Saying '101'

[Space2101]

Do you say this number as "one hundred and one" or just "one hundred one" without the "and"?
​

 

[mrbilal87]

Hi Space2101,
This was up for discussion a while ago. I personally say it one hundred and one, although in school I was taught to omit the "and". I believe that in North American English it's considered more correct to read it without the "and", though if I recall correctly, this rule does not apply in BrE.

Cheers!

 

[SFO]

And if it's a house or highway number, it would often be said one oh one.

Saludos!

 

[emma42]

Hi Space2101,
This was up for discussion a while ago. I personally say it one hundred and one, although in school I was taught to omit the "and". I believe that in North American English it's considered more correct to read it without the "and", though if I recall correctly, this rule does not apply in BrE.

Cheers!

Correct as far as BE is concerned and, I think, as far as AE is concerned. And sometimes, in BE, a hundred and one.

 

[cuchuflete]

I have not yet heard or seen any rule or prescription, but by custom spoken AE uses all of these:

One hundred and one
One hundred one
one oh one


I'm used to hearing them in that order. I don't think any of those would be considered incorrect. In any event, all three forms are commonly understood to refer to 101.

 

[emma42]

I must say I always thought that "one hundred one" would be the most common for AE. This is mainly from television, though, and probably military-type jargon and films (whoops! "movies").

 

[Erutuon]

I'd keep the "and" in there, though it's not necessary. Also, I might use "a" in place of "one".

Generally I say my numbers by hundreds. So, for 121,121,121 I'd say "one hundred and twenty-one million, one hundred and twenty-one thousand, one hundred and twenty-one". I find, though, that many people don't use the "and".

 

[la reine victoria]

"One Hundred and One Dalmatians".

LRV

 

[JamesM]

I'd keep the "and" in there, though it's not necessary. Also, I might use "a" in place of "one".

Generally I say my numbers by hundreds. So, for 121,121,121 I'd say "one hundred and twenty-one million, one hundred and twenty-one thousand, one hundred and twenty-one". I find, though, that many people don't use the "and".

"And" in banking and accounting terms often indicates the decimal point, so "121,121.21" would be "One hundred twenty-one thousand, one hundred twenty-one (dollars) and twenty-one cents." The "dollars" can be omitted since the "and" indicates the dividing line between the dollars and cents. That's one reason why many people do not use the "and" when pronouncing whole-dollar figures.


Just another note on the "one-oh-one" way of pronouncing this... "101" is often the first course number in a series of college courses in the U.S. As a result, it has become synonymous in American English with "beginning". You'll hear and read such phrases as "that's just Music Business 101" or "Romance 101". In these phrases, it is pronounced "one-oh-one" and it means "beginning X" or "fundamental X" or "basic X". It's often said in response to someone who claims to know a particular subject but demonstrates a shaky grasp of the subject or contradicts a basic guideline, rule or principle of the subject.

 

[emma42]

This thread is giving me the willies. It keeps reminding me of "Room 101" in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. It is always pronounced "One oh one" in this context.

 

[la reine victoria]

This thread is giving me the willies. It keeps reminding me of "Room 101" in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. It is always pronounced "One oh one" in this context.

Heaven forbid that you should be given the willies Emma! Think of that great BBC programme, Room One oh One (if ever you watch it.) It's a hoot!

LRV