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Why Do People Pronounce Zero as 'O'?

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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Wibbs

Cos it looks like one?

ThirdMan

Wibbs wrote: »

Cos it looks like one?

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

Banjo String

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

(O is shortened from zero)

ThirdMan

Banjo String wrote: »

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.

Banjo String wrote: »

(O is shortened from zero)

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

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?

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.

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.

ted1

Zero 87 sounds wrong

Gummy Panda

I blame James Bond

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

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

mind blown

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.

pickarooney

Why don't more people say 'niner'?

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

Lando Griffin

If 0 = zero then OOO = k

kneemos

What do Northern Irish say?

Ted_YNWA

pickarooney wrote: »

Why don't more people say 'niner'?

November Oscar

India Delta Echo Alpha

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"

snubbleste

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

The Hill Billy

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

Days 298

Zero=. Zer... O

kneemos

snubbleste wrote: »

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

Oh.

snubbleste

kneemos wrote: »

Oh.

I know!

Banjo String

kneemos wrote: »

What do Northern Irish say?

Nought.

SpaceTime

kneemos wrote: »

What do Northern Irish say?

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

Ted_YNWA

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

Zee or Zed

Skill Magill

Lando Griffin wrote: »

If 0 = zero then OOO = k

Oook?

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*

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.

Sarn

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