Uploaded August 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Find out how to give, ask for, and talk about email and email addresses. It is because this topic seems so simple, that many people don’t bother to learn specifically how to talk about email in English. As a result, millions of people worldwide are making mistakes when giving this key information. How do you say @ in English? Speak like a global professional by learning the vocabulary and symbols of email, so clients, colleagues, and friends understand you easily – the first time. I’ll also show you how to spell your name and address using the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. This lesson is a must for greater international success in personal, cultural, academic, and professional situations. Make sure you understood everything by taking the quiz at engvid.com/how-to-say-your-email-correctly
TRANSCRIPT
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". […]
Find out how to give, ask for, and talk about email and email addresses. It is because this topic seems so simple, that many people don’t bother to learn specifically how to talk about email in English. As a result, millions of people worldwide are making mistakes when giving this key information. How do you say @ in English? Speak like a global professional by learning the vocabulary and symbols of email, so clients, colleagues, and friends understand you easily – the first time. I’ll also show you how to spell your name and address using the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. This lesson is a must for greater international success in personal, cultural, academic, and professional situations. Make sure you understood everything by taking the quiz at engvid.com/how-to-say-your-email-correctly
TRANSCRIPT
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". […]
