Mary Moore (voice actor)

In the United States of America, Mary Moore was the first national voice of the Bell System's standardized speaking clock[1] and also provided the voice behind many telephone company recordings on equipment manufactured by Audichron.

Moore's voice was often recognized for the distinctive two-syllable pronunciations of 9 ("NY-un") and 5 ("FY-vuh").

[2] This was a requirement of telephone operators at the time, because "nine" and "five" can sound very similar on a poor-quality line.

Prior to Moore's recordings and Audichron equipment, an operator stationed in a booth would await the glow of a signal lamp, indicating that a subscriber had dialed the service; she (or, sometimes, he) would then announce the time at 10-second intervals until the lamp was extinguished.

Callers reaching a disconnected number would be informed by the operator personally.