Counting

In music, counting is a system of regularly occurring sounds that serve to assist with the performance of
music by allowing the easy identification of the beat.

So in a bar that contains whole half and quarter notes we can use the convention of counting 1 2 3 4

The same would true with we were mixing quarter notes with half notes.

If we are using eight notes or rest in a bar, then we should use the word between the notes

1&2&3&4&

If we are using sixteenth notes or rests then we use

1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a