Choosing a word number

Shorter is easier

Three- to five-letter words are the easiest to find and to remember, and they sit at the end of the number, where callers look for them. Six- and seven-letter words are striking but rare, because they take up almost all of the number after the area code.

Spellings that get misheard

• Words that sound like digits: FOR and four, TO and two, ATE and eight. A caller who hears "four law" may not know whether to dial the 4 or the letters.
• Words with more than one spelling, like DONUT and DOUGHNUT. Pick the spelling most of your customers would write.
• Plurals: TIRE or TIRES, LAW or LAWS. Say the number exactly the way it is written, and show it in writing wherever you can.
• Letters that sound alike on the phone, like B, D and P, sit on different keys. When you read the number out loud, read the digits.

The digits around the word

A five-letter word leaves two digits in front of it (XXX-XX-PIZZA); a three-letter word leaves four to place around it. Leftover digits that repeat or count in order are easier to remember than random ones.

A word at the end of the number is easier to read than one in the middle (XXX-X-EAT-XXX). Both dial the same way, but callers remember the end best.

Area code first, or word first?

If your customers are local, start with your area code and look for a word in it; the search here filters by area code. If you sell across the country, the word matters more than the code, and you can search every area code at once.

Test it before you buy

Say the number aloud to someone and ask them to dial it a minute later. Write it the way it will appear on your sign, card or truck. If it survives both, it will work for your callers.