Pronouncing the years 2021 through 2029

Guest   Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:36 am GMT
Dan   Tue Jun 05, 2007 6:27 pm GMT
Many radio broadcasters are now saying the two-part "twenty" for 2010 and beyond. Some are also adding the phrase "the year", such as "...by the year twenty-thirty..." (Maybe it sounds futuristic to them?)

This is a good sign. But the advertising agencies must start saying "twenty" for it to stick, because TV/radio ads frequently mention a year. If they continue with the cumbersome and inconsistent "two thousand", it will make the conversion to "twenty" harder and longer.

Some say our "two thousand" habit will be hard to break due to our seven years of saying it, who forget how instantly people dumped the centuries-old two-part method on Jan 1, 2000, for "two thousand". If they can change that quickly, they can do so again for 2010 "twenty-ten".
Guest   Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:45 am GMT
Ironically "twenty ten" for 2010 sounds more futuristic than "two thousand (and) ten".
Freeg   Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:40 pm GMT
I think the change should happen in 2011 as "two thousand and ten" is just as easy to say as "two thousand and nine", but "two thousand and eleven" is two syllables longer while "twenty eleven" has the same amount of syllables as "two thousand and ten".
furrykef   Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:43 pm GMT
What's with all this "and" stuff? Most people I know say "two thousand five", not "two thousand and five".

Anyway, "twenty ten" is easier to say than "two thousand ten" (let alone "two thousand and ten"), so why shouldn't the change happen then? On the other hand, "twenty oh nine" and "two thousand nine" have the same number of syllables, so there's no incentive there.

- Kef
Travis   Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:47 pm GMT
>>What's with all this "and" stuff? Most people I know say "two thousand five", not "two thousand and five".<<

I some dialects, such as my own, the "and" is required (it sounds wrong when said out loud without it to me). Mind you, though, that said "and" is usually just [n=] rather than something like [E{~:nd].
Travis   Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:56 pm GMT
That should be "in some dialects".
Paul   Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:00 pm GMT
I say "two thousand and seven" for the current year. The "and" is often subtle, but it's always there.
Guest   Sat Jun 16, 2007 11:49 pm GMT
Here's an interesting forum discussion that took place near the end of 2000 about someone who was irritated that people were referring to the next year as "two thousand and one" rather than "twenty-one oh one" http://uk.guyslink.com/forumarchive-RAlYWAkyMDAwCTIwMDAxMjE0MTM1ODUzODIwMDAxCTUyMjAz
Guest   Sun Jun 17, 2007 12:23 am GMT
>>Most people I know say "two thousand five", not "two thousand and five". <<

American.
furrykef   Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:13 am GMT
<< American. >>

Guilty as charged.
Guest   Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:44 am GMT
The "and" is pretty subtle as someone mentioned. It's more like "two thousand 'n' seven"
Travis   Sun Jun 17, 2007 6:06 am GMT
>>The "and" is pretty subtle as someone mentioned. It's more like "two thousand 'n' seven" <<

Yes, but what you write as "'n'" is the word "and", just in a reduced form which is not normally represented orthographically outside of informal writing.
Guest   Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:47 pm GMT
Saying "two thousand seven" is the correct way to refer to the
year 2007. When you're saying "two thousand and seven", you are really saying
$2000.07 (the AND denoting a decimal point).
furrykef   Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:13 pm GMT
<< When you're saying "two thousand and seven", you are really saying
$2000.07 (the AND denoting a decimal point). >>

While I do say "two thousand seven", I don't know where you get this idea from... I never hear "and [number]" to mean "and [number] cents". You have to put the "cents" there. For instance, if I buy something and it's $4.50, it could be "four fifty", or "four dollars, fifty" "four dollars, fifty cents", or "four dollars and fifty cents", but never "four and fifty". Perhaps some people say it that way, but it doesn't sound familiar to me. On the other hand, I hear people say things like "two thousand and seven" all the time... but not so often in reference to the date.

- Kef