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Possible Duplicate:
How to pronounce @ symbol?

In Spanish, @ is called arroba.

I saw this question, and it says it's called "commercial at" according to Wikipedia. A lot of languages have a single word name for this.

Is there any single word name for @?

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  • single word? is "at sign" a long phrase?
    – Gigili
    May 10, 2011 at 19:59
  • I mean just one word (not that "at sign" is complicated or long). I'm just looking for a formal name. May 10, 2011 at 20:01
  • keep on trying then.
    – Gigili
    May 10, 2011 at 20:02
  • How was this marked as duplicate? Any logic coming forth?
    – Kris
    May 2, 2013 at 15:53
  • In Polish it's called "małpa" (monkey). I mean officially. You usually dictate addresses in Poland using either that or saying it's "on <some server">.
    – loa_in_
    Jun 20, 2016 at 19:26

1 Answer 1

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It's indeed called commercial at, but when reading it in an email address you would just say at.

So for instance:

[email protected] would be read name at domain dot com

Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, the Spanish name aroba (from which comes the French arrobase) gets its name from a unit of weight equivalent to 25 pounds, for which @ was an abbreviation.

EDIT: so, to answer your question (because apparently I haven't) either you use just at (which is fine pretty much in any context), or you use two words.

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  • Someone cares to explain the -1? I think I pretty much answered the question...
    – nico
    May 10, 2011 at 20:17
  • Just a trivia: in Portuguese we say arroba too. We even say that when reading an email: nome arroba domínio ponto com.
    – rberaldo
    May 10, 2011 at 23:08
  • @Bogdan: please reread my answer. I said that although the formal name is commercial at, when reading email addresses you would use just at, which is a single word.
    – nico
    May 11, 2011 at 4:34
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    @Bodgan: I updated my answer then. Anyway, on what basis would you say at is not formal? I am sure even the Queen would use it when telling someone Her email address.
    – nico
    May 11, 2011 at 5:02
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    I think, "There is no such word: you have to use a two-word phrase" is a fair answer to the question. If someone asks, "Who is Fred Smith's wife?" and you reply, "He isn't married", I don't think it's fair to accuse you of refusing to answer the question.
    – Jay
    Mar 12, 2012 at 18:40

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