How to use numbers in English
British versus American English
120 is “One hundred and twenty” in British English but “One hundred twenty” in American English.
In American English the date comes after the month: “February seventh, twenty-twenty”. (7/2/2020 in the British date format)
Ways of saying zero
“In Japan, toll-free telephone numbers usually start with oh-one-two-oh”. (0120)
“This medicine was invented in nineteen oh three.” (1903)
“In winter, the temperature here can be as low as twenty three degrees below zero” (-23° C
“Our team won the football match two nil” (2-0)
“Naomi Osaka is winning two sets to love” (2-0)
“Nil by mouth” (the patient isn’t allowed to eat or drink)
Fractions
“The cup is three quarters full” (3/4)
“The second half of the film was very boring”
“The majority of Tokyo residents live in apartments” (more than half)
“Your blood pressure is one hundred and twenty over seventy five” (Written as 120/75 but it’s not really a fraction!)
Decimals
“Forty two point five percent of the patients lived longer with the new treatment.” (42.5%)
“The special wire is just nought point oh oh four millimetres thick” (0.004 mm)
Percentages
“She scored hundred percent in her entrance exam!” (100%)
“Only six percent of American geography teachers can name all fifty US state capital cities” (6%)
Rate and concentration
“Your pulse is eighty two beats per minute” (82 bpm)
“The patient’s heart rate is sixty four.” (64 bpm)
“Your cholesterol level is two-hundred and forty milligrams per decilitre.” [240 mg/dL ] “Your cholesterol level should be below two-hundred milligrams per decilitre.” [200 mg/dL ]
“The dose is nought point one miligrams per kilogram of body weight”. (0.1 mg/kg)
“This medicine costs six thousand two hundred and thirty four yen per one hundred millilitres” (¥6234 / 100ml)
Order
“First put this ointment on. Wait ten minutes then put this second ointment on. After that, cover it with a piece of gauze and a bandage.”