Reading Mathematics
by Sergio Chiodo
This is the way English people read mathematical formulae. It is something you won't find in any book or dictionary. To draw this list, I - who am not English mother tongue - asked for the help of friends and acquaintances. Thanks in advance to whoever will help me complete this table with any missing detail, or correct any mistake.

Basics


  formal less formal
a + b = c
a plus b equals c
  
- a
minus a
negative a
  
a - b 
a minus b
  
ab
a plus or minus b
  
a < b
a (is) less than b
  
a > b
a (is) greater than b
a more than b
a  b
a less than or equal to b
  
a  b
a greater than or equal to b
  
a < x < b
a is less than x which is less than b
x greater than a and less than b
  
x' x prime  
x"
x double prime
  
xn
x subscript n
 x sub n
x1
x subscript one
 x sub 1
x1,2
x sub 1 comma 2
  
pi
  

Products and ratios


  formal less formal
3 x 5 = 15
three times five makes (is/are/equals) fifteen
three times five, fifteen
a b
a multiplied by b
product a (and) b
a times b
a b
a(b+c)
a times the sum of b plus c
a times b plus c
1/3
one third 
 
a÷b
a divided by b
 
a/b
a divided by b
a over b
1/a
reciprocal (of) a
one over a
1/n
reciprocal (of) n
one over n
a/2
a divided by two
half a
a:b = c:d
the ratio a to b equals 
the ratio c to d
a is to b as c is to d

Powers and roots


 
formal 
less formal 
x0
x to the power of nought
x to the zero power
x to the nought
x to the zero
x1
x to the power of one
x to the first (power)
x to the one
x2
x to the power of two
x squared
  
x3
x to the power of three
x to the third
x cubed
  
x4 x to the power of four 
x to the fourth
x to the four
x-1
x to the power of minus one
x to the minus one
x-2
x to the power of minus two
x to the minus two
xa
x to the power of a
x to the a
x-a
x to the power of minus a
x to the minus a
(a+b)2
a plus b, in brackets, all squared
the sum a and b, squared
a plus b, squared
square root (of) x
root x
2
two times square root of three
two root three
cube root (of) x
  
fourth root (of) x
  
n-th root (of) x
  

Goniometric and hyperbolic functions


  formal less formal
sin x
sine (of) x
  
cos x
cosine (of) x 
cos-x
tan x
tangent (of) x 
tan-x
sin2 x
sine (of) x, squared 
sine squared x
cos2 x
cosine (of) x, squared
cos squared x
tan2 x
tangent (of) x, squared
tan squared x
Sh x
hyperbolic sine (of) x
shine x
Ch x
hyperbolic cosine (of) x
cosh x
Th x
hyperbolic tangent (of) x
than x

Calculus


 
formal 
less formal 
f(x)
 f of x  
g(x)
g of x
  
dy/dx
derivative of y with respect of x
d-y by d-x
integral of f of x d-x
 
 integral of f of x d-x from a to b
  

Vectors


 
formal 
less formal 
a . b
scalar product of a and b
dot product of a and b
a dot b
a x b
vector product of a and b
cross product of a and b
a cross b

Miscellanea


 
formal 
less formal 
logax
logarithm to the base a of x
log of x to base a
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