The reading of 0 (nought, zero, nil, o, love)

The figure 0 is normally read nought [no:t] in Br.E., and zero [zi-erou] in Am.E. It is replaced, in general use, by the negative determiner no or the pronoun none:

There were no survivors from the air disaster.

None of the passengers or crew survived.

In measurements (e.g., of temperature), 0 is called zero:

It’s five degrees below zero.

It’s 0° F ( read: zero degrees Fahrenheit).

-8° C ( read: eight degrees below zero Centigrade).

When numbers are said figure by figure (e.g., in telephone numbers), 0 is often called [ ou ] (like the letter o):

My account number is 41326069 (read: four one three two six o six nine).

Nil [nil] or nothing is used in football or other team-games:

Brazil won 4 – 0 (read: four nil / (to) nothing).

Manchester three, Liverpool nil.

Love is used in tennis and similar games. (This expression is derived from the French l’oeuf, meaning ‘the egg’, presumably because zero is egg-shaped (0):

5 – 0, your service; (read: five – love).

The reading of dates

The year:

When reading or speaking the word hundred may be used but thousand is usually not:

He was born in 1957 (nineteen fifty-seven,or nineteen hundred and fifty-seven).

Years before the Christian era are followed by the letters B.C. (= b efore C hrist). Years after the Christian era may be followed by the letters A.D. (= A nno D omini [Lat.: in the year of our Lord]):

1500 B.C. = fifteen hundred B.C. (in this case it is also possible to say one thousand five hundred B.C)

The days and months:

Though the days and months may be written in different ways:

He was born on 5 May

May 5

5th May

5th of May

May 5th (mostly AmE),

when reading or speaking they use ordinal numerals, so they say:

He was born on May the fifth or the fifth of May