Imagine a technical specification that reads:
In the text box, enter "O1" (O the letter, not the number zero)
Is there a convention which achieves this explanation more succinctly, or is more immediately clear?
asked Sep 10, 2014 at 18:35
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If you can reliably control the font which renders the specification (say, in a PDF, or on hard copy), you could use a font which clearly differentiates zero from the letter oh. Many programmers' fonts do this. If you can't reliably control the font, I think @Jim's suggestion is quite succinct and clear.– Dan BronCommented Sep 10, 2014 at 18:40
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Not that you were asking about this, but when needing to be clear in audio communications, phonetic/spelling alphabets were invented for this exact purpose.– Patrick MCommented Sep 10, 2014 at 20:55
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1This is really more of a question for UserExperience.SE— O/0/1/l/I are ambiguous for any language which uses the Latin and Arabic numerals, not just English.– chosterCommented Sep 10, 2014 at 23:08
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@choster My question regards how to express the situation in English.– Chris SchiffhauerCommented Sep 10, 2014 at 23:11
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4 Answers
You can write:
In the text box, enter the letter O, followed by the number 1.
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Thank you. I will go with this: In the text box, enter "O1" (the letter O, followed by the number 1). Commented Sep 10, 2014 at 21:01
Use a font in which the number 0 has a diagonal line through it (like the font we use to write questions and answers on this site, though not the font they come out in!). The standard way of telling a letter O from a number 0 in handwriting is to put a slash through the number.
answered Sep 10, 2014 at 18:38
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Using the preformatted/code block syntax works for this site:
00OO00OOCommented Sep 10, 2014 at 18:39 -
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1If you're writing a question or answer it is the "Preformatted text" button (looks like
{ }). Or you can just indent the line 4 spaces. To make someinline c0d3surround the text with backticks (``). Commented Sep 10, 2014 at 18:45 -
4The problem is that unless you can see both together, you may not realize that a zero has a slash through it. In OP's specific example saying, "Enter
O1" won't help anyone.– JimCommented Sep 10, 2014 at 20:57 -
This won't help. Until the reader sees a zero with a diagonal line, she doesn't know that the font has a slash. Only a typography expert would be able to see "O1" and know for sure that it begins with the letter O. Commented Sep 10, 2014 at 20:57
In some contexts, especially spoken ones "O for Oscar" (or even just "Oscar" - but not here) would be appropriate. Oscar is the word for the letter O in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
A font can be chosen in which zero is displayed as diagonally struck through. The font "Consolas" has this. (Typing your question will have shown you that EL&U uses Consolas - although this does not display in Consolas on the page when the answer is posted.)
When listing by index letter, the convention is not to use upper- or lowercase letter O, (which, in some fonts, may be mistaken for zero) or uppercase I or lowercase letter l (which, in some fonts, may be mistaken for number 1.)
It is usually a mistake to think that, just because all the index letters have indeed been (or are) letters (A2, F6, P13,), your reader will have the intelligence to realise that it is O1 rather than 01.
answered Jul 19, 2023 at 10:18
