Transcribing Emails
Introduction
Email addresses. We all use them. We give them out all the time. But how to transcribe them is not always clear. We hope this brief document will help clarify any confusion encountered when your file's speakers start handing out their contract information.
Dissecting an Email
An email address such as bob@gmail.com is made up of three parts - username (bob), symbol (@), and domain (gmail.com) - and is generally transcribed in all lowercase letters. However, if an email address begins a sentence, we capitalize it as we would a normal sentence:
- Bobsmith@gmail.com is my email address.
If it comes at the end of a sentence, we punctuate as we would normally:
- My email is bobsmith@gmail.com.
Basic Email Rules
Simply Stated
Simply stated, simply typed.
Type: bobsmith@gmail.com
Said: Bob dot Smith at gmail dot com
Type: bob.smith@gmail.com
Spelled Out
If they spell out the whole thing, format as a normal email.
Type: bobsmith@gmail.com
When the Email is Stated and Spelled
Does NOT Repeat or Clarify Any Portion
If a speaker partially spells and partially states the email but doesn't clarify any portion, just transcribe as a normal email. There is no need to spell out "at" or "dot".
Or: Bob Smith at G-M-A-I-L dot C-O-M
Or: Bob Smith at G-M-A-I-L dot com
Or: Bob Smith at gmail dot C-O-M
Type: bobsmith@gmail.com
DOES Repeat or Clarify Portion
Letters/spellings and words are separated by commas. Every time we switch from letters/spellings to words and back again, we separate with commas. Spell out "at" or "dot" if the username or domain are spelled out (i.e., the elements attached to the symbol).
Type: Bob Smith, S-M-I-T-H, at gmail.com
Said: Bob, as in Bob the Builder, Smith, at gmail dot com
Type: Bob, as in Bob the Builder, Smith, at gmail.com
Said: Bob, B-O-B, Smith, S-M-I-T-H, at gmail dot com
Type: Bob, B-O-B, Smith, S-M-I-T-H, at gmail.com
Said: Bob, B-O-B, Smith, S-M-I-T-H, at gmail, G-M-A-I-L, dot com, C-O-M
Type: Bob, B-O-B, Smith, S-M-I-T-H, at gmail, G-M-A-I-L, dot com, C-O-M
Letters Clarified
When a speaker specifies the letters by stating another word that starts with said letter, please follow standard capitalization rules: lowercase common nouns ( cat, dog, echo, octopus, etc.) and capitalize proper nouns (Jim, Agustus, Charlie, Romeo, etc.).
- Email me at Bob, that's B, O as in octopus, B as in bravo, Smith, S-M-I, T as in Tony, H, at gmail.com
Multi-word Domains
Write multi-word domains together as one word, as you would in the email (even when spelling out).
- My email address is Bob, B-O-B, Smith, S-M-I-T-H, at unicornsarereal, R-E-A-L, dot com, C-O-M.
Numbers In An Email Address
Always format numbers as part of an email as numerals.
- So it's Wilson, W-I-L-S-O-N, son like a son, not the sun, 123, at gmail.com.
Email Address Being Echoed by Other Speaker
This scenario never looks pretty no matter how we type it. For the sake of readability, most of us at TM prefer to only use double dashes to represent the speaker who is spelling out the email. For the one repeating it back, just treat their speech like you would a normal interruption/side comment (capital letter, period at the end).
B-O-B.
--dot Smith, S-M-I-T-H, 123--
123.
--at unicornsarereal.com.
At unicornsarereal.com. Got it.
It's wilson.scott--
Wilson.scott.
--123--
123.
--at unicornsarereal--
At unicornsarereal.
--dot com.
Dot com.