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null hypothesis

Definition of Null Hypothesis

(noun) In statistical analysis, an hypothesis that predicts the absence of a relationship between two variables.

Example of Null Hypothesis

  • “Education has no effect on mobility.”

Null Hypothesis Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: null hy·poth·e·sis

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /nUHl hie-pAHth-uh-suhs/
  • British English – /nUHl hie-pOth-i-sis/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /nʌl haɪˈpɑθəsəs/
  • British English – /nʌl haɪˈpɒθɪsɪs/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: null hypotheses
  • Symbol: H0
    • Note: The H is italicized.
  • A null hypothesis can be true but still not discount the substantive hypothesis if it is low enough.

Additional Information

Related Terms


Cite the Definition of Null Hypothesis

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “null hypothesis.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved March 19, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/null-hypothesis/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

null hypothesis. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/null-hypothesis/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “null hypothesis.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed March 19, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/null-hypothesis/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“null hypothesis.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/null-hypothesis/>.