V I Resourcing Ltd
User Guide – Accessible PDFs
Alt text for GCSE &
International GCSE Mathematics
Copyright V I Resourcing Ltd 2015
Manual prepared for the use of V I Resourcing Ltd.
V1
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GCSE
Numbers
Example
Alt Text
53
n/a
16
n/a
No alt text needed unless
the question asks for the
value of the number, e.g.
‘what is the value of 7 in
1579’, then say the figures
separately e.g. one, five,
seven, nine.
2214
1 000 000 km
Notes
1 million km or no alt text so it
reads numbers individually.
Depending on the question.
Currency
Example
Alt Text
Notes
£3.45
n/a
Assistive technology (AT)
says 3 pounds 45 pence
£0.99
n/a
Assistive technology (AT)
says 99 pence
n/a
Assistive technology (AT)
says 2 thousand 2
hundred 14 pounds.
£2,214
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view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter
to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Dates
Example
Alt Text
Notes
Assistive technology (AT)
says two thousand 15
2015
Abbreviations
Example
Alt Text
cm
n/a leave to read cm
mm
n/a
km
n/a
m
n/a
l
n/a
centimetres
n/a leave to read word
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Notes
V11
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view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter
to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Basic symbols
Example
Alt Text
3+5
3 plus 5
8 + +3
8 plus, plus 3
5–3
5 minus 3
8 – -3
8 minus, minus 3
5x3
5 multiplied by 3
8 x +3
8 multiplied by, plus 3
6÷2
n/a
6 ÷ -2
6 divided by, minus 2
Pause after divided by
(3 + 5)
left parenthesis, 3 plus 5, right
parenthesis
Use parenthesis when in maths
formula.
Question ? (A)
Use capital A to ensure it is
pronounced correctly. (This
doesn’t always work).
(a)
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Notes
Pause after first plus
Pause after first minus
Pause after multiplied by
V11
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Example
Alt Text
x=y
n/a
𝑥≠𝑦
x is not equal to y
𝑥≈𝑦
x is approximately equal to y
x>y
x is greater than y
𝑥≥𝑦
x is greater than or equal to y
x<y
x is less than y
𝑥≤𝑦
x is less than or equal to y
𝑥±𝑦
x plus or minus y
𝑥∓y
x minus or plus y
x!
x factorial
3!
3 factorial
5:3
5 is to 3
5 : x2
5 is to x squared
∞
infinity
𝑥∝3
x varies as 3
𝑥∝
1
3
Notes
x varies inversely as 3
Copyright V I Resourcing Ltd 2015
V11
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To
view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter
to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Fractions
1
2
a half. (Sometimes one half fits in better.)
No start fraction needed.
1
3
a third (or one third)
No start fraction needed.
9
12
nine twelfths
No start fraction needed.
Start fraction, 1 over 25, end fraction
If the denominator (bottom
number) is more than 20 then
start and end fraction is needed,
describe the fraction as a
number over a number.
1
25
𝑏+𝑐
𝑎 − 𝑑−𝑒 × 𝑓
a minus, start fraction, b plus c, over, d
minus e, end fraction, multiplied by f
Grouping symbols
Example
Alt Text
Notes
√9
Square root of 9
square root
3
√27
5
√27
√
𝑎+𝑏
𝑐
2√3
cubed root of 27
fifth root of 27
cubed root
fifth root
square root of start fraction a plus b over c
end fraction.
2 square root of 3
Copyright V I Resourcing Ltd 2015
V11
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To
view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter
to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Sets
Example
Alt Text
∈
is a member of
3 ∈ odd numbers
3 is a member of odd numbers
∉
is not a member of
(A ∪ B)
Left parenthesis, A union B, right
parenthesis.
A∪B
A union B
(A B)
Left parenthesis, A intersection B,
right parenthesis.
AB
A intersection B
{a, b, c}
Start set a, b, c end set
Notes
If on own no parenthesis
needed
Vectors
Example
Alt Text
CD in terms of b (bold)
and c (bold)
Vector CD in terms of vector
lowercase b and lowercase c
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Notes
V11
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view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter
to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Times
Example
Alt Text
Notes
09:47
O 9 47
Use capital O to sound like
Oh.
09.47
O 9 47
09 47
O 9 47
09 00
O 9 hundred
17 30
17 30
Copyright V I Resourcing Ltd 2015
V11
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view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter
to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
To the power of
Example
Alt Text
x2
x squared
x3
x cubed
x4
x to the power of 4
cm2
cm squared
m3
m cubed
km2
km squared
m s-1
m s to the power of minus 1
a x 102
a multiplied by 10 squared
a x 10-2
a multiplied by, 10 to the
power of minus 2
slight pause after multiplied
by
xn+1
x to the power of n plus one
n plus 1 runs together
x-n
x to the power of minus n
y = 2x
Y = 2 to the power of x
Copyright V I Resourcing Ltd 2015
Notes
V11
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To
view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter
to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Functions
Example
Alt Text
Notes
f(x)
f of x
No parenthesis
f ’(x)
f dash of x
No parenthesis
f ’’
f double dash
log2
log base 2
No spaces – runs together
log2x or log2(x)
log base 2, of x
log base 2 runs together then
a space before of x
logey
log base e of y
log base e runs together then
a space before of y
Example
Alt Text
Notes
sin or sine
sine
pronounce like sign
cos
coz
cosine
n/a
tan
n/a
Trigonometry
Sine Rule
a
sin A
hyp, opp, adj
sine rule start fraction
lowercase A over sine
uppercase A
hype, opp, adj
Copyright V I Resourcing Ltd 2015
V11
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To
view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter
to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
General
Example
Alt Text
Notes
°C
n/a reads ok
should say degrees C
°F
degrees F
needs alt text as says
Fahrenheit without.
( ... , ... , ... )
left paren dot dot dot,
comma, dot dot dot, comma,
dot dot dot, right paren.
Data in a table
e.g. 179 258 300
179.258.300
Use full stops to ensure table
is read clearly with entries
separated
(dash)
n/a
no alt text – leave to read
: (colon)
n/a
no alt text – leave to read
v = u + at
V=u+At
Copyright V I Resourcing Ltd 2015
V11
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To
view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter
to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
IGCSE – additional points
Example
Alt Text
𝑑𝑦
𝑑𝑥
dy by dx
n(A  B)
n left parenthesis, A intersection
B, right parenthesis, dash.
AC=Ø
A intersection C equals the
empty set.
m s-1
m s to the power of minus 1.
f:x ↦ 2x2 + 1
f of x equals 2x squared plus 1
g-1 : 𝑥 ↦
g inverse of x equals
(A  B) ∪ (A ∪ B)’
Left parenthesis, A intersection
B, right parenthesis, union, left
parenthesis, A union B, right
parenthesis dash.
n(C)
lower case n left parenthesis, C,
right parenthesis.
Translate triangle ABQ by the vector
5
( )
−2
Translate triangle ABQ by the
vector 5, minus 2
pause after 5
5
−7
1
a=( ) b=( ) c=( )
−2
7
0
Vector a equals 5, minus 2.
Vector b equals 1, 7. Vector c
equals minus 7, 0.
Don’t use the word
‘over’ when giving
vectors – it is the
order that is
important.
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Notes
V11
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To
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to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Greek Letters
Letter
Greek Letter Name
Alt text
α
Alpha
Alpha
β
Beta
Beta
γ
Gamma
Gamma
δ
Delta
Delta
ε
Epsilon
Epsilon
ζ
Zeta
Zeeta
η
Eta
Eeta
θ
Theta
Theeta
ι
Iota
Iota
κ
Kappa
Kappa
λ
Lambda
Lambda
μ
Mu
Myou
ν
Nu
Nyou
ξ
Xi
Ksigh
ο
Omicron
Ohmickron (emphasis on
Oh)
π
Pi
Pie
ρ
Rho
Row
σ
Sigma
Sigma
τ
Tau
Tow (as now)
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V11
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to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
υ
Upsilon
Upsilon
φ
Phi
Figh
χ
Chi
Kigh
ψ
Psi
Psigh
ω
Omega
Ohmega (emphasis on Oh)
Copyright V I Resourcing Ltd 2015
V11
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To
view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter
to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.