Showing posts with label nought. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nought. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

ought, aught

Ought or ought means should, in the sense of duty or obligation--
He ought to go to school.
You ought to stop littering.
Ought may be used in the sense of probability --
See who's knocking. It ought to be the delivery man.

Aught or aught ( rhymes with ought ) means zero, or nothing at all--

In the year two thousand aught one...
He can stay there, for aught I care

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He ought to be ten years old if he was born in two thousand aught two."

Note--"nought" ( rhymes with ought ) is another way of saying zero or nothing, usually British except in the old-fashioned expression "all for nought" or "it came to nought"--
He studied at night in hope of a promotion, but it came to nought.
His hard work was all for nought; they hired someone else.
Not to be confused with "naughty", meaning badly behaved, but not too--
That was naughty, little girl. Don't do it again!