You are on a call and a client says, "Can you read me that link?" You know the address perfectly, but the moment you reach the first symbol, you freeze. Is / called "slash" or "bar"? Is _ "underline" or "underscore"? Reading URLs and email addresses out loud is one of the most common speaking tasks in professional English, and almost no course teaches it directly.
This guide gives you the American English name of every symbol you will meet in an address, the exact spoken words for a complete email address and a complete URL, and the pronunciation traps that make listeners ask you to repeat.
The symbol names you need
| Symbol | English name | IPA | Spoken example |
|---|---|---|---|
| . | dot | /dɑt/ | example dot com |
| @ | at | /æt/ | maria at example dot com |
| / | slash (forward slash) | /slæʃ/ | example dot com slash careers |
| \ | backslash | /ˈbækslæʃ/ | C colon backslash Users |
| - | hyphen (dash) | /ˈhaɪfən/ | learn hyphen english dot com |
| _ | underscore | /ˈʌndɚskɔɚ/ | lopez underscore ninety-nine |
| : | colon | /ˈkoʊlən/ | h-t-t-p-s colon slash slash |
| # | hashtag / pound sign | /ˈhæʃtæɡ/ | press pound to continue |
| & | ampersand | /ˈæmpɚsænd/ | written with an ampersand, spoken as and |
| * | asterisk | /ˈæstɚɪsk/ | the asterisk marks a footnote |
| www | double-u double-u double-u | /ˈdʌbəl ju/ | often shortened to dub-dub-dub |
Two notes on the table. In tech conversations many Americans say "dash" for the hyphen; both words are understood, but the underscore is never called a dash. The # symbol has two names: on a phone menu it is the "pound" key ("press pound to continue"), while in links and on social media it is a "hashtag".
How to read an email address out loud
Take this address: maria.lopez_99@example.com. Here is exactly what a fluent speaker says, piece by piece:
"maria, dot, lopez, underscore, nine nine, at, example, dot com"
- Say dot for every period. Never say "point" or "period" inside an address; those words are for decimals and sentences.
- Read numbers as single digits ("nine nine") or as one number ("ninety-nine"). Both are fine; single digits are clearer on a bad connection.
- Dot com behaves like one unit with the stress on "com": dot COM. The same pattern covers dot org, dot net, and dot io.
- If a letter must be uppercase, say "capital": "capital M, then aria". To be extra clear, anchor it to a word: "capital B as in Boston".
- Finish with "all one word, no spaces" whenever the name part could be misheard as two words.
How to read a URL out loud
Now a full web address: https://www.example.com/practice/pronunciation-tips
Start with what you can skip. Native speakers almost never read "https://" aloud; they simply begin with the domain. If you truly need it, for example when dictating to IT support, say "h-t-t-p-s, colon, slash slash". The three Ws are "double-u double-u double-u", which famously takes longer to say than the rest of the address, so speakers shorten it to "dub-dub-dub" or drop it completely.
On a normal call, the address above becomes:
"example dot com, slash practice, slash pronunciation, hyphen, tips"
Pause briefly at each slash. It works like a spoken comma and gives the listener time to type. If the path is long, check in halfway with "got that so far?"
Pronunciation traps
"At", not "et"
The little word at uses the open American /æ/ vowel: /æt/. Many learners close it to /et/ or /ɑt/, and on a noisy line that tiny vowel is the difference between an address that works and one that bounces. Drop your jaw further than feels natural. You can drill this vowel on our vowel practice page.
Stress in "underscore"
It is /ˈʌndɚskɔɚ/, with the stress on the first syllable: UN-der-score. Both the second and third syllables carry the American r-colored vowels /ɚ/ and /ɔɚ/, so keep the r audible all the way through.
"Hyphen"
Say /ˈhaɪfən/. The first syllable sounds like "high", and the second is a weak /ən/. Do not stress the second syllable, and do not turn the y into /iː/.
"Ampersand"
Three syllables, stress on the first: /ˈæmpɚsænd/. Note the difference between naming the symbol and reading it: you name the character "ampersand" when dictating, but inside a company name you just read it as "and", as in "Johnson and Johnson".
"Slash"
Same /æ/ vowel again: /slæʃ/. English speakers only add "forward" or "back" when both symbols are in play; in a URL, a plain "slash" always means /. The backslash \\ almost never appears in web addresses; it belongs to Windows file paths.
Practice the key words
Tap each card to hear the American pronunciation and record yourself:
Phrases that save you on calls
- "Let me spell that for you."
- "That is all lowercase, all one word, no spaces."
- "Capital B as in Boston, the rest lowercase."
- "Underscore, not hyphen; the low line, not the short dash."
- "I will read it slowly; stop me if you need me to repeat."
- "Did you get that, or should I email it to you?"
That last line is the professional escape hatch: after reading an address twice, offering to send it in writing is completely normal, even between native speakers.
Make it automatic
Read your own email address and your company website aloud five times today using the words in this guide, and they will come out automatically on your next call. If the individual sounds still feel wobbly, work through our consonant exercises, and browse the blog for more workplace English guides.