A B727; UNDER IAH TRACON CTL; MISUNDERSTANDS CLRNC AND FLIES DIFFERENT HEADING AND DELAYS CLB TO ALT.

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WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF FROM IAH WITH A L TURN TO HDG 120 DEGS. ON DEP FREQ 119.7 WE CHKED IN CLBING TO 4000 FT. CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED AND ADDED 'NO SPD LIMIT; HIGHER IN A FEW MI.' AFTER PASSING 3100 FT AGL; I ACCELERATED TO 300 KIAS AND LEVELED OFF AT 4000 FT. SHORTLY; WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT; STILL HDG 120 DEGS AT 300 KIAS. MUCH CONFUSION SOON OCCURRED WHEN THE CTLR ISSUED A CLRNC FOR WHAT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE ACR AE00 (WE WERE AD00) TURN R HDG 180 DEGS MAINTAIN 15000 FT. FO READ BACK HEADING AND ALT ASSIGNMENT FOR ACR AD00. NO REPLY FROM CTLR. I WASN'T SURE IF THE CLRNC WAS FOR US AND ASKED THE FO TO VERIFY IT. NO REPLY FROM CTLR; SO I STARTED THE TURN BUT REMAINED AT 5000 FT. JUST A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE CTLR ISSUED US AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO 090 DEGS AND IMMEDIATE CLB TO 15000 FT WHICH WE COMPLIED WITH. THE CTLR THEN STARTED A LECTURE ON NOT MAKING TURNS THAT AREN'T ASSIGNED GIVING US A TURN BACK R TO 180 DEGS. I ASKED TO VERIFY THE HEADING ASSIGNMENT AS I WASN'T SURE THE CTLR REALLY KNEW WHAT HE WANTED US TO DO. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO CONTACT THE TRACON UPON ARR AT DEST. WHILE WE HAVE TO ACCEPT SOME OF THE BLAME FOR THIS INCIDENT; I STILL FEEL IT RESULTED FROM THE CTLR NOT LISTENING TO ACKNOWLEDGMENTS OF HIS CLRNCS. TO MY KNOWLEDGE; NO SEPARATION WAS LOST BTWN ACFT AND/OR AIRSPACE BUT IT WAS A POSSIBILITY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 392560: IF WE RESPONDED TO HEADING AND ALT IMPROPERLY; IT WAS NOT CORRECTED WHEN I READ BACK THE CLRNC. ALSO IT SEEMED THE CTLR ALSO CLIPPED THE FRONT END OF HIS XMISSIONS. I FEEL THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF: 1) NORMAL DEP SPD SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN; 2) NORMAL VOICE SPDS SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED; 3) IF MY READBACK CLRNC WAS INACCURATE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED; AND 4) IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH THE CTLR WAS WORKING MORE THAN ONE FREQ -- WHICH COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION.