[Vocabulary] How should we read this in English"2/3 "?

[yaghoob]

How should we read this in English"2/3 "?

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

As far as I know we usually say "two-thirds".

I'm not a teacher nor a native speaker.

 

[SoothingDave]

That is correct. Two-thirds.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think it can be read as 'two over three', but I am not a teacher.

 

[Skrej]

Matthew, only with limited context would I say 'two over three'.

Perhaps if I was reading it as a mathematics problem, where it's necessary to pronounce your operators, and then only if talking about division, would I use 'two over three'.

"Two over three, plus 5 equals X minus 10." I'd be just as likely to use 'divided by' in place of 'over'.

As any kind of fraction or measurement, it would be 'two-thirds', as others have mentioned above.

For additional reference, here are some other ways to verbalize operators when reading a math problem.

division = over, into
multiplication = times, by
subtraction = from, minus, take away
addition = to, plus, and

 

[Olympian]

**** I am not a teacher ****

In India, depending on the context, it is also read as:

- "two-by-three" or "two slash three" (when reading a house number. For example, 3-1-2/3 is read as "three dash one dash two by three, (or two slash three) )

- "two of three" (when reading page numbers)

- "two out of three" (when reading a score)

 

[Raymott]

I'd write "two thirds". I don't understand the hyphen, unless it's used as in "a two-thirds majority".

 

[tedmc]

I'd write "two thirds". I don't understand the hyphen, unless it's used as in "a two-thirds majority".

Shouldn't the 's' be omitted when the word is used as an adjective?

 

[MikeNewYork]

No.

 

[Matthew Wai]

"a two-thirds majority"

Why is 's' not omitted when 'two-thirds' is an adjective? Is this because it is a fraction?

 

[Raymott]

Why is 's' not omitted when 'two-thirds' is an adjective? Is this because it is a fraction?

I don't know. A walk of two miles is a two-mile walk. But a majority of two thirds is a two-thirds majority. It might be an exception but that's how we say it.

 

[Matthew Wai]

'A three-quarters teaspoon.'
'Four-fifths people.'

Are they exceptions too?

 

[Rover_KE]

Those are incorrect.

'Add three quarters of a teaspoonful of sugar.'
'Four fifths of the people here are female.'