How to say your email correctly in English + more

Hi.

I'm Rebecca from engVid.

In the next few minutes you will find out if you are giving your email address properly

in English, because in English we have certain terminology that we use when we describe an

email address.

All right?

So, in this lesson you'll find out if you're doing that properly.

Now, unfortunately, lots and lots of people around the world are not doing this properly

because they're following the conventions in their country.

Okay?

And sometimes they're borrowing words from other languages, and so on, to give that.

So, after this lesson, you will know exactly how to give your email address, how to ask

somebody for their email address, and also some of the terminology that we use when we're

talking about email.

All right?

So, let's get started.

So, first of all, this word "email" is a new word.

Right?

So there's still a bit of disagreement around the world, even in the English-speaking world,

about exactly how to use some of the detailed aspects of it.

For example: Do we write "email" just like that?

"Email" or do we write "e-mail"?

Okay?

There are all kinds of little arguments about how to do that, but let me tell you in general

some of the things that most people are following so you will always be correct.

So, first of all, email is used...

The word "email" is used as a noun, a verb, and an adjective in English, generally speaking.

Okay?

Maybe some companies have a different policy, but I'm going to tell you generally what most

people are doing today and how it's being used.

So, for example, as a noun, we could say: "I sent you an email."

All right?

That's a noun.

Or as a verb: "I'll email you."

Now, some more formal companies frown upon that; they don't like using "email" as a verb.

But again, most people when they're just speaking are using it that way.

Next, as an adjective: "He has two email addresses."

All right?

So, here, "email" is being used as an adjective, so it can be used all three ways.

All right?

Next, we can use...

Another controversial subject.

We can use "email" in a singular format or plural.

All right?

And there are a lot of arguments about how exactly we can do that; but again, I'm going

to tell you what most people are doing today.

"This email is from Fred."

Okay?

One email.

Now, some people say that we shouldn't say that and you should say: "This email message

is from Fred."

So, again, check if your company has any special rules regarding email communication and email

terminology.

Okay?

They might, and in that case, of course, follow that so that you keep your job.

All right?

But otherwise, in general, follow what I am telling you and you will be fine.

Next, plural: "These emails just arrived."

Okay?

So, again, this idea of putting the "s" is also something that people are arguing about,

but most of the time people are saying "emails" when they're talking about more than one email

message.

Okay?

All right.

Now, something else that you need to be able to do... excuse me one second.

All right.

Is when you give your email address to someone, you need to be able to know how to spell your

name and your email address, especially if you have an unusual name to someone who is

a native-English speaker.

All right?

So, you have to be able to spell it in a very clear way.

Let's suppose you're on a phone line and the phone line is really bad; people can't hear

you very well.

And even if they can hear you, they just don't recognize that name-okay?-or that word that

you're saying, so you need to reference it in some way so that people don't make mistakes.

Now, there is one way that you can use and you can learn, if you wish, it's called the

NATO Phonetic Alphabet.

Okay?

That is a system that is in place-it's used all over the world by many organizations-and

it's a system that gives a code.

All right?

So, for example: A is Alpha, B - Bravo, C - Charlie, D - Delta.

Okay?

So, sometimes...

Also airlines use this and so on, armies use this, aviation...

In the aviation world they use this system so that way...

They have to be very precise, right?

So they can be very sure that they're not just saying "B" because maybe when you said

"B", I heard "P".

No.

That can't happen if you're actually giving a word for each letter.

Right?

And that's what the NATO Phonetic Alphabet does - it gives a word instead of the letter

to explain it very clearly.

So, for example, if I want to spell "cab" using the NATO alphabet, I would say: "Charlie

Alpha Bravo".

Okay?

Or you can say: "C for Charlie, A for Alpha, B for Bravo".

Okay?

Now, if you don't feel like learning that system, which you don't have to, unless you

have a certain kind of job or something like that, just come up with a simple system for

your name of how to spell your name.

You could just say to somebody: "A for apple, b for boy, c for cat, d for dog".

Okay?

You come up with your own system, but come up with a system to spell your name.

All right?

Okay.

Now, how do we ask people for their email?

How do we give them our email?

Usually it's pretty simple.

If it's in a casual conversation you could just say: "What's your email address?"

Okay?

Or: "What's your email?"

Sometimes they don't even say "address".

When we say: "email", they understand it means email address.

Okay?

Or more formally: "Could you please give me your email?" or "Could you please give me

your email address?"

Okay?

And the way you answer is what we're going to learn now, but you start that sentence

by saying: "My email is", whatever you're going to tell them, or: "My email address

is", whatever I'm going to teach you next, which is so critical.

Keep watching.

All right.

Now let's learn how to say your email address in English.

Okay?

Now, of course, when you're speaking your language, you're going to have your own vocabulary

and terminology that is understood, and used, and accepted in your country or in your language.

But when you're speaking English, we have certain terminology for the symbols that we

use in an email address, so let's look at what they are.

All right.

So, these are the most common symbols that you need to be able to say and learn in English.

This symbol here (@), you should say: "at".

Just "at".

Okay?

So, this symbol is "at".

Repeat it after me: "at", like the word "hat".

When you're saying it, open your mouth a little bit wide so it doesn't sound like "it", but

"at".

This is not called in English "at the rate of", it's not called "strudel", it's not called

"monkey's tail", or anything else, which might be used in other countries, but is really

not the proper convention or standard in English.

All right?

So when you see this, say: "at".

When you see this (.), which is also a part of an email address, in this case we just

say: "dot".

Okay?

Normally, of course, in other situations you could use the word "period", you could use

the word "full stop", or you could say "point" when we're talking about numbers, but now

we're talking about email addresses, so we're just going to say: "dot".

All right?

So, first, let's just practice using these two symbols when we say an email address.

So: "johndoe at gmail dot com".

Say it after me: "[email protected]".

Who's John Doe?

Okay.

John Doe is just a generic name that we give for any man.

All right?

And that's just used; it's used in hospitals, it's used by police, or: "We're looking for

a John Doe.

We don't know who that person is."

It's a generic name for a man.

Similarly, a generic name for a woman is Jane Doe.

All right?

So, let's now practice saying this email address.

This would be jane dot doe at yahoo.com.

Again: [email protected].

Good.

Now, sometimes people put other symbols into their email address.

If you've already done it, then let's learn how to say it.

If you haven't done it, then try to avoid that because it just makes it a little bit

more complicated.

But if you have these symbols, this is what you need to say.

Sometimes there is a line at the bottom, okay?

And that is actually called something; it's called "underscore".

All right?

"Underscore".

When people don't know what that line at the bottom is called, they say: "You know, that

line at the bottom."

Okay?

But that line at the bottom is called "underscore".

And sometimes they have a little hyphen.

When they don't know what that's called, they say: "You know, that little dash in the middle."

Okay?

So, the proper word for that in English and in an email address is "hyphen".

Repeat it after me: "hyphen".

This one: "underscore".

Good.

This one: "dot"; this one: "at".

Good.

Now let's practice saying some more email addresses.

Okay?

John underscore doe at hotmail dot com.

Good.

Let's say this one: jane hyphen doe at gmail dot com.

Good.

Now you're getting it.

All right.

Now, sometimes instead of "dot com", you see other endings.

Okay?

Other domain endings.

For example: "dot net" for network, "dot org" for organization, "dot biz" for business,

and "dot edu" for education.

There are also many others.

All right?

So let's practice saying something like that.

Courses at abcschool dot...

What do you think it would be most likely for a school?

It could be "dot com".

It could also be, what?

Okay?

It could be "dot edu".

All right?

Very good.

And here: doug at fancyhotel dot...

Again, could be "dot com" or "dot biz".

Okay?

All right.

Now, sometimes in addition, you see country endings.

Okay?

For example: "dot ca", dot us".

"dot ca" is for Canada, "dot us" is for the United States, "dot uk" for United Kingdom,

"dot br" for Brazil, for example, "dot sa" for Saudi Arabia, "dot ru" for Russia, and

each country has a country code similar to this.

Okay?

And they're usually two letters.

All right.

So, let's now practice everything we've learned by saying a few more email addresses.

Okay?

Are you with me?

Good.

All right.

Here's this guy, he's really cool.

His name is cooljack at xyz dot ca.

Okay?

Remember?

That's a country code; Canada.

Here's another example: info at nicerestaurant dot com.

Okay?

Or: contact at nonprofit dot org.

Or, this is the way...

Okay.

So, now, this part, this is how you should actually decide what your email address should

be when you're going to use a personal email for professional purposes as well.

Okay?

You don't want to really to apply for a job with a email address that says: "cooljack"

or "wonderwoman", or something like that.

Okay?

If you want to be silly, you can have a personal email address like that; that's fine.

But normally the standard format that's often used in companies, and that's accepted, and

that looks professional is to write your first name and your last name, sometimes connected

with a dot, if necessary.

Okay?

So: first dot last at gmail-or whatever domain you have-dot com.

All right?

So, this has been a complete review of how you should say you email address in English

so you can sound professional and also so that other English speakers can understand

exactly what you're saying, whether you're telling a friend, a colleague, or a client.

Okay?

So, thanks very much for watching.

Please go to our website at www.engvid.com so you can do a quiz on this, and really master

it so you're very comfortable saying these things and making sure that you are correct

when you communicate this information.

Okay?

And also I'd be really happy if you subscribed to my YouTube channel and check out some of

my other videos there.

Bye for now.

All the best with your English.