Let's take a look at how to write and read fractions in English. Outside of math class and in the real world, fractions are useful for buying things and talking about distance.
What is a fraction in English?
A fraction is part of a whole. pertaining to fractions; comprising a part or the parts of a unit; constituting a fraction.
It's less than 1 whole thing, but more than 0. We can describe numbers smaller than one by using decimals or fractions. Today, most systems use decimals, but it is still useful to know how to read and say simple fractions in English.
How to write and read fractional numbers
let's start! Basically, we use the original numbers (such as 1, 2, 3, 4) to read the figure above the fraction, and the ordinal numbers (such as the third, fourth, and fifth) to read the figure below the fraction.
When we write the fraction in words, we use a hyphen between the original number and the ordinal number.
The pronunciation of fractions in English has some rules that you must know first, the rules:
- Before the fraction is pronounced a cardinal number and after the fraction is an ordinal number.
- Before the fraction, if more than one number is pronounced, the one after the fraction is plural.
- Number 2 is pronounced half, even if after the fraction more than one is pronounced halves.
Write and read fractional numbers examples
Here are the most common fractions in English:
| Said | Written |
|---|---|
| One third | 1/3 |
| Two thirds | 2/3 |
| Five sixths | 5/6 |
| One half | 1/2 |
| Three halves | 3/2 |
| One and a half hours. (or: an hour and a half) | 1 1/2 hour |
| A quarter of an hour. (1/4 of an hour = 15 minutes) | 1/4 of an hour |
| Three-eighths | 3/8 |
| Five-sixteenths | 5/16 |
| Seven-eighths | 7/8 |
| One thirty-second | 1/32 |
| One-quarter, three quarters | 1/4, 3/4 |
| One third, two-thirds | 1/3, 2/3 |
| One-half | 1/2 |
| Four and seven-eighths | 4 7/8 |
| Twenty-three and one-half | 23 1/2 |
| One and a half | 1½ |