Why are phone numbers made up of 7 digits??

Question

why not 5 digits or 8 digits?

Answer 1

Area code
first 3 numbers (123)
Prefix
next 3 numbers (456)
Line number
next four(7890)
but some numbers are made up of more depending on where your trying to call
and 911 is only 3 numbers
think about how many people there are all over the world the a phone number not to mention people with muliple numbers or bussness with hundreds of numbers you want all kinds of info on numbers and what not try
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question659.htm
so really thenre not made up of 7 numbers at all

Answer 2

In Mexico it's 8 digits.

Answer 3

the first 3 digits define your location within an area code, for example 603-809 might be one city while 243-508 is another city.


Quote from Wikipedia:
In the UK, exchanges in the major cities were represented by three letters followed by four numbers; the letters usually represented the name of the exchange area (e.g. MAYfair, WATerloo), or something memorable about the locality (e.g. POPesgrove - an area where Alexander Pope once lived). This was considered easier to remember, although in London in the later part of this period it required the memorization of 7 characters (roughly the same number of characters as is usual for local calling in 2006). A word would represent the first two digits to be dialed, for example "TWinbrook" for "89" ; "BYwater" for "29"; 736-5000 was "PEnnsylvania - 6- 5 thousand". UK numbers had no letters at all except for those in the Director areas, where the first three of the seven digits were assigned letters, and written "ABBey 1234" or "WHItehall 1212", for example. A lack of pronounceable words, and the fact that most telephones world-wide have no letters on anyway, have led to the abandonment of letter usage in directory numbers except for publicity purpose

Answer 4

Good question. In some countries they are 6 or 8 digits.

Answer 5

In Australia it is 8 digits.

Answer 6

it has been scientifically proven (i heard) that 7 is the easiest number of digits to remember. but apart from that, the original number of digits came from extensions allotted to people in companies... i personally can't put it into words as eloquently as this website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phone_numbers

lol, i have pretty low standards of eloquence don't i?

Answer 7

Each phone company has different sets of numbers for esch city it's in.

Answer 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_number

I found this on wikipedia, it will help with some answers, basically the gov of each country selects how many digits they want. You would obvisouly want more than 5 to allow for more number combinations one would assume,

Answer 9

not sure but a few years ago we had to start using the area code even if we were just calling across the street! It sucks so ours are 10 digits...arrrrr

Answer 10

hmmmm 1-...-...-.... actually there are 11 numbers in all, if you do the FULL number.




spaeking about phone numbers, this is FUNNY. 1-415-356-9833

no seriously call it

no for real it's funn--eh!