The many faces of zero (yes, really)

Today let’s look at a tiny word with many faces.
Zero” sounds simple, but English has plenty of alternatives.

Nil. Often in football. “Two–nil.”
Nought. British English. “Nought point five.”
Zilch. Slang for “nothing.”
Nada. Borrowed from Spanish.
Goose egg. A funny way to say someone scored nothing.
Oh. Used in phone numbers. “Five–oh–five.”
Love. Tennis scoring.
Zip. American English. “I know zip about chemistry.”
Not a dicky bird. Old-fashioned British. Means “nothing.”

Fun to know. Nice to recognise.
But if you want to be understood everywhere, “zero” is still your safest choice.

Your turn.
Does your language also have different words for “zero”?

Date: 25. November 2025

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