13 replies to this topic

[MathsIsFun]

Sometimes you might get stuck with some basic math, so feel free to drop by Math is Fun (my site) and see if you can find some answers there.

[Reedbeta]

Interesting. Why is it "maths are fun?" shouldn't it be "math is fun" or "maths are fun"?

[Ed Mack]

In England, the proper pronounciation is 'Mathematics', which shortens to 'Maths'.

[Methulah]

in fact, every english speaking country (bar the USA) says "maths"

[Reedbeta]

I knew that the word "maths" was more common, but I always thought it was plural. It just sounds odd to me to say "maths is..."

[NomadRock]

as far as I am concerned I will say "you can study different maths" meaning different types of mathematics as in algebra and geometry, but I will say "you can study math" when I mean mathematics as in the whole broad idea

In the same way I would say "you like science?" or "which of the sciences do you like?"

[Methulah]

right, well this isn't very helpful to the topic, but as Ed said, maths is short for mathematics, which basically is "math" and everyone who isn't American says maths. It is just a word that ends in "s", not a plural.

[Mihail121]

As a language freak i would go further by pointing some sources of interest, where the truth could be lying:

mathematics

It's clear that the world "mathematics" is a perfectly normal noun in plural with the difference, that it is always combined with a verb in SINGULAR. Please note that it's not a collective term!

There is also have the american "math" which IS collective, but of course one should try to speak good and normal english so from my point of view, saying "math" is false :)

[MathsIsFun]

OK ... how about the word "Physics" ... ?

Physics is ...
Physic is ...

[erkokite]

Those damn dirty math-saying Americans!!!
JK. I'm an american.

[eddie]

Interesting. I (being Canadian) would've said "Maths are fun".

I promptly would've been carted off to a mental institution however. Regardless of how you say it, "Math[s]{0,1} (is|are) fun" is a symptom of sheer lunacy, I think. :)

[Ed Mack]

It's simple. Maths is, indeed fun. There :)

[Reedbeta]

Yup, Americans say "math is fun" and also "physics is fun". =D

[roel]

Great discussion. Dutch is apparently more consistent in this case. And "apparently" is a very evil word.