Saying years (644, 1900, 2011, etc.)

[milan2003_07]

Hello,

Let's start a very interesting topic devoted to saying years. That's very starnge and often doesn't obey any logic

644 = six fourty-four
985 = nine eighty five

Can they be

1) "six hundred (and) fourty-four"
"six four four"
2) "nine hundred (and) eighty five"?
"nine eight five"

How about 902:

nine oh two
nine hundred and two
nine hundred (and) oh two

Which options are possible?

Best

 

[Tdol]

They're all possible except nine hundred (and) oh two (IMO).

 

[Richard1]

Hi,

Please note the spelling.

"Forty four" not "fourty four".

Yes, yes ... I know... that's just the way it is.

Regards

 

[milan2003_07]

They're all possible except nine hundred (and) oh two (IMO).

So nine hundred (and) oh two is wrong? And the only versions possible are

"nine oh two"
"nine hundred and two"

What about saying three-digit years pronouncing each digit like, for example,

193 - one nine three
765 - seven six five?

Best

 

[bhaisahab]

So nine hundred (and) oh two is wrong? And the only versions possible are

"nine oh two"
"nine hundred and two"

What about saying three-digit years pronouncing each digit like, for example,

193 - one nine three
765 - seven six five?

Best

Yes, that's OK.

 

[milan2003_07]

How do you say 2006, 2010, 2020:

2006:

Two thousand (and) six
Twenty oh six
Twenty six

2010:

Twenty ten
Two thousand (and) ten

2020:

Twenty twenty
Two thousand (and) twenty

Are they all acceptable?

 

[bhaisahab]

How do you say 2006, 2010, 2020:

2006:

Two thousand (and) six
Twenty oh six
Twenty six

2010:

Twenty ten
Two thousand (and) ten

2020:

Twenty twenty
Two thousand (and) twenty

Are they all acceptable?

I say two thousand and six and two thousand and ten. I don't know about 2020, if I'm still alive then I'll let you know.;-)

 

[5jj]

Personal answers,

Two thousand (and) six. YES
Twenty oh six NO, though I do say just "oh six"
Twenty six NO

Twenty ten NO
Two thousand and ten YES

Twenty twenty Not Yet
Two thousand and twenty At the moment I do

5

 

[milan2003_07]

Thanks to everyone who has replied. I also looked through posts in another forum, English to French, Italian, German & Spanish Dictionary - WordReference.com, and found that many are in favour of "twenty ten" and "twenty twenty", though they don't object to "two thousand and twenty" and "two thousand and ten". Probably different people say years differently. This is what I can conclude.

I'm interested to know why you haven't yet decided how you're going to say a year which hasn't yet come, for example, 2020 or 2030. Has it come or not - does it really matter? The rules are always the same. Imagine the numbers were not years, but mathematical numbers. In this case we won't, will we, think how to say them. If so, why do we have to wait a certain year in order to know exactly how to say it. I'm unclear why it's so.

Best

 

[Verona_82]

Listening to BBC podcasts, I've heard newsreaders say "twenty ten" and "twenty eleven".
However, I've never noticed them follow this pattern when saying years before 2010.

 

[5jj]

I'm interested to know why you haven't yet decided how you're going to say a year which hasn't yet come, for example, 2020 or 2030. Has it come or not - does it really matter? The rules are always the same. Imagine the numbers were not years, but mathematical numbers. In this case we won't, will we, think how to say them. If so, why do we have to wait a certain year in order to know exactly how to say it. I'm unclear why it's so.

The simple answer is that there are no rules.

Up until late in the 20th century we said years as though they were two pairs: 'ten sixty-six', 'fourteen ninety-two', 'nineteen forty-five'. In science fiction novels written then they probably said 'twenty eleven'.

The impact of 'Y2K', the 'millennium',' the year two thousand' etc broke the mould, and established the 'two thousand (and)' pattern. We have yet to see what will emerge in the future. English has no Academy, so the voice of the people will prevail.