English Writing

Fractions and decimals

We say simple fractions like this:

1/7    one seventh
3/7    three sevenths
2/5    two fifths
12/16    twelve sixteenths
3/4 hour    three quarters of an hour
7/10 mile    seven tenths of a mile

More complex fractions can be expressed by using the word over.

258/609    two hundred and fifty eight over six hundred and nine

We write and say decimals like this:

4.75    four point seven five (NOT four point seventy five)
0.265    nought point two six five (US zero point two six five)

Sections In This Article

Numbers Cardinal and ordinal numbers Fractions and decimals Numbers: differences between American and British usage

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