1.
THE NUMBERS IN ENGLISH Use a hyphen between compound numbers
1.1. Cardinal numbers and the word and.
Cardinal numbers say how many people or Use either the definite article a or one for
things there are. 1,000.
Examples: Separate three digits with a comma (,) →
50,000.
There are five books on the desk.
Ron is ten years old. Number Word
1.1.1. Numbers bigger than 20
a/one thousand and one
1,121
Use a hyphen between compound numbers. hundred and twenty-one
Number Word
two thousand and three
2,356
hundred and fifty-six
21 twenty-one
nine thousand and nine
9,999
55 fifty-five hundred and ninety-nine
99 ninety-nine three hundred and five
305,234 thousand and two
hundred and thirty-four
1.1.2. Numbers bigger than 100
Use a hyphen between compound numbers In American English and is mostly not used.
and the word and.
1.1.4. The number 0
Use either the definite article a or one for There are different words for the number 0.
100.
Word Explanation Example
Number Word
single digits 67890
121 a/one hundred and twenty-one (telephone six - seven -
oh
numbers, eight - nine
codes) - oh
356 three hundred and fifty-six
-5 °C
999 nine hundred and ninety-nine measurements five degrees
zero
(temperature) Celsius
below zero
In American English and is mostly not used.
figure 0 in 5-5=0
nought British Five minus five
English* leaves nought.
1.1.3.Numbers bigger than 1,000
Word Explanation Example Cardinal numbers Ordinal numbers
The match 12 twelve 12th twelfth
ended 2 - 0.
nil results in sport
The match
ended two - nil. 20 twenty 20th twentieth
40 - 0
love tennis
forty - love
Ordinal numbers
* In American English zero is used.
21st twenty-first
1.1.5. Year
see: The date and the year in English 22nd twenty-second
1.2. Ordinal numbers
23rd twenty-third
Add th to the cardinal number to form the
ordinal number: six → sixth 24th twenty-fourth
Add the last two letters of the written
word to the figure. → 4th 25th twenty-fifth
Numbers in words: The ordinal numbers 26th twenty-sixth
1st → first, 2nd → second and 3rd →
third are irregular. Be careful with the spelling
27th twenty-seventh
of the words for 5th, 8th, 9th, 12th and the
words ending in -y.
28th twenty-eighth
Cardinal numbers Ordinal numbers
29th twenty-ninth
1 one 1st first
30th thirtieth
2 two 2nd second
31st thirty-first
3 three 3rd third
1.3. Fractions and decimals
5 five 5th fifth 1.3.1. Fractions
Use the ordinal number for
8 eight 8th eighth the denominator:
9 nine 9th ninth 1/3 → one third
2 3/5 → two and three fifths
Exceptions: Cardinal numbers Ordinal numbers
1/2 → one half
9 nine 9th ninth
1/4 → one quarter
1.3.2. Decimals 10 ten 10th tenth
Use the cardinal number for decimals:
11 eleven 11th eleventh
3.8 → three point eight
4.25 → four point two five 12 twelve 12th twelfth
1.4. Roman numbers
13 thirteen 13th thirteenth
Roman numbers are seldom used. They are
used for the names of kings and queens. Use
14 fourteen 14th fourteenth
the ordinal number:
Elisabeth II → Elisabeth the Second 15 fifteen 15th fifteenth
Louis XIV → Louis the Fourteenth
16 sixteen 16th sixteenth
2. The numbers in a table
Cardinal numbers Ordinal numbers seventee seventeent
17 17th
n h
oh, zero,
0 nil, love, --- 18 eighteen 18th eighteenth
nought
19 nineteen 19th nineteenth
1 one 1st first
20 twenty 20th twentieth
2 two 2nd second
twenty- twenty-
21 21st
3 three 3rd third one first
4 four 4th fourth twenty- 22n twenty-
22
two d second
5 five 5th fifth
twenty- twenty-
23 23rd
three third
6 six 6th sixth
twenty- twenty-
7 seven 7th seventh 24 24th
four fourth
8 eight 8th eighth 25 twenty- 25th twenty-
Cardinal numbers Ordinal numbers Cardinal numbers Ordinal numbers
five fifth a/one
100,000 hundred
thousand
twenty- twenty-
26 26th
six sixth
a/one
1,000,000
million
twenty- twenty-
27 27th
seven seventh
1,000,000,00 a/one
0 billion
twenty- twenty-
28 28th
eight eighth
twenty- twenty-
29 29th
nine ninth
30 thirty 30th thirtieth
thirty-
31 31st thirty-first
one
40 forty
50 fifty
60 sixty
70 seventy
80 eighty
90 ninety
a/one
100
hundred
a/one
1,000
thousand
ten
10,000
thousand
