Cole
- Country: Argentina
- Email: maya.cole8@example.net
- Phone: 07900 123 456
- Other labels you will see: “first name”, “surname” or “last name”, and “mobile”.
Common mistakes
Each of these is easy to fix:
- “maya point cole …” In an email address, “.” is always “dot”; “point” is for numbers like 2.5.
- Spelling the whole address letter by letter. It is slow and easy to lose; spell only the name or the unusual part.
- Saying “I don’t understand” when you just didn’t hear. Ask “Sorry, can you repeat that, please?” “I don’t understand” is about meaning; “I don’t know” means you don’t have the answer.
- Saying “his email” about a woman. Choose by the owner, not the noun: “her email” for Maya, “his email” for Owen.
- Saying “yes” to a wrong readback to be polite. One wrong letter and the email never arrives; say “No” and give the correct detail.
A 10-minute daily practice routine
Say everything out loud; a little every day beats one long session a week.
- 2 minutes: play the conversation, pause after each line and repeat it.
- 3 minutes: say your own email address three times, in chunks. Record it: could a stranger write it down from this?
- 2 minutes: say your phone number in groups, then two made-up numbers with a double digit.
- 3 minutes: write the four-line form for yourself and read each line back as a check: “Is your email …?” – “Yes, that’s right.”
What comes next
Once your own details feel easy, use the same check-and-correct habit in longer exchanges: checking in at a hotel, booking a table or leaving a number on the phone. In writing, the next step is a short note saying where something is, then a short profile about your work and routine.