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Why Do People Pronounce Zero as 'O'?

  • 15-09-2013 10:29AM
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,700 ✭✭✭ThirdMan


    I'm just wondering how this started, and do other countries do it? It doesn't make sense. I was once put through to an I.T. call-centre in India, and I was asked to confirm my phone number. There was two 'O's' in my number back then. Needless to say the guy on the phone had no idea what I was stalking about. He asked for numbers, and I was giving him letters. Lost in translation.


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Comments

  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,296 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Cos it looks like one?

    Many worry about Artificial Intelligence. I worry far more about Organic Idiocy.



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,700 ✭✭✭ThirdMan


    Wibbs wrote: »
    Cos it looks like one?

    I was hoping for a better explanation. It couldn't be as dumb as that.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,380 ✭✭✭✭Banjo String


    I can never understand why some cretins refer to the telephone as a phone.

    (O is shortened from zero)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,700 ✭✭✭ThirdMan


    I can never understand why some cretins refer to the telephone as a phone.

    I was on a mobile. In common parlance you'll never hear anyone refer to a mobile telephone. A quick Google search should satisfy your pedantry.

    (O is shortened from zero)

    Now that makes more sense. Western laziness that doesn't translate around the world. Perfect.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,063 ✭✭✭Kiwi in IE


    Yes other countries do it. Well New Zealand does anyway, I am terrible for it. As for why, I have no idea. Quicker to say 'O' than 'zero'. Zero is a word that dosn't flow nicely in a string of numbers?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19 Primus Pilus


    I would say, people say O instead of zero, because it's shorter and easier to say then zero. Many people in the states say O instead of zero too.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,345 ✭✭✭doolox


    The concept of zero didn't arrive in Europe until the early middle ages and hindu arabic numbers were not used until then. Before that Europeans used Roman Numerals and words for numbers and did all their calculations using an abacus (bead frame) or pebbles on the ground (calculi) which is where we get the word calculate from.

    Using "O" for zero is inaccurate and not done in countries where there is a good standard of maths education but is common enough here outside of the military, engineering or aviation community where accuracy is not emphasised.
    It becomes very confusing in part numbers or model numbers which sometimes can be a mix of letters and numbers. Stock and inventory workers will be familiar with this when dealing with part numbers over the phone etc.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,486 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    Zero 87 sounds wrong


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,919 ✭✭✭✭Gummy Panda


    I blame James Bond


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    naught one
    oh one
    zero one
    nil one

    I've heard all four. It's called O because it looks like 0.
    If zero is really shortened to O, why isn't two shortened to O or seven shortened to N or three shortened to E :confused:


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,634 ✭✭✭Gehad_JoyRider


    snubbleste wrote: »
    I've heard all four. It's called O because it looks like 0.
    If zero is really shortened to O, why isn't two shortened to O or seven shortened to N or three shortened to E :confused:


    mind blown


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,085 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    zero, oh, nought and nil (in certain contexts) and love in tennis are all acceptable.

    Zero is generally used in more scientific / mathematical / accounting contexts and by people being really pedantic or where you want to use it as an adjective or noun.

    e.g. Floor zero or your balance is zero.

    "oh" is what's normally used to describe the number:

    as my phone number is oh-two-oh nine-nine-nine-nine-nine-nine-nine

    I don't think there's a hard rule of grammar or usage, it's just convention and in some countries it's a little different to others too.


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 36,184 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    Why don't more people say 'niner'?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,294 ✭✭✭shamrock55


    Ive often thought about this too actually its really annoying even though i do it myself, if i was giving my no to someone face to face i would say o, but if i was speaking to a call centre or something of that nature i would say zero
    Another pet hate of mine is the way irish people say ahhh for the letter a, i spent my first 6 or 7 years in school in england and when i came home to ireland i couldnt get over why people said ahhh instead of a


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,952 ✭✭✭Lando Griffin


    If 0 = zero then OOO = k


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,359 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    What do Northern Irish say?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 71,799 ✭✭✭✭Ted_YNWA


    Why don't more people say 'niner'?

    November Oscar

    India Delta Echo Alpha


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,085 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    shamrock55 wrote: »
    Ive often thought about this too actually its really annoying even though i do it myself, if i was giving my no to someone face to face i would say o, but if i was speaking to a call centre or something of that nature i would say zero
    Another pet hate of mine is the way irish people say ahhh for the letter a, i spent my first 6 or 7 years in school in england and when i came home to ireland i couldnt get over why people said ahhh instead of a

    That's from Irish teachers who have a fixation on Gaeilge. It is "ah" in Irish it's Aey in English.

    Outside Ireland, nobody will recognise "Ah" as meaning the letter "A"

    It's "Ah" in French too.

    I've heard kids being taught "ah" "be" "cee" "dee"
    instead of "aye" "be" "cee" "dee"


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    But a phone number does not contain O, it contains 0. The latter is called zero.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,850 ✭✭✭✭The Hill Billy


    I sometimes say "null" just for the hell of it.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,301 ✭✭✭Days 298


    Zero=. Zer... O


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,359 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    snubbleste wrote: »
    But a phone number does not contain O, it contains 0. The latter is called zero.

    Oh.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    kneemos wrote: »
    Oh.
    I know!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,380 ✭✭✭✭Banjo String


    kneemos wrote: »
    What do Northern Irish say?

    Nought.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,085 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    kneemos wrote: »
    What do Northern Irish say?

    In certain parts you'll get unusual ulster-scots type versions and more usually "nought"


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 71,799 ✭✭✭✭Ted_YNWA


    On another first world problem, should we start a thread on the correct pronunciation of the letter 'z '

    Zee or Zed


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,344 ✭✭✭Skill Magill


    If 0 = zero then OOO = k

    Oook?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,576 ✭✭✭Paddy Cow


    I've just realised that I use both O and zero when giving my phone number.

    Someone: What's your number?
    Me: O87 *** zero*zero*


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,850 ✭✭✭✭The Hill Billy


    Paddy Cow wrote: »
    I've just realised that I use both O and zero when giving my phone number.

    Someone: What's your number?
    Me: O87 *** zero*zero*

    That's noughty. :p


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,143 ✭✭✭Sarn


    I use a combination of both in my phone number e.g. oh-eight nine-zero-zero etc.


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