I was taught that an English million was a thousand thousands i.e. 1,000,000, whereas an American million was a hundred thousand, i.e. 100,00. Or it might have been the definition of a billion, actually I can't really remember. But I do know that there was a difference in how the UK and the US defined one of the really big numbers.
Is it true? Or did my teachers lie to me?
2006-12-29 02:00:10 · 23 answers · asked by gorgeousfluffpot 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
The UK billion did have an extra 0.
However the definition for UK billion has changed to same at US billion.
noun [C]
a) 1 000 000 000:
Cosmetics is a billion dollar industry.
b) UK OLD-FASHIONED 1 000 000 000 000
NOTE: This number is now called a trillion.
2006-12-29 02:04:15 · answer #1 · answered by Joe Bloggs 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no difference -- a million in the U.S. is a million in the U.K., and a billion in the U.S. is a billion in the U.K. The only time there would be a difference is if you were comparing one million U.S. dollars to one million U.K. pounds. Each is still a million, but they're not worth the same amount because of the exchange rate. Right now you'd have to have about $1.72 million in U.S. dollars to have the same value as one million U.K. pounds.
2006-12-29 10:10:19 · answer #2 · answered by sarge927 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A million is the same in the UK as in the US i.e.1,000,000.
A UK billion is now generally defined to mean the same thing as the US billion i.e. 1,000 million.
US billion = 1,000,000,000
UK billion (today) = 1,000,000,000
[OLD UK billion = 1,000,000,000,000]
2006-12-29 10:07:21 · answer #3 · answered by Mr Crusty 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes. It is the American Billion that is different in that the British Billion is a Million Million while the Yanks use 1000 million as a billion. It gives them the edge when talking finance.
2006-12-29 14:10:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Millions have always been the same, the difference was in billions, which in America was 1,000 millions and in Britain was 1,000,000 millions. A Billion is now 1,000 million in both cases
2006-12-29 10:13:31 · answer #5 · answered by mike-from-spain 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A UK (b)billion was once a million millions; but few use it that way anymore.
A (m)million was always and everywhere a thousand thousands.
2006-12-29 10:04:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you were lied to and betrayed and plain darn spat on by those teachers... ooh it's a sick world out there now isn't it when you can't even trust the school teachers...
A million has 6 zeros', a thousand thousands. A hundred thousands would be one hundred thousand now wouldn't it, and when you get to ninety nine hundred thousands and nine hundred and ninety nine then it would go to a million. I think.
2006-12-29 10:06:16 · answer #7 · answered by floppity 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think the defenition of a billion were not the same. English millionxmillion, american thousandxmillion.
2006-12-29 10:09:31 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Same but Billions different
2006-12-29 10:02:49 · answer #9 · answered by Sir Sidney Snot 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes - it's our billions that are different, rather than our definitions of a million, which is the same for both (1.000.000)
2006-12-29 11:00:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋