Pronunciations of the Number 0 in English
Pronunciations of the Number 0 in English
The digit 0 has multiple names depending on context and region.
Summary table
| Term |
Pronunciation |
Main contexts |
| Zero |
/ˈzɪərəʊ/ |
math, science, temperatures, general standalone |
| Oh |
/əʊ/ |
phone numbers, addresses, years, codes |
| Nought |
/nɔːt/ |
decimals (BrE), archaic |
| Nil |
/nɪl/ |
soccer/football scores (UK/Commonwealth) |
| Love |
/lʌv/ |
tennis scores |
| Nothing |
/ˈnʌθɪŋ/ |
sports scores (esp. AmE baseball/football) |
| Null |
/nʌl/ |
computing/databases |
| Term |
Examples |
Notes/Regions |
| Zero |
“Zero degrees”, “2 + 0 = 2” |
precise; avoids confusion with letter O |
| Oh |
“nineteen oh five”, “555-1204” (… one two oh four), “1905” |
rhythmic; common in spoken English (esp. AmE) |
| Nought |
“0.75” → “nought point seven five” |
preferred in BrE; rare in AmE |
| Nil |
“3-0” → “three-nil” |
formal “nothing”; also medical use |
| Love |
“15-0” → “fifteen-love” |
tennis-specific tradition |
| Nothing |
“3-0” → “three to nothing” |
informal emphasis on absence |
| Null |
“Null value” |
technical; means absent |
- zilch, zip, nada, goose egg (general zero)
- duck (cricket score of 0)
Quick guidelines
- Oh: for digit strings (rhythm).
- Zero: for clarity/precision.
- BrE favors nought and nil; AmE favors zero, oh, nothing.
- Domain-specific terms (love, nil, nothing, null) are fixed by tradition.
