The year 765 and 101

[Rachel Adams]

Hello

Is it common to pronounce the year 765
as seven six five instead of seven sixty-five?
The year 101 is pronounced as one 'ou' one and never as one hundred and one, right?

 

[GoesStation]

Is it common to pronounce the year 765
as "seven six five" instead of "seven sixty-five"? No. It isn't common to pronounce that year at all, but only seven sixty-five is natural.
The year 101 is pronounced as one 'ou' one and never as "one hundred and one", right? No. I'd use the latter pronunciation.

Always mark text you're talking about with quotation marks or by setting it in italics.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Always mark text you're talking about with quotation marks or by setting it in italics.

Isn't there a rule according to which in some contexts it would be wrong to pronounce the digit 0 as 'oh'?For example, in 1708 seventeen 'oh' eight is the correct pronunciaion but in my example it was wrong to pronounce it as 'oh'.

 

[GoesStation]

Isn't there a rule according to which in some contexts it would be wrong to pronounce the digit 0 as 'oh'?For example, in 1708 seventeen 'oh' eight is the correct pronunciaion but in my example it was wrong to pronounce it as 'oh'.

I think it depends on how distant the date is. Once you get as far back as three-digit dates, it's more natural to read them as numbers.

The same process happened with 21st-century dates. In the late years of the 20th century, we usually pronounced 21st-century dates as numbers: the year two thousand and one; the election due in two thousand [and] eight. Now that these years are commonplace, we're more likely to shorten them in speech.

I marked a misspelled word.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd use "oh" in that even as a year.

It happened in the year 101 = It happened in the year one-oh-one.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Isn't there a rule according to which in some contexts it would be wrong to pronounce the digit 0 as 'oh'?

The digit 0 is pronounced oh or ZEE-ro. Sometimes some people prefer ZEE-ro.

And sometimes you'll see or hear aught or naught, but those are very old-fashioned.

For example, in 1708 seventeen 'oh' eight is the correct pronunciaion, but in my example it was wrong to pronounce it as 'oh'.

No, it wasn't wrong. It's pronounced seventeen oh eight.

Now you know!

 

[Rachel Adams]

I think it depends on how distant the date is. Once you get as far back as three-digit dates, it's more natural to read them as numbers.

The same process happened with 21st-century dates. In the late years of the 20th century, we usually pronounced 21st-century dates as numbers: the year two thousand and one; the election due in two thousand [and] eight. Now that these years are commonplace, we're more likely to shorten them in speech.

I marked a misspelled word.

I think it depends on how distant the date is. Once you get as far back as three-digit dates, it's more natural to read them as numbers. I am lost when there are numbers involved..:-? To read them as numbers means to read 765 as seven sixty-five? I also see that and is optional. Is it also opitonal when pronouncing numbers?
I coudn't quote you because it said my message was too short. I had to copy and paste your comment.

 

[Rachel Adams]

it could also mean "seven-six-five".

If I am not mistaken you said it is possible to pronounce numbers separately when we talk about years. For example seven six five. Thanks for mentioning that. I am interested in all the possible ways of saying dates.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

If I am not mistaken you said it is possible to pronounce numbers separately when we talk about years. For example seven six five. Thanks for mentioning that. I am interested in all the possible ways of saying dates.

It's not possible in the US. We always say it this way: seven-sixty-five.

We combine the last two digits into a single number unless the first of the pair is 0, as in nineteen-oh-eight.

Likewise, in a four-digit year, we combine the first two digits: seventeen-eighteen, twenty-twenty, ten-sixty-six.

Also, you asked about using an ou sound. We can't answer that because its sound depends on the word it's in:

- oh: though
- ooh: you, through
- ow: couch, ouch, out
- aw: cough, thought
- uh: enough, touch

It's one of those things that makes written English so - uh - interesting.

 

[probus]

Pronouncing the "oh" in saying the years of a century's first decade is almost universal, but the illogicality of it has bothered me for years. Some Americans avoid that difficulty by saying nineteen and five instead of nineteen oh five, but the same people might also say nineteen and twelve for 1912.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Pronouncing the "oh" in saying the years of a century's first decade is almost universal, but the illogicality of it has bothered me for years. Some Americans avoid that difficulty by saying nineteen and five instead of nineteen oh five, but the same people might also say nineteen and twelve for 1912.

Could be. It might be outdated. I've heard the and in old songs but not in conversation, e.g:

In fourteen-hundred-and-ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

Or:

Long about the year eighteen-and-twenty-five
I left Tennessee very much alive.
"The Tennessee Stud" by Jimmie Driftwood

(I've always been glad he left Tennessee alive. There's nothing sadder than a dead state!)

 

[Rachel Adams]

765 and 101 are both three-digit dates but you pronounce them differently. Seven sixty--five (the hundred is not used) but 101 -one hundred and one. Why is English so confusing?!:-?

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd say either:

seven sixty-five and one oh one
or
seven hundred and sixty-five and one hundred and one

Where did you get the idea that we don't say "seven hundred and ..."?

There is no universal agreement on any of this. Different people, even within the same country, say them differently. I suggest you pick a system and stick with it, bearing in mind that the system for years is not the same as the system for standard numbers.

1. I was born in 1975 = I was born in nineteen seventy-five
2. I have 1,975 bottles of wine = I have one thousand, nine hundred and seventy-five bottles of wine.

Note the comma in sentence 2.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Where did you get the idea that we don't say "seven hundred and ..."?

Where did you get the idea that we don't say "seven hundred and ..."? I mean in my example if it is the year 765 seven sixty-five, if it is the number of something then it is pronounced as seven hundred and sixty-five. I have learnt that numbers and years are not pronounced in the same way. Or do I misunderstand something?

 

[Rachel Adams]

I'd say either:

seven sixty-five and one oh one
or
seven hundred and sixty-five and one hundred and one

Where did you get the idea that we don't say "seven hundred and ..."?

There is no universal agreement on any of this. Different people, even within the same country, say them differently. I suggest you pick a system and stick with it, bearing in mind that the system for years is not the same as the system for standard numbers.

1. I was born in 1975 = I was born in nineteen seventy-five
2. I have 1,975 bottles of wine = I have one thousand, nine hundred and seventy-five bottles of wine.

Note the comma in sentence 2.

seven sixty-five and one oh one
or
seven hundred and sixty-five and one hundred and one are you talking about years?

 

[Rachel Adams]

it could also mean "seven-six-five".

I read all the answers again. I misunderstood your explanation. I thought numbers and years are never pronounced in the same way for example the years 765 and 101 are always pronounced as seven sixty-five and one oh one
but never as seven hundred and sixty-five one hundred and one. I thought you use 'hundred' only when talking about the number of something. I hope I am right this time.

 

[emsr2d2]

Let me say it again - there is no universal agreement on this. Here are some examples of years:

For the years between 1100 and 1999, there is broad agreement:

1100 - eleven hundred
1264 - twelve sixty-four
1302 - thirteen oh two
1878 - eighteen seventy-eight
1952 - nineteen fifty-two
1999 - nineteen ninety-nine

For the years between 1000 and 1099, I would expect most people to say:
1011 - ten eleven
1059 - ten fifty-nine
1066 - ten sixty-six
1098 - ten ninety-eight

However, in the same way that some people would call 2012 "two thousand and twelve", it's possible some people might call 1012 "one thousand and twelve".

For the years before 1000, I think there is less agreement:
506 - five hundred and six or five oh six
817 - eight hundred and seventeen or eight seventeen (but not eight one seven)
956 - nine hundred and fifty-six or nine fifty-six (but not nine five six)

For the years from 2000-2009, there is general agreement:
2003 - two thousand and three
2007 - two thousand and seven

From 2010 to the present year, there's no general agreement:
2010 - two thousand and ten or twenty ten
2014 - two thousand and fourteen or twenty fourteen
2019 - two thousand and nineteen or twenty nineteen

I hope that helps!

 

[probus]

Thank you, ems, for that excellent summary. This may be a good time to bring up that wonderful comedic summary of English history: 1066 and All That, always in my experience read as ten sixty-six. If you can't find the book offhand many of the best jokes are here:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TenSixtySixAndAllThat

 

[Rachel Adams]

Let me say it again - there is no universal agreement on this. Here are some examples of years:

For the years between 1100 and 1999, there is broad agreement:
Thank you very much. I don't want to annoy anyone with my questions about numbers and dates but I will once again write the pronunciation of numbers. Just to know for sure and to sleep peacefully.
1100 - eleven hundred -1100 one thousand one hundred books (I didn't use ''and'' I am not sure I should)
1264 - twelve sixty-four one thousand two hundred and sixty-four
1302 - thirteen oh two one thousand three hundred and two
1878 - eighteen seventy-eight one thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight
1952 - nineteen fifty-two one thousand nine hundred and fifty-two
1999 - nineteen ninety-nine one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine

For the years between 1000 and 1099, I would expect most people to say:
1011 - ten eleven one thousand and eleven
1059 - ten fifty-nine one thousand and fifty-nine
1066 - ten sixty-six one thousand and sisty-six
1098 - ten ninety-eight one thousand and ninety-eight

However, in the same way that some people would call 2012 "two thousand and twelve", it's possible some people might call 1012 "one thousand and twelve".

For the years before 1000, I think there is less agreement:
506 - five hundred and six or five oh six five hundred and six
817 - eight hundred and seventeen or eight seventeen (but not eight one seven)
956 - nine hundred and fifty-six or nine fifty-six (but not nine five six)

For the years from 2000-2009, there is general agreement:
2003 - two thousand and three the same
2007 - two thousand and seven the same

From 2010 to the present year, there's no general agreement:
2010 - two thousand and ten or twenty ten
2014 - two thousand and fourteen or twenty fourteen
2019 - two thousand and nineteen or twenty nineteen
270, 000 people two hundred and seventy thousand
I hope that helps!

Looks like there are many ways to say dates but not numbers. :-? So to say that numbers and dates are pronounced in the same way is wrong. Isn't it?