911

911 · proper noun, noun, verb¹

Chosen by the United States in the 1960s in place of the older British 999 number as a better way to avoid accidental calls from push-button telephones. It is officially pronounced "nine-one-one" and not "nine-eleven;" the latter refers to the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington, but the pronunciation "nine-one-one" for the phone number was universal even prior to the attacks. 9/11 is universally distinguished from 911 to refer the September 11 attacks. Officially written as 9-1-1 in regulations and materials from the United States National Emergency Number Association and Federal Communications Commission, which is also advocated by some media style guides.

911 · proper noun²

1. German · borrowed fromNeunelfer
2. English today911

Selected so as to be able to continue using most of the labelling from its former name 901 after its competitor Peugeot objected that it had the legal rights to 3-digit automotive model names with a central 0 in the French market. The name 901 had been selected since it was the first version of the 6th major design project after the earlier Porsche 356, which the 911 largely replaced. The name is pronounced "nine-eleven" by analogy with German Neunelfer.

First known use, by meaning

• 1968 The telephone number for emergency services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Liberia, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Anguilla, Palau, and Tonga.
• 1964 A prominent family of sports cars manufactured by Porsche.