People are just realising why there’s space before the zero on a ruler and I feel stupid

Last week it was those dots on a windscreen, and now people on social media are only just finding out why that space before the number zero on a ruler is there. Honestly, it’s something I’ve always wondered, so here’s the *very obvious* reason it’s there. I feel so stupid now.

It comes after a tweet went viral this week which had a picture of a normal ruler, that you use to measure things, and wrote: “Does anyone know why there’s that space before the 0?” People came up with all kinds of wild and hilarious answers, with one person writing: “Because otherwise the 0 gets cut in half.” Someone else said: “They’re saving it for the -1.”

“It’s known as the ‘Krutz Space’ and dates back more than a century ago when engineer Friedrich Krutz found a way to facilitate and improve measurement accuracy with rulers by shifting the 0 a few centimetres to the right. Nah, just kidding, no fucking clue,” another person joked.

¿Alguien sabe por qué está ese espacio antes del 0? pic.twitter.com/41XmMrhqEd

— Ulises (@UlisesDavid__) April 16, 2026

Most Read

The police have issued a statement after Ruby Rose reported Katy Perry for sexual assault

Ruby Rose accuses Katy Perry of sexual assault in graphic detail, and now the singer has responded

Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream BF detailed her alleged sexual misconduct before Ruby Rose’s claims

The zero could literally just be at the start of the ruler and there’s no need for the wasted space, so why is it there? Well, there’s actually a really logical answer and you’ll wonder why you didn’t just think of it yourself tbh.

Basically, the gap is there because over time, the edge of the ruler wears away and gets damaged as it gets bashed around in your pencil case or drawer. So, having the zero about a centimetre away from the edge protects the zero mark from being dented or chipped, which would make the measurements inaccurate.

The edge of the ruler could also be damaged during manufacturing, so it allows a buffer for that too. See? I told you you’d be kicking yourself. It feels so obvious now.

For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook.

Featured image credit: Canva and Twitter