Ever had a number call you from an area code you do not recognize? It might get you to wonder where these numbers come from and what they mean. Each phone number has different parts and each one has its unique function.
What does + mean before a phone number? What about V, TTY, and 44? To be able to identify number prefixes and what they stand for, keep reading. We will be examining these different prefixes and discussing what each one means.
What does + mean before a phone number?
The + sign is a universal code used to indicate that the number following it is a country code. This way, you don’t have to remember the number sequence when making an international call. This may sound a bit confusing, but don’t worry. We’ll break it down for you.
Let’s take the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for example. The country code for the NANP is +1. This covers the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. For the UK, the code is +44. Now, if you were trying to call the UK from the US, you would dial it as 011-44-xxxxx. However, if you were trying to call the UK from France, you could dial it as 00-44-xxxxx. There is always a sequence of digits that come before the country code when you are dialing an international number (011 from the US, 00 from France).
The sequence represents the country’s exit code. The + sign replaces that sequence. This way, you do not need to memorize that sequence whenever you need to call an international number. You just need to put the + before the country code and you are good to go! Your network provider would automatically add the exit code digits for you before dialing.
What does plus 1(+1) mean before a phone number?
+1 is the international dialing code for the US. You add plus 1 before a number when you are trying to call an American phone number from anywhere outside the country. Also, if someone from the US were to call you, your phone would automatically add +1 to the number when you save it.
How do you add + before a phone number?
Adding the + sign to any phone number is super easy. It doesn’t matter whether you use an iPhone or an Android device, all you need to do is press and hold the 0 key on your phone’s keypad. When the 0 turns to a + sign, you can dial the country code and then the number you are trying to reach.
What does V before a phone number mean?
You may have received calls from phone numbers that start with a “v” and are usually about 15 digits long. What does v before a phone number mean? There are a few possibilities. Let’s have a look.
Well, these are sometimes spam or scam calls. The number you see represents the kind of electronic dialer the telemarketing company trying to contact you uses. Some marketing companies use these dialers to track their calls and monitor how each telemarketer treats and responds to people over the phone. They also record calls for future reference to help improve their telephone marketing.
Another explanation could be the new feature Comcast launched to help people and businesses identify spam calls. With this feature, people can identify which calls are verified by Comcast, and such calls are indicated with a v. This protects you from something called spoofing. It refers to a process where the name or number on your caller ID is altered, so it appears to come from a different number than what it is. The “v” lets you know which calls are verified and which ones aren’t.
What does TTY mean before a phone number?
TTY is an abbreviation that stands for teletypewriter. It is a device that makes it possible for people who are deaf or people who have hearing impairments to communicate via telephone through sending text messages. Calling a number with TTY when your phone does not have a TTY device will not work. You’ll only get the dial tones. If you would like to reach a TTY number from the US, here’s what to do.
Dial 711 and give the operator the number you want to call. The operator will then contact that number and act as a translator on your behalf. That’s how it works.
Read also: Is There Really a WIFI Calling App That Uses Your Number?
What does 44 mean before a phone number?
The +44 prefix is the international dialing code for the United Kingdom. When you use +44 at the start of a British number, you can then call this number from anywhere outside of the UK. You will need this dialing code to reach British numbers from other countries.
Summary
Let us briefly recap this article before we conclude. We understand that calls from strange numbers come with a bit of anxiety. However, it’s almost always nothing to worry about.
The numbers with a +1 prefix simply indicate that the number is from the United States. That’s the international dialing code for US numbers.
The + sign is simply a universal code that saves you the stress of trying to remember your country’s exit code. Adding the + sign before an international dialing code will trigger your network provider to automatically provide the exit code before dialing. You do not have to memorize or type the sequence out yourself. Pretty neat, right? You can add the + symbol by simply pressing and holding the 0 key on your keypad.
There are other prefixes too. TTY is an abbreviation for teletypewriter. It is a device used by deaf people or people with hearing impairments. You can’t call these numbers if you don’t have the device as well, but we talked about a way to reach those numbers earlier in the article.
Depending on the situation, the “v” prefix could either indicate a spam number or a verified number. We explained this in detail earlier.
Lastly, +44 is absolutely nothing to worry about. It’s just the UK international dialing code and indicates that the number trying to reach you is a British number.
We hope this helps clear up the confusion!
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John follows everything happening in the tech industry, from the latest gadget launches to some of the big-name moves in the industry. He covers opinionated pieces and writes on some of the biggest names in the industry. John is also a freelance writer, so he shares articles on freelancing every now and then. email: john@tekpip.com Learn more about tekpip and the team here on our about us page.