The Plague of Planes: How Do You Pronounce an Aircraft’s Designator? [Poll]

Real World Aviation
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IT is a question that has been up in the air (no pun intended) for a while. I’m sure you’ve questioned it when you hear people talking about aircraft. I’m sure you’ve asked yourself after hearing a British Man on a “Mayday” documentary pronounce it in a way you’ve never heard before. “He must be correct”, you think to yourself, “because he’s on Mayday and I’m not.”

It comes down to one question. Is it “Seven-Thirty-Seven”, or “Seven-Three-Seven”? Is it “Triple Seven”, or “Seven-Seven-Seven”? How about “Airbus A320”, or “Airbus 320”?

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“Brianna, look at that Seven Thirty Seven!” “Don’t you mean Seven Three Seven?” (Image: Stocksy)

Since this intrigued me, I did some digging around, made some phone calls, and gathered the opinions of a decent bunch of 737 pilots based in CYYC. Now, Canada, being the garbled mash of American English, British English, and Français, the answers varied. “Seven Three Seven”, some said, while others hopped on the “Seven Thirty Seven” bandwagon. A very Québécois Air Canada Pilot said “If you want to get technical, it’s Sept-Trois-Sept back in Montréal, sir!” I asked him “Why not Sept Trente-Sept, and he said Seven Three Seven sounds cleaner to his ears.

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An Air Canada “Sept Trois Sept” Max 8 at CYYC (Image: u/Acey91 // Reddit)

The next day, I went back to school and talked to my Psych Teacher. She said my results were quite surprising. I explained to her that unlike car commercials where they make it clear how to say it, aircraft manufacturers haven’t really stepped in on that distinction. That’s why people know it’s Volkswagen and not pronounced “Volekswagen”, for example. It’s not the same here. She concurred, and asked me to garner a larger control group, so, here I am!

I leave it up to you, IFC.

  • X-XX (“Seven-Thirty-Seven”)
  • X-X-X (“Seven-Three-Seven”)
  • X-XX Except for the 777, 707, & 717 because “Seven-Seventeen” is weird
  • X-X-X Except for the 777, I call it the Triple Seven
  • I’m inconsistent

0 voters

I’ll also throw in Airbus just for fun.

  • Airbus A320
  • Airbus 320

0 voters

The choice is yours to set it straight for once and for all. Leave a reason why in the replies, and thanks in advance for the help!

21 Likes
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Boeing Seventy-Three-Seven

6 Likes
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ok whoever voted “Airbus 320” must have a very painful death

For legal reasons this is obviously a joke

Boeing Seven Hundred Fourty Seven dash Four Zero Zero

15 Likes
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No, not the Airbus 320…

I call it the Seven Thirty Seven. As for the 777, the Triple Seven. Nice and easy.

4 Likes
5

My way:
Seven Zero Seven
Seven One Seven
Seven Two Seven
…
Triple Seven
Seven Eight Seven

3 Likes
6

Meanwhile in Brazil: Sete Seis Sete or Sete Meia Sete? (767 btw)

I call it Sete Meia Sete cuz Sete Seis Sete sound super weird for me lol

3 Likes
7

I vary between both, Seven three seven or seven thirty seven

1 Like
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I just say seven-thirty-seven because I’ve heard it like that for most of my life.

1 Like
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Personally I’ve gone with Seven Three Seven and Airbus A320 my whole life lol

2 Likes
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Thanks for all the votes everyone! Let’s keep them coming in!

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Seven-thirty-seven, Seven-seventeen, seven-fifty-seven. Only exception is the 777, which is the seven-seven-seven.

3 Likes
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737- seven tree seven

2 Likes
13

“Oh hey that was a seven-seven-seven over there”

Just sounds super wrong to me ngl

Triple 7 is like first instinct when I see one.

3 Likes
14

Where’s Boeing S e v e n H u n d r e d T h i r t y S e v e n? 😂

Lol I usually say seven three seven, etc. except the 777 (triple seven). Sometimes with the 757, 767, and 727, I’ll shorten it as in five-seven, six-seven, or two-seven. I call the 717 the seven-seventeen.

So I’m mostly consistent I guess.

2 Likes
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No no, where’s the formal name:

The Boeing Company Commercial Airplane Model Seven-Hundred Seventy-Seven Three-Hundred Extended Range

3 Likes
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diploomacy 100

me who thought it was an A320 at first

I really like this post. It is very beautifully detailed and well-expressed. I DID think of this but i never realy brought myself to find out. So, I thank @WestJet737767 for making this lol

p.s after voting how will we find out the real way of saying it

3 Likes
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I clicked on the wrong one!!! lol

2 Likes
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Some people call the 777 the “Seven-Seventy-Seven”

2 Likes
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I just say it the easy way, A320, seven three seven, seven seven seven, (I am dutch, so saying “triple seven” is weird for me)

2 Likes
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Y’all are weird. It’s obviously:

Sierra Echo Victor Echo November Tango Hotel India Romeo Tango Yankee Sierra Echo Victor Echo November and Sierra Echo Victor Echo November Sierra Echo Victor Echo November Sierra Echo Victor Echo November.

5 Likes