Reading numbers

[Tvita]

Can I read "0.0012%" as "twelve thousanths of a percent" ?

Thank you in advance.

[David L.]

Can I read "0.0012%" as "twelve thousandths of a percent" ?


"twelve thousandths of a percent" would be 0.012%

...so you are into the mouthful-area of having to say, "twelve ten thousandths of a percent" which no native speaker would dream of saying. For one thing, any listener would then spend 10 minutes working out exactly how much that was mathematically!

What a native speaker would say is
point oh oh one two of a percent- probably Americans and more mathematically-minded Britishers would say something like zero zero one two of a percent.

Do you understand what I mean by "oh oh"? (Also note that Britishers is very informal and close to slang these days)

[Tvita]

I assume 'oh' means O [ou].

Thank you for so detailed answer.

In Russian language we use russian translation of the "twelve ten thousandths of a percent" version :)

[David L.]

Thank you for so detailed an answer.

or
Thank you for such a detailed answer. (though it wasn't in such detail that it merits going as far as this sentence implies lol)
A pleasure to help.

[Tvita]

I see you like precision. Nice sense of humor!!

I wish my teacher liked the precision too then I would not make so silly mistakes:))

[David L.]

Oh dear. I fear you are going to reveal me to all the forum as obsessive about grammar and syntax, but...

...then I would not make so silly mistakes

...then I would not make silly mistakes.

...then I would not make so silly a mistake.

...then I would not make such silly mistakes (as mixing my tenses/forgetting to turn off the bathroom tap.)

[Tvita]

Grammar is my favorite part of English and by the way I like perfectionism (it is a pity that I cannot show this).

So thank you a lot for current and I hope for future help