Arabic-Indic Digit Zero

٠ is Arabic-Indic zero, distinct from ۰ and Latin 0.

By around 650 CE, Indian mathematics used zero both as a number and as an empty-place marker in positional notation. Earlier evidence for placeholder use is disputed.

During the 9th century, al-Khwarizmi described the Indian place-value digits in Iraq, and Arabic mathematical writing carried the system onward. European numeral shapes later diverged from those used in Arabic writing while keeping the same decimal values. As of 2026, the historical record still does not fix when this exact glyph first appeared.

Arabic ٠ or Persian ۰?

Arabic writing often uses ٠; Persian, Urdu, and Sindhi use ۰.

Arabic-Indic digits are common with Arabic in most, though not all, Arabic-speaking countries. Persian, Urdu, and Sindhi use the Eastern Arabic-Indic set. As of 2026, CLDR, a shared locale-formatting database, distinguishes a locale's default and native numbering systems. Digit style signals a formatting convention, not a reliable label for the writer's language.