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how is zero called?

hello

maths teachers call the zero number somehow else

nort? or something like that

what is this exactly?

why they tell this?

when can we use that term?

thanks

Reply 1

Notnek

Original post by studos

hello

maths teachers call the zero number somehow else

nort? or something like that

what is this exactly?

why they tell this?

when can we use that term?

thanks

It's not just maths teachers. Nought is an English word that just means zero.

E.g. 0.05 You could say "zero point zero five" or you could say "nought point nought five" or even "nought point zero five" etc.

Reply 2

Cerdic

Original post by studos

hello

maths teachers call the zero number somehow else

nort? or something like that

what is this exactly?

why they tell this?

when can we use that term?

thanks

0 has a few names, the main one being zero, but as you said nought is also used. Both of these are used in maths. Another way of saying 0 is like "oh". That tends to be used when reading phone numbers so 0845 goes to "Oh eight four five"

Reply 3

studos

how is the nought exactly pronounced? as "not" ?

Reply 4

TenOfThem

Original post by studos

how is the nought exactly pronounced? as "not" ?

You gave the pronunciation in your OP

IT rhymes with thought or bought

Reply 5

Smaug123

Original post by studos

when can we use that term?

In other contexts, it's a very old-fashioned way of saying "nothing". It survives in only a few phrases like "(an attempt) comes to nought", which means "(an attempt) is unsuccessful".

Note that "nought" is never used in phone numbers - it's "oh" or, less commonly, "zero". In fact, "nought" is only really used when you are reading out a decimal number. "900", for instance, is "nine oh oh" or "nine zero zero", but not really "nine nought nought". "900.0" is, from most natural to least natural (in my mind) "nine nought nought point nought" or "nine zero zero point nought" or "nine zero zero point zero" or "nine oh oh point nought".

In general, "nought" refers to the digit 0 only, and only usually when it's part of a number with a decimal point.