A1 · Beginner · Personal identification
Spell your name
4 short A1 English scripts to practise how to spell your name. Read one out loud, record yourself, listen back and try again.
Key phrase How do you spell…?
First day behind the coffee machine
Hi, welcome! Name for the order? Sorry, how do you spell that? Ellie. E, double L, I, E. Got it!
It's my first day at the café. I write the first name on every cup, with a capital letter at the start. "Be careful," my boss says. "One wrong letter and the customer isn't happy." Next, please!
American English
Hi, welcome! Can I get a name for the order? Sorry, how do you spell that? Ellie. E, double L, I, E. Got it!
It's my first day at the coffee shop. I write the first name on every cup, with a capital letter at the start. "Be careful," my boss says. "One wrong letter and the customer isn't happy." Who's next?
Seaview Hotel, bad line
Hello, Seaview Hotel. Sorry, the line is terrible. Can you repeat that, please? Slowly, thank you.
I'm going to write down your surname. K, O, W, A, L, S, K, I. Let me make sure. Is that correct? Lovely. Now your phone number again, please. Oh, and welcome to Seaview!
American English
Hello, Seaview Inn. Sorry, we have a bad connection. Can you repeat that, please? Slowly, thanks.
I'm going to write down your last name. K, O, W, A, L, S, K, I. Let me make sure. Is that correct? Great. Now your cell phone number again, please. Oh, and welcome to Seaview!
Joining the library
Can you type my email, please? It's easy. My username is ella, underscore, nine nine.
Then the at sign. Then mail, dot com. No, wait! Not "dot co dot uk". Just "dot com". And no space, please.
Perfect! Now can I join the library today? I'd like to borrow six books.
American English
Can you type in my email address, please? It's easy. My username is ella, underscore, nine nine.
Then the at sign. Then gmail, dot com. No, wait! Not "dot net." Just "dot com." And no spaces, please.
Perfect! Now can I get a library card today? I'd like to check out six books.
Z is for Zeynep
I'm Zeynep Zeren Yılmaz. Zeynep starts with Z: "zed". Zeren is my middle name, but nobody uses it.
My initials are Z, Z, Y. My friends call me Zey. That's my nickname. My American friend says "zee", and I tell him: no, it's "zed"! Say it one more time, Jake. Zed. Good.
American English
I'm Zeynep Zeren Yılmaz. Zeynep starts with Z: "zee". Zeren is my middle name, but nobody uses it.
My initials are Z, Z, Y. My friends call me Zey. That's my nickname. My British friend says "zed," and I tell him: no, it's "zee"! Say it one more time, Jake. Zee. Good.
Key words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| spell verb | say or write the letters of a word in order |
| letter noun | one sign of the alphabet, like A or B |
| capital letter noun | a big letter, like A instead of a |
| double adjective | two of the same, as in 'double L' |
| How do you spell that? phrase | asks for the letters of a word |
| first name noun | the name your family gave you, before your surname |