How To Say: "Web 2.0"?
In general, the Pronunciation Unit concerns itself with names and places in foreign languages, but sometimes we are asked to research and recommend a pronunciation for something in English involving numbers.
These are often aircraft or weapons (Hawker P1081, Hercules C130, a .357 Magnum), and we are able to consult the manufacturers directly for the usual expert pronunciation. Most recently, we asked Boeing how is referred to - the answer is "triple seven", which surprised some people, given the usual "seven forty-seven" pattern.
This sort of question might seem trivial. But imagine how unconvincing a character in, say, a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ drama who is supposed to be a hitman referring to a "point three hundred and fifty seven" gun would sound. In all our research we try to come up with a single pronunciation which is acceptable and widely used in British English, so that ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ broadcasters can have an accurate and consistent recommendation, although in many cases more than one pronunciation is possible and acceptable. These recommendations are added to an in-house pronunciation database which all ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ staff can consult.
In this spirit, yesterday we were asked to make a recommendation for the phrase .
There seem to be many possible ways of saying this - "two point oh", "two point zero", "two dot oh", two point nought", "two oh", "web two" - with a certain amount of variation according to nationality, company loyalties and other factors. Given the nature of the concept, we can't make the usual enquiries of the manufacturer to settle things. In this sort of case, our usual practice is to consult people who might through their own expertise be in a position to give us an informed opinion.
To this end, then, we set up a quick-and-dirty email button poll of all the staff in the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Future Media and Technology division, asking them to take a few seconds to tell us (if they felt equipped to do so) which pronunciation they usually heard or used themselves.
Results are still rolling in, but after a day and across a sample of >500 respondents, three-quarters have voted for "two point oh". In second place is "two point zero" (14%), followed by "two point nought" (
that Tim Berners-Lee's preference of "two dot oh" ought to lead the way, but this is not the most widely-used version (nor even in the top three, at least in our internal poll) so it would seem a perverse choice.
We also understand that "two point oh" is the way that Tim O'Reilly, , says it.
We've heard various arguments for the rightness or wrongness of one version or another ("you have to say 'zero' because 'oh' is the name of a letter only"; "just say two oh because the decimal point is irrelevant as there'll never be a minor release"), but these don't really persuade in the face of most people's usage. We're also encouraged that other polls seem to show broadly similar results to ours (, "two point oh" also came out on top, with 62%).
With all this in mind, we will probably recommend "two point oh" as the most usual pronunciation. But I'd be interested in your views. How do you say it?
Catherine Sangster, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Pronunciation Unit.
Comments
I hear two point oh used much more than any of the others you suggest. Although that is mainly from the many American Tech podcasts I subscribe to.
I hear "two point oh" more than any other from techy friends, but the real users for the future-those between 11 and 21,say,will always shy from overly technical language that takes too long to say: you're not cool if everyone knows how your sentence finishes whilst you're still getting there (see death of Oh. My. God!). "Web two" will win it, eventually, probably shortened to "two", by the 'way coolest' (or whatever phrase gets that meaning across now).
It seems to me that "Web Two" is more a statement of having moved away from the commercial, Web 1, use of the Internet to the social, Web 2 use. It is not to be read or pronounced, as you would a version number that documents software revisions.
two point oh, no question.
Simply web two, that's all
I prefer "two point d'oh!"
'two point oh,' or just 'web two' for short.
I most often hear "two point oh", and my theory is that URLs are often described with "dot" (e.g. news dot bbc dot co dot uk) because the period is associated with text, whereas a software version, which "2.0" echoes, is usually considered a decimal point.
It's blatantly Webtoo. By the time you've bothered enunciating the rest of the syllables it's out of fashion, even if the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ homepage has fallen for it.
Just as 'Web two'.
Simple & to the point.
But already the term 'Web three' is being bandied about, so maybe the 'point oh' would only really be relevant if there were developments resulting in Web 2.1, Web 2.2 and so on.
its two point oh.
When my lecturer at uni says "web two" I cringe.
Web two point oh, of course.
It's always written '2.0' so it should always be said thus, with the '.0' included, however you decide to verbalise them.
I am mostly hearing / using "webtwopointzero"; closely followed by "webtwopointoh"; and then by "Webtwo" - all depending on who I'm speaking to.
It definatly is pronouced as "Web two point oh" and have heard it said like that from many of the people that made web 2.0. However i do get a feeling that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s staff may have a little too much time on their hands to be debating the pronounciation of words! huh!
I'd go for "two point oh" as well.
In the spirit of 2.0 - it'd be interesting to see more example from the pronunciation database, or even open it up for users to look at & maybe vote on things like this ;-)
It's pronounced "ARGH, Javascript! AJAX! Non-idexable content! Information overload! ARGH!".
two point oh clearly!
It sounds cool! It sounds appropriately techie too!
I wasnt excited about Die Hard 4 until I heard it was going to be called Die Hard 4.0.
"two point oh", definitely.
Definitely not "dot". You don't say that a mile is "one dot six kilometres".
Way too much time and money on your hands obviously.
In Germany we also say "two point oh"... but.. of course.. in german.
Simply " Web two". I don't say two point zero when I mean two!