🔢 Decimals 📚 Grade 4 ⏱ 5 min
Reading Decimals Less Than One
0.7 reads as "zero point seven" — an unusual construction worth breaking down on its own.
Why "zero point"
0.7 is less than one — there is no whole number part at all, so a 0 sits before the decimal point. This is not a writing mistake, but a feature of decimals under 1.
💡 Anchor: 0.7 meters is an incomplete meter — less than one meter, but more than zero. On a ruler, that point sits between 0 and 1.
Reading practice
Reading:
0.3 — "zero point three"
0.25 — "zero point two five"
0.9 — "zero point nine"
0.3 — "zero point three"
0.25 — "zero point two five"
0.9 — "zero point nine"
FAQ
Can "zero point" be skipped when speaking?
Casually, people sometimes shorten it to "point seven," but the full form matters for precise understanding of the notation.