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English Numbers

Whole Numbers | Ordinal Numbers | Fractions | Sums
Interesting Numbers | Letters as Numbers | What to say

About the numbers 1 to 10 and 0

Whole Numbers also known as Cardinal Numbers - used for counting
Symbol Word Pronounce It
0 Nought 0
1 One 1
2 Two 2
3 Three 3
4 Four 4
5 Five 5
6 Six 6
7 Seven 7
8 Eight 8
9 Nine 9
10 Ten 10

More numbers

11 Eleven 11
12 Twelve 12
13 Thirteen 13
14 Fourteen 14
15 Fifteen 15
16 Sixteen 16
17 Seventeen 17
18 Eighteen 18
19 Nineteen 19
20 Twenty 20
21 Twenty-one ... 21
30 Thirty 30
40 Forty 40
50 Fifty 50
60 Sixty 60
70 Seventy 70
80 Eighty 80
90 Ninety 90
100 One hundred 100
101 One hundred and one ... 101
1,000 One thousand 1,000
1,000,000 One million 1,000,000
1,000,000,000,000* One billion 1,000,000,000,000

Ordinal Numbers - used for ranking
In figures In words Pronounce It
1st the first 1st
2nd the second 2nd
3rd the third 3rd
4th the fourth 4th
5th the fifth 5th
6th the sixth 6th
7th the seventh 7th
8th the eighth 8th
9th the ninth 9th
10th the tenth 10th
11th the eleventh 11th
12th the twelfth 12th
13th the thirteenth 13th
14th the fourteenth 14th
15th the fifteenth 15th
16th the sixteenth 16th
17th the seventeenth 17th
18th the eighteenth 18th
19th the nineteenth 19th
20th the twentieth 20th
21st the twenty-first ...
22nd the twenty-second ...
23rd the twenty-third ...
24th the twenty-fourth ...
25th the twenty-fifth ...
26th the twenty-sixth ...
27th the twenty-seventh ...
28th the twenty-eighth ...
29th the twenty-ninth ...
30th the thirtieth 30th
40th the fortieth 40th
50th the fiftieth 50th
60th the sixtieth 60th
70th the seventieth 70th
80th the eightieth 80th
90th the ninetieth 90th
100th the hundredth 100th
101st the hundred and first ...
1000th the thousandth 1000th

Ordinal numbers are often used in fractions:-

Fractions
Symbol Word Pronounce It
1/8 One eighth
1/8
1/5 One fifth
1/4 One quarter
1/4
3/4 Three quarters
3/4
1/3 One third
1/3
2/3 Two thirds
1/2 One half
1/2

Sums
Symbols Word (common term in brackets) Pronounce It
+ Plus (And) +
- Minus (Take away) -
x Multiplied by (Times) x
÷ Divided by ÷
= Equals (Is) =
. Point .
% Percent %
(((1 + 6) - 2) x 2) ÷ 2.5=4

One plus six minus two multiplied by two divided by two point five equals four
or
One and six take away two times two divided by two point five is four

 1 + 6 - 2 x 2 ÷ 2.5=4
10% 100=10 Ten percent of one hundred equals ten. 10% 100=10

What to say

One

We often say "a" instead of "one".
For example when we have the numbers 100 or 1/2 we say "A hundred" or "A half".

Fractions

Not all numbers are whole numbers, or just fractions (see above), they are a mixture of both.

For example:
11/2 - "One and a half."

Decimals

When pronouncing decimals we use the word "point" to represent the dot. The numbers following the dot are pronounced separately.

For example:

When you have the number 1.36 we say "One point three six."

Squared / Cubed / To the power of

Square numbers are written 2² = we say "Two squared" = 2 x 2 = Two squared equals four.

Cubed numbers are written 2³ = We say "Two cubed" = 2 x 2 x 2 = Two cubed equals eight

You can also say "to the power of" - "Two to the power of two equals four." and "Two to the power of three equals eight."

You can then have "to the power of" any number.

Two to the power of twelve = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 4096.

It's much easier to write 2¹² = 4096.

Interesting Numbers


~ 0 ~

What could possibly be interesting about nothing?

Try writing the numbers zero ( 0 ) through nine ( 9 ).

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Then write how many numbers you have counted:-

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Yes, ten numbers, without using the number 10.

You can put as many noughts in front of a number without changing the value of that number:-

01, 002, 0003, 00004 ...

In English 10, 20, 30, through to 90 are 1 ten, 2 tens, 3 tens, etc.

Also there are a number of ways you can say 0 in English.

  When we use it For example:-
0 = oh after a decimal point 9.02 = "Nine point oh two."
  in bus or room numbers Rooom 101 = "Room one oh one."
Bus 602 = "Bus six oh two."
  in phone numbers 9130472 = "Nine one three oh four seven two."
  in years 1906 = "Nineteen oh six."
0 = nought before a decimal point 0.06 = "Nought point oh six."
0 = zero in temperature -10°C = "10 degrees below zero."
  US English for the number 0 = "Zero"
0 = nil in football Chelsea 2 Manchester United 0 = "Chelsea two Manchester United nil."
0 = love in tennis 20 - 0 = "Twenty love."

~ 12 ~

The number 12 is often represented as a dozen and the number 6 as a half dozen.

For example:
12 eggs= "A dozen eggs."
6 eggs = "Half a dozen eggs."
 

~ 13 ~

A dozen is 12, but a baker's dozen is 13, because in the past bakers who were caught shortchanging customers could be liable to severe punishment, so they used to add an extra bread roll to make up the weight.

 

~ 100 ~

A century is 100. The roman numeral for 100 is C, for centum.

One hundred is the basis of percentages (literally "per hundred"). 100% is the full amount of something.
 

*~ 1 billion ~

When is a billion not a billion?

In British English billion traditionally means a million million = 1,000,000,000,000 = 1012

In American English billion means a thousand million = 1,000,000,000 = 109

The American billion has become standard in technical and financial use.

However, to avoid confusion it is better to use the terms "thousand million" for 109 and "million million" for 1012.

Milliard " is French for the number 109. It is not used in American English but is sometimes, but rarely, used in British English.

Letters as Numbers

~ k ~

The letter k is often used to denote a thousand. So, 1k = 1,000.

If you see a job advertised and it offers a salary of £12k it means £12,000.00.
 

~ m ~

The letter m is often used to denote a million. So, 1m = 1,000,000.

If you see a job advertised and it offers a salary of £12m, apply for it!
 

~ bn ~

The letters bn denote a billion. So, 1bn is usually 1,000,000,000 (see above).

If you see a job advertised and it offers a salary of £12bn, it's probably a missprint.

myriad

The word myriad used to mean 10,000. Nowadays it's used to refer to a countless number or multitude of specified things.

For example: Earth hosts a myriad of animals.
Here's a site that you can explore for some really big numbers. Math Cats

 

 

Basic English