Original: For example, a divided by b is written This can be read out loud as "a divided by b", "a by b" or "a over b".
Simplified: For example, a divided by b is written This can be read out loud as "a divided by b" or "a over b". In some non-English-speaking cultures, "a divided by b" is written a : b. However, in English usage the colon is restricted to expressing the related concept of ratios (then "a is to b").