2.25 kilos

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

Would you pronounce 2.25 kilos of sugar as two point twenty-five without the ''and'' between them? From English File.

 

[GoesStation]

I say two point two five or, more usually, two and a quarter. Don't say "two point twenty-five".

 

[Rachel Adams]

I say two point two five or, more usually, two and a quarter. Don't say "two point twenty-five".

But in [FONT=&quot] [/FONT]£ 71. 78 and [FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]£ 71. 18 (again from English File) seventy-one pound point seventy-eight pence. S[/FONT][FONT=&quot]eventy-one pound point eighteen pence. Do you pronounce the second numbers together?[/FONT]

 

[bubbha]

But for £71.78 and £71.18 (again from English File), people say seventy-one pounds and seventy-eight pence. Seventy-one pounds and eighteen pence.

Don't put spaces inside prices. We also don't say "Seventy one pounds point seventy eight pence."

 

[Tdol]

Say seventy-one pounds seventy-eight. Don't use point- it's never used - and there's no need for pence, though you can.

 

[emsr2d2]

In the same way that years and numbers are said differently, weights and prices are said differently. These are just some differences you are going to have to memorise.

 

[GoesStation]

But in [FONT=&quot] [/FONT]£ 71. 78 and [FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]£ 71. 18 (again from English File) seventy-one pound point seventy-eight pence. S[/FONT][FONT=&quot]eventy-one pound point eighteen pence. Do you pronounce the second numbers together?[/FONT]

We say dollar amounts differently in American English. $71.78 is seventy-one seventy-eight or, formally, seventy-one dollars [and] seventy-eight cents. We never say [STRIKE]seventy-one dollars seventy-eight[/STRIKE]. For prices between one and two dollars we say, for example, a dollar seventy-eight, one seventy-eight, or, formally, one dollar [and] seventy-eight cents.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Say seventy-one pounds seventy-eight. Don't use point- it's never used - and there's no need for pence, though you can.

"Seventy-one pounds and seventy-eight pence." Is "and" optional here too?

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes.

 

[Tdol]

"Seventy-one pounds and seventy-eight pence." Is "and" optional here too?

Yes, and it's more common to say say p than pence nowadays.

 

[Rachel Adams]

We say dollar amounts differently in American English. $71.78 is seventy-one seventy-eight or, formally, seventy-one dollars [and] seventy-eight cents. We never say [STRIKE]seventy-one dollars seventy-eight[/STRIKE]. For prices between one and two dollars we say, for example, a dollar seventy-eight, one seventy-eight, or, formally, one dollar [and] seventy-eight cents.

You didn't use "and" in "a dollar seventy-eight" and "one seventy-eight" because it's optional there too. Right?

 

[GoesStation]

You didn't use "and" in "a dollar seventy-eight" and "one seventy-eight" because it's optional there too. Right?

No. We never use "and" in prices between one and two dollars except, optionally, in the formula one dollar [and] seventy-eight cents.​ That's a formal way to say a price that isn't used very often.

 

[Rachel Adams]

No. We never use "and" in prices between one and two dollars except, optionally, in the formula one dollar [and] seventy-eight cents.​ That's a formal way to say a price that isn't used very often.

One more question, if you please. Do native speakers prefer to use ''one'' instead of ''a?'' I mean both BrE and AmE speakers.

 

[Rover_KE]

I spent two years in America, and often heard 'a dollar seventy-eight' but here in the UK, natives only say 'one pound seventy-eight' or 'one seventy eight'.

 

[GoesStation]

One more question, if you please. Do native speakers prefer to use ''one'' instead of ''a?'' I mean both BrE and AmE speakers.

No. Both a dollar seventy-eight and one seventy-eight are common in American English.

 

[GoesStation]

Both a dollar seventy-eight and one seventy-eight are common in American English.

They tend to appear in different contexts, though. When a cashier has totaled your order, they will almost always use "one". If you're telling someone how much you paid for something, you'll probably say "a".

 

[jutfrank]

When a cashier has totaled your order, they will almost always use "one". If you're telling someone how much you paid for something, you'll probably say "a".

That's an interesting observation about American usage. In the UK, we would never say a pound seventy eight.

 

[GoesStation]

That's an interesting observation about American usage. In the UK, we would never say a pound seventy eight.

And we'd never say one dollar seventy-eight.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

And remember that context counts. In the US, one seventy-eight can mean either $1.78 or $178.

 

[emsr2d2]

And remember that context counts. In the US, one seventy-eight can mean either $1.78 or $178.

That's similar to the point I was about to make. Even with some context, it would be hard to tell in BrE without using the word "pound" somewhere.

Peter: How much did you pay for that coat?
John: One fifty.
Peter: Wow! That's cheap! Did you get it in a charity shop?
John: I don't understand.
Peter: I've never bought a coat for one pound fifty!
John: Ha ha! No, no, no! I bought it from Ralph Lauren. It was one hundred and fifty pounds!
Peter: Oh, I see. In that case, I should have said "Wow, that's expensive!"