Exercise 1-19: Spelling and Numbers CD 1
Track 28
Just as there is stress in words or phrases, there is intonation in spelling and numbers. Americans seem to spell things out much more than other people. In any bureaucratic situation, you'll be asked to spell names and give all kinds of numbers—your phone number, your birth date, and so on. There is a distinct stress and rhythm pattern to both spelling and numbers—usually in groups of three or four letters or numbers, with the stress falling on the last member of the group. Acronyms (phrases that are represented by the first letter of each word) and initials are usually stressed on the last letter. Just listen to the words as I say them, then repeat the spelling after me.
Acronym Pronunciation
IBM Eye Bee Em
MIT Em Eye Tee
Ph.D. Pee Aitch Dee
MBA Em Bee εi
LA Eh Lay
IQ Eye Kyu
RSVP Are Ess Vee Pee
TV Tee Vee
USA You Ess εi
ASAP εi Ess εi Pee
CIA See Eye εi
FBI Eff Bee Eye
USMC You Ess Em See
COD See Oh Dee
SOS Ess Oh Ess
X,Y, Z Ex, Why, Zee
Spelling Pronunciation
Box Bee Oh Ex
Cook See Oh Oh Kay
Wilson Dubba You Eye El, Ess Oh En
Numbers Pronunciation
Area Code 213
Zip Code 94708
Date 9/6/62
Phone Number 555-9132