by Bill Lauritzen
If Kids Could Vote
Experimental Word List
Here is my current list of SpeakEasy mathematics terms. This is an experimental word list that I revise and update frequently. As of the date of this publication this is how it stands. If you have comments or suggestions for improvements please email me.
Note that the number of syllables is in parenthesis. I show this because so often the new word looks much more complicated than the old word--due the fact that we are not used to it. When one sees that the number of syllables in the new word is less than the old word, it can be a surprise.
Purpose: To minimize brain storage space and to minimize mental language translation.
Technique: Differentiate enough so not to confuse terms.
Mathematics = Pattern Science
Arithmetic = Numbers
| denominator | 5 | pattern | 2 |
| numerator | 4 | fill | 1 |
| common denominator | 7 | pattern-match | 3 |
Old: If you have a fraction with a numerator of 2 and a denominator of 4, that equals ½.
To add fractions, they must have a common denominator. Then you add the numerators. To add 1/2 plus 1/3, first change to a common denominator. Then you add the numerators. To add 1/2 plus 1/3, first change to a common denominator of 6. So 1/2 equals 3/6 and 1/3 equals 2/6. Then add the numerators to get 5/6.
New: If you have a fraction with a fill of 2, and a pattern of 4, that balances 1/2. To add fractions, they must first match-pattern. Then you add fills. To add 1/2 plus 1/3, first change to a match-pattern of 6. So 1/2 balances 3/6 and 1/3 balances 2/6. Then add the fills to get 5/6.
Draw a pie diagram and divide it up into 6 equal parts. That's the pattern. Now shade in 3 parts. That's the fill.
| equals | 2 | balances or evens or matches | 3 |
| operations | 4 | deeds | 1 |
| add | 1 | -- | 1 |
| subtract | 2 | take-away | 2 |
| multiply | 3 | -- | 3 |
| divide | 2 | -- | 2 |
| divisible | 3 | -- | 3 |
| zero | 2 | none or nothing | 1 |
| remainder | 3 | left-over | 3 |
| equation | 3 | match or balance | 1 |
Old: 2+3 equals 5
New: 2+3 evens 5, 2+3 balances 5, 2+3 matches 5
* Five apples take away 5 apples equals nothing or no apples, not the empty set.
| solution | 3 | answer | 2 |
| fraction | 2 | -- | 2 |
| improper fraction | 5 | overfilled pattern | 6 |
| ratio | 2 | to* | 1 |
| infinite | 3 | endless | 2 |
* As in “this compared to that.”
| irrational number | 6 | no-to number | 4 |
| per | 1 | to or for-one | 2 |
| rate | 1 | to or for-one | 2 |
| unit | 2 | one | 1 |
| units | 2 | ones | 1 |
Old: Zero times any number equals zero. If you travel 10 miles in 2 hours, that is 5 miles per hour. The units are miles and hours.
New: Nothing times any number balances nothing. If you travel 10 miles in 2 hours, that is 5 miles to an hour. The ones are miles and hours.
| decimal | 3 | tenal | 2 |
| percent | 2 | per-hun or to-hun* | 2 |
| multiple | 3 | -- | 3 |
| factor | 2 | -- | 2 |
| least common multiple | 6 | nearest-match-multiple | 6 |
| greatest common factor | 6 | nearest-match-factor | 5 |
| least com. denominator | 8 | nearest-match-pattern | 4 |
| equivalent fractions | 6 | matching fractions | 4 |
| exponent | 3 | pow or buff | 1 |
| absolute value | 5 | span | 1 |
| terminating decimal | 7 | ending ten-al | 4 |
Old: To add decimal first you have to line up the decimals points.
New: To add ten-als first you have to line up the ten-al point.
*75% is 75 to each hundre
Old: Greatest common factor of 12 and 18 is 6.
Least common multiple of 12 and 18 is 72.
New: Nearest match-factor of 12 and 18 is 6.
Nearest match-multiple of 12 and 18 is 72.
Example: (factors to the left, multiples to the right)
1,2,3,4,6,12 12 12,24,36,48,60,72,84,96,…
1,2,3,6,9,18 18 18,36,54,72,90,…
| longitude | 3 | east-west | 2 |
| latitude | 3 | north-south | 2 |
| radicals | 3 | plus roots | 2 |
| square root | 2 | second root | 3 |
| squared* | 1 | pow two or twoed or two’d | 1 |
| cubed | 1 | pow three or threed or three’d | 1 |
| to the fourth power | 5 | pow four or foured or four’d | 1 |
| quadratic equation | 6 | pow two match or two’d match | 3 |
| vertical | 3 | up-down | 2 |
| horizontal | 4 | left-right | 2 |
| logarithm | 4 | -- | 4 |
| simultaneous equations | 8 | same-time matches | 4 |
log 100 = 2 becomes pow 100 = 2
* Note: "squared, cubed, square root, and cube root" are bad slang as second power is also associated with area of circles, etc. and third power is also associated with volume of spheres, etc.
Old: Longitude 50 W. Latitude 90 N. The square root of 16 is 4. The least common multiple of 5, 10, and 12 is 60.
New: East-West 50 W. North-South 90 N. The second root of 16 is 4. The nearest all-multiple of 5, 10,and 12 is 60.
| expanded form | 4 | balloon form | 3 |
| value | 2 | amount or number | 2 |
| place value | 3 | place amount | 2 |
| discount | 2 | down-count | 2 |
| algorithm | 4 | recipe | 3 |