how to pronounce numbers

[StephenG1CMZ]

(06-25-2018 01:22 PM)DavidM Wrote:  

(06-25-2018 12:55 PM)grsbanks Wrote:  One billion used to be understood as \(1000000^2\), one trillion as \(1000000^3\), one quadrillion as \(1000000^4\) etc. So, 3333333333 would have been "three thousand three hundred and thirty-three million three hundred and thirty-three thousand three hundred and thirty-three."

The "three billion three hundred and thirty-three million […]" number would have been written: 3000333333333.

Thankfully, this is more and more seldom the case and we're falling in line with the rest of the world so that there are fewer cases of misunderstanding.

I'm reminded of Ira Gershwin's lyrics to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"... which of course can't be fully appreciated in written form, since it's the differences in pronunciation which give the song its character.

Perhaps we should just all adopt Roman Numerals as the standard and be done with it.

Unfortunately, Roman Numerals might not be as standard as you might imagine.
In modern Roman, IV is taken to mean 4 (i.e. if a smaller digit preceeds a larger, subtract).
But in older Roman, IV sometimes simply meant 6, just like VI, whilst 4 would be IIII.