Hi friends,
my greetings to all of you. In this short article we’ll briefly go through German spelling alphabet (das Buchstabieralphabet).
So why this topic is important? Every learner knows ABC… and that’s crystal clear. Yes, you are right. Likewise the confusion may arise when talking on the phone. In the written texts there is no need to deal with that.
First of all, how spelling alphabet looks like you can find here
For Austria and Switzerland please have a look there
You will find this topic useful when contacting Service Desk, customer support or any other company that offers any kind of services or delivers support to its products.
Imagine, you have purchased coffee machine online, but something went wrong with the delivery. Your reach out to support team via phone and the first question they may ask is your name, surname, delivery number. Or you booked a flight ticket on a wrong name. It might be any specific case.
When talking on the phone, some misunderstanding with the name recognizion might occur. That’s why the staff will ask you in German “Könnten Sie bitte Ihren Namen (oder Nachnamen) buchstabieren” or “Würden Sie bitte Ihren Namen buchstabieren.” This can be even booking number or code, sort of “ABC678XYZ“.
How it works, let’s consider real example. Your are Michael Schneider.
Spelling name and surname looks following: M – Martha; I – Ida; Ch – Charlotte; A– Anton; E – Emil; L – Ludwig.
Sch – Schule; N – Nordpol; E – Emil; I – Ida; D – Dora; E – Emil; R – Richard.
Let’s spell another name and surname: Sabine Riedel.
S – Samuel; A – Anton; B – Berta; I – Ida; N – Nordpol; E – Emil
R – Richard; I – Ida; E– Emil; D – Dora; E – Emil; L – Ludwig
Without spelling the most confusing letters are M, N and V, W. That I tell you from personal experience.
Lastly answer to yourself, how is your name and surname spelled? Now it’s your turn, friends.
See extra topics:
German language and my work in IT – few examples
30 useful German phrases for daily conversation
Few quick tips regarding German learning with practical examples
