# when giving a phone number, do you give the area code first or last?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-giving-a-phone-number-do-you-give-the-area-code-first-or-last/481659>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 16, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-giving-a-phone-number-do-you-give-the-area-code-first-or-last/481659 "2009-01-16T21:25:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-giving-a-phone-number-do-you-give-the-area-code-first-or-last/481659/41 "2009-01-19T00:14:42Z")

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> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> I just noticed that most people here give the phone number first, then the area code. Like 555-7934 (pause) 917.
> 
> Is this common or a regionalism?

That’s crazy. Not saying isn’t true, bit it’s crazy. Never heard it before, lived in NJ, CA, and GA.

Joe

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**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-giving-a-phone-number-do-you-give-the-area-code-first-or-last/481659/42 "2009-01-19T07:18:47Z")

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> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> Chalk me up with “never heard of it being done that way” and also as someone who always gives a full 10-digit number (there’s too many area codes around here to assume and, besides, my area code [312] does not reflect the area code the land lines in my area have [773]).

Yep. There are five local area codes in the metro area that I can think of off the top of my head; plus a number of colleges, and people who move here for work, etc. so the number of someone who lives here may actually have an area code from Texas. I’ve met quite a lot of locals with out-of-state cell phone numbers.

Giving the area code last would quickly drive everyone batty.

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