5 Simple Steps To Pronounce Decimals Like an English Native

Beyond the Basics: Navigating Complex Decimals

As decimals grow more complex, they may contain zeros or multiple decimal points. When encountering zeros between non-zero digits, pronounce them as "oh." For instance, the decimal 0.05 would be pronounced as "zero point oh five." If the decimal terminates in zeros, pronounce them as "and zero" after the last non-zero digit. For example, the decimal 10.200 would be pronounced as "ten point two hundred and zero." In the case of multiple decimal points, treat each portion of the number as a separate decimal. For instance, the decimal 1.234.56 would be pronounced as "one point two three four point five six."

Understanding Decimals

Decimals are numeric expressions that represent parts of a whole. They are written using a period (.) to separate the whole number from the fractional part. For example, the decimal 0.5 represents half of a whole, or 50%. Decimals can be used to express any fraction, from simple fractions like 1/2 to more complex numbers like 123.456.

Decimals are organized into place values, similar to whole numbers. The place value to the left of the decimal point represents the whole number, while the place values to the right represent the fractional parts. The place values to the right of the decimal point increase in value by a factor of 10 for each place. For example, the first place to the right of the decimal point represents tenths, the second place represents hundredths, and so on.

The table below illustrates the place values in a decimal:

Writing Decimals

Writing the Decimal Point

The decimal point is a period (.) that separates the whole number part of a decimal from the fractional part. For example, the number 3.14 represents three and fourteen hundredths.

Writing Zeros Before the Decimal Point

If a decimal has no whole number part, a zero must be written before the decimal point. For example, the decimal 0.5 represents five tenths.

Writing Zeros After the Decimal Point

Zeros can be written after the decimal point to indicate a more precise value. For example, the decimal 3.1400 represents three and fourteen hundredths to the nearest four thousandth.

Writing Decimals in a Table

Pronouncing Decimals as Fractions

Decimals can be pronounced as fractions by identifying the numerator and denominator of the fraction that represents the decimal. For example, the decimal 0.25 can be pronounced as “twenty-five hundredths” because it is equivalent to the fraction 25/100.

### Numerators and Denominators for Common Decimals

| Decimal | Fraction | Numerator | Denominator |
|—|—|—|—|
| 0.1 | 1/10 | 1 | 10 |
| 0.25 | 25/100 | 25 | 100 |
| 0.5 | 1/2 | 1 | 2 |
| 0.75 | 3/4 | 3 | 4 |

### Pronunciation Rules

* For decimals with a single digit in the numerator (e.g., 0.1, 0.25), pronounce the numerator as a cardinal number (e.g., one, two) followed by the denominator as a fraction (e.g., tenth, hundredth).

* For decimals with multiple digits in the numerator (e.g., 0.34, 0.67), pronounce the numerator as an ordinal number (e.g., thirty-fourth, sixty-seventh) followed by the denominator as a fraction (e.g., hundredth, thousandth).

* For decimals ending in zero (e.g., 0.40, 0.90), pronounce the decimal as a cardinal number (e.g., forty, ninety) followed by the denominator as a fraction (e.g., hundredth, thousandth).

* For decimals greater than one (e.g., 1.5, 2.75), pronounce the whole number part as a cardinal number and the decimal part as a fraction (e.g., one and a half, two and three-quarters).

Converting Decimals to Percentages

To convert a decimal to a percentage, multiply the decimal by 100 and add the percent sign. For example, to convert 0.5 to a percentage, you would multiply 0.5 by 100, which gives you 50%. Another example would be to convert 0.75 to percentage would be 75%.

Special Cases

There are a few special cases to keep in mind when converting decimals to percentages:

• Zero: Any decimal that is equal to zero is also equal to 0%.
• One: Any decimal that is equal to one is also equal to 100%.
• Decimals greater than one: Decimals that are greater than one cannot be converted to percentages.
  

  Examples

  Here are some examples of how to convert decimals to percentages:

  Decimal	Percentage
  0.1	10%
  0.25	25%
  0.5	50%
  0.75	75%
  1	100%

  Adding Decimals

  When adding decimals, it’s important to align the decimal points vertically. Start by adding the digits in the tenths column, then the hundredths, thousandths, and so on. If there’s a number missing in a column, add a zero in its place. Once you’ve added all the digits, bring down the decimal point.

  Let’s practice with an example:

  	3.14
  +	1.59
  	4.73

  In this example, we first add 4 and 9 in the tenths column, giving us 13. Since 13 is greater than 10, we write 3 in the tenths column and carry the 1 to the ones column. Next, we add 1 (the carryover), 5, and 9 in the ones column, giving us 15. We write 5 in the ones column and carry the 1 to the tens column. Finally, we add 3 and 1 in the tens column, giving us 4. We write 4 in the tens column, and since there’s nothing left to add in the hundreds column, we leave it as 0.

  Subtracting Decimals

  Subtracting decimals is similar to subtracting whole numbers. However, there are a few additional steps that need to be taken to ensure that the decimal point is aligned correctly.

  Steps for Subtracting Decimals

  1. Line up the decimal points vertically.
  2. Add zeros to the end of the number with fewer decimal places so that they have the same number of decimal places.
  3. Subtract the digits in each column, starting from the right.
  4. Place the decimal point in the answer directly below the decimal points in the original numbers.

  Example: Subtract 3.45 from 5.67.

  5.67

  -3.45

  2.22

  Special Cases

  There are a few special cases that can occur when subtracting decimals.

  Case 1: Subtracting a Number with Fewer Decimal Places

  If the number being subtracted has fewer decimal places than the number being subtracted from, add zeros to the end of the number with fewer decimal places so that they have the same number of decimal places.

  Example: Subtract 2.3 from 5.

  5.00

  -2.30

  2.70

  Case 2: Subtracting a Number with More Decimal Places

  If the number being subtracted has more decimal places than the number being subtracted from, add zeros to the end of the number being subtracted from so that they have the same number of decimal places.

  Example: Subtract 0.345 from 2.

  2.000

  -0.345

  1.655

  Multiplying Decimals

  Multiplying decimals is similar to multiplying whole numbers, but there is one additional step: aligning the decimal points. Here are the steps:

  1. Multiply the numbers as if they were whole numbers.

  2. Count the total number of decimal places in both numbers.

  3. Place the decimal point in the answer so that there are the same number of decimal places as in the original numbers.

  For example:

  To multiply 2.5 by 3.4, we first multiply the numbers as if they were whole numbers:

  25 × 34 = 850

  There is one decimal place in 2.5 and one decimal place in 3.4, so there should be two decimal places in the answer. We place the decimal point two places from the right:

  8.50

  Another example:

  To multiply 3.14 by 1.59, we first multiply the numbers as if they were whole numbers:

  314 × 159 = 50006

  There are two decimal places in 3.14 and two decimal places in 1.59, so there should be four decimal places in the answer. We place the decimal point four places from the right:

  50.006

  Dividing Decimals

  When dividing decimals, we follow similar steps to dividing whole numbers, except that we need to consider the decimal point. To ensure accuracy, we recommend using the long division method.

  Step 1: Set Up the Problem

  Write the dividend (the number being divided) outside the long division bracket, and write the divisor (the number dividing into the dividend) outside the right-hand side of the bracket, as shown below:

  “`
  divisor ●───────────────────
  dividend │
  “`

  Step 2: Multiply and Subtract

  Multiply the divisor by each digit in the dividend, starting with the first nonzero digit. If there is no nonzero digit under the divisor, add a zero.

  Step 3: Bring Down the Next Digit

  If the product of the divisor and dividend is not greater than the dividend being subtracted, bring down the next digit of the dividend.

  Step 4: Repeat Steps 2 and 3

  Continue multiplying, subtracting, and bringing down until there are no more digits in the dividend.

  Example

  Let’s divide 18.6 by 3.

  “`
  3 ●───────────────────
  18.6│
  – 18 │ 6.2
  ——│
  0.6 │
  – 0.6 │
  ——│
  0.0 │
  “`

  Therefore, 18.6 divided by 3 equals 6.2.

  Remainders

  If there is a remainder after all the digits have been brought down, we can add a decimal point to the dividend and continue dividing until the remainder is zero or the desired accuracy is achieved.

  Remainder	Action
  Zero	The division ends, and the answer is a terminating decimal.
  Non-zero	Add a decimal point to the dividend and continue dividing. The answer will be a non-terminating decimal.

  Ordering Decimals

  To order decimals, compare them from left to right, digit by digit. The larger digit will indicate the larger decimal.

  9

  When comparing decimals with a 9 in one of the places, follow these steps:

  1. Compare the digits to the left of the 9. If they are different, the decimal with the larger digit is larger.
  2. If the digits to the left are the same, compare the digits to the right of the 9. If they are different, the decimal with the larger digit is larger.
  3. If all the digits to the left and right of the 9 are the same, the decimals are equal.

  For example:

  0.98	>	0.97
  0.987	<	0.99
  0.9876	=	0.9876

  Rounding Decimals

  Round to the Nearest Whole Number

  To round a decimal to the nearest whole number, look at the digit in the tenths place. If it is 5 or greater, round up. If it is 4 or less, round down.

  For example, to round 12.5 to the nearest whole number, look at the digit in the tenths place, which is 5. Since 5 is 5 or greater, round up to 13.

  Round to the Nearest Tenth

  To round a decimal to the nearest tenth, look at the digit in the hundredths place. If it is 5 or greater, round up. If it is 4 or less, round down.

  For example, to round 12.34 to the nearest tenth, look at the digit in the hundredths place, which is 4. Since 4 is 4 or less, round down to 12.3.

  Round to the Nearest Hundredth

  To round a decimal to the nearest hundredth, look at the digit in the thousandths place. If it is 5 or greater, round up. If it is 4 or less, round down.

  For example, to round 12.345 to the nearest hundredth, look at the digit in the thousandths place, which is 5. Since 5 is 5 or greater, round up to 12.35.

  Here is a table summarizing the rules for rounding decimals:

  Round to	Rule
  Nearest whole number	Look at the digit in the tenths place. If it is 5 or greater, round up. If it is 4 or less, round down.
  Nearest tenth	Look at the digit in the hundredths place. If it is 5 or greater, round up. If it is 4 or less, round down.
  Nearest hundredth	Look at the digit in the thousandths place. If it is 5 or greater, round up. If it is 4 or less, round down.

  How to Say Decimals

  Decimals are a way of writing fractions using a period (.) instead of a fraction bar. The period is called a decimal point. The digits after the decimal point represent the fractional part of the number. For example, the decimal 0.5 is equivalent to the fraction 1/2.

  To say a decimal, start by saying the whole number part. Then, say “and” and the digits after the decimal point. For example, to say the decimal 0.5, you would say “zero and five tenths.”

  If the decimal part is less than one, you can also say “and” followed by the fraction equivalent. For example, to say the decimal 0.25, you could say “zero and twenty-five hundredths” or “zero and one quarter.”

  People Also Ask About How to Say Decimals

  How do you say 0.75?

  You can say 0.75 as “zero and seventy-five hundredths” or “zero and three quarters.”

  How do you say 0.125?

  You can say 0.125 as “zero and one hundred twenty-five thousandths” or “zero and one eighth.”

  How do you say 1.5?

  You can say 1.5 as “one and five tenths” or “one and a half.”