A telephone dialing method relating each key of an alphabetic keyboard to a numeric digit and a telephone dialing apparatus and alphabetic keyboard device for sending dual-tone-multi-frequency (DTMF) and/or pulse telephone dialing signals over a communication path such as a local loop connecting a subscriber telephone to a switching office via a telephone dialing circuit. The alphabetic keyboard device may be configured according to a conventional typewriter QWERTY keyboard layout and is connectable to a conventional telephone to supplement its 12-key standard keypad, allowing the telephone to be dialed with individual alphabetic letters.