Why are there alphabets written on the digits of a telephone?

Answer 1

Ah ha! Boy does this question make me feel old. The reason the digits are there is that phone numbers used to be a combination of words and numbers. For example, in big cities, you had "exchanges" with were designated by two letters, followed by several numbers. This system ended in most places by the 1950s and phone numbers became strictly numeric. However, the letters have remained and some people make use of the letters by requesting a phone number that spells out certain words. For example, someone in the business of selling plans on how to obtain wealth might try to get a phone number that spelled out 1-800-GET-RICH.

Answer 2

Each digit could represent a letter or number, except '1' which was a digit only. To dial a trunk call using S.T.D. you needed to dial 'O' first. This previously dialled the operator. The operator then became '100'. Conveniently the letter 'O' and zero were the same. The next digit depended on where you were dialling. If you were dialing a major city - London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool or Manchester you needed to dial the code for that area. These were known as 'Director' areas. Before S.T.D. if you lived in a director area you could dial other numbers in the director area using the lettered exchange followed by the number. For example MAYfair 1240 was MAY-1240. That's 629-1240. To dial on S.T.D. from outside London you needed to dial 'O' followed by '1' - the code for London followed by MAI-1240 so

O-1-MAI-1240
The other director areas could be dialled by 'O' followed one of the following codes: Birmingham 21
Edinburgh 31
Glasgow 41
Liverpool 51
Manchester 61


So that's 'O'-21 for Birmingham or 021 - sound familiar?


By the 60's they did away with the letter system but now alphabests are used to spell out a name of the company. The web site below is very interesting to learn more info regarding the phone service though it centers around the UK and I am from the USA I believe it is similiar

Answer 3

So you can answer in words to automatic systems like those of the Banks . With the alphabetical keys you can also write down the three first letters of the last name of a person when being asked by an answering machine.

This is known as an alphanumeric number system.

Businesses may prefer to use an alphanumeric to advertise their company, as it is often easier to remember than the telephone number. A company name such as NUMBERS, for example, may use the alphanumeric - 0845 NUMBERS. To call 0845 NUMBERS you would dial the digits - 0845 6862377.

Please note that composing text messaging from mobile phones is a totally different use of letters to alphanumeric dialling, as it requires the pressing of a numeric key a different numbers of times to produce the letter required.

Answer 4

When I was young, there weren't near as many people, and the phone numbers were assigned as words and 4 numbers: Example North 3330, and Turner 8458... the word was the area or town and the number the persons home. Also, there were "Party lines", where other townsfolk were on the same line, and you could hear them talking, and have to hang up the phone and wait or ask them for the line if it was important. (the source of much gossip in those days) If the call you needed to make was long distance, you dialed O for Operator and told her the city state, country and number you needed to reach, and she would connect you. And if you were in a real small town, just like on Andy Griffith show, "Miss Sarah, could you please connect me with John and Mary Sue's home? Oh yes< it was so nice seeing you at the store the other day! Are you coming to the BiCentennial Celebration?" "Hello?" "Oh thank you so kindly Sarah! John? Could I speak with Mary Sue? I was hoping she and the children would like to get together for a picnic! .....

Answer 5

People use to have names before the numbers. Like,
Gladstone 5----. It was dialed Gl 5 ----. They just never changed it.

Answer 6

So that companies can set up numbers that spell words.

"0800 - computer" is easier to remember than 0800 - 26678837

Answer 7

So people can put numbers in code. Just guessing?

Answer 8

so you can call phone sex lines