GUIDE TO PRONUNCIATION
Algebraic
Statement
8x
bc
x+8
x – 16
-8
16 – (-5)
5x + 3
5(x + 3)
x
8
a b
c
16x2
(16x)2
8
Pronunciation
eight x
bc
x plus eight
x minus sixteen
negative eight or opposite eight
sixteen minus a negative five
five x plus three
five times the quantity x plus three
x divided by eight or x over eight
the quantity a plus b over c or a plus b, the quantity, over c
sixteen x squared
sixteen x, the quantity, squared or sixteen x, all squared or the
quantity sixteen x squared
the square root of eight or root eight
x8
the square root of the quantity x plus 8
x +8
the square root of x plus 8
=
x+b=c
<
a<b

>

-8 < x < 5
|x|
|x + 16|
x3
xp
ax2
equals or equal to
x plus b equals c
is less than
a is less than b
is less than or equal to
is greater than
is greater than or equal to
negative 8 is less than x is less than 5
the absolute value of x or absolute x
the absolute value of the quantity x plus sixteen
x cubed or x to the third or x to the third power
x to the pth power or x to the p
a x squared
The Dance of Number, ©2017 by James D. Nickel. Permission granted to reproduce.