Cardinal Numbers (1-100)
Cardinal numbers tell you how many of something there are.
1-20 (You Must Memorize These!)
| Number | Word | Number | Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | one | 11 | eleven |
| 2 | two | 12 | twelve |
| 3 | three | 13 | thirteen |
| 4 | four | 14 | fourteen |
| 5 | five | 15 | fifteen |
| 6 | six | 16 | sixteen |
| 7 | seven | 17 | seventeen |
| 8 | eight | 18 | eighteen |
| 9 | nine | 19 | nineteen |
| 10 | ten | 20 | twenty |
Tens (20-100)
| Number | Word |
|---|---|
| 20 | twenty |
| 30 | thirty |
| 40 | forty (NOT "fourty"!) |
| 50 | fifty |
| 60 | sixty |
| 70 | seventy |
| 80 | eighty |
| 90 | ninety |
| 100 | one hundred |
Combining Numbers (21-99)
Use the tens number + a hyphen + the ones number:
- 21 = twenty**-one**
- 35 = thirty**-five**
- 47 = forty**-seven**
- 99 = ninety**-nine**
Bigger Numbers
- 100 = one hundred
- 200 = two hundred
- 1,000 = one thousand
- 1,000,000 = one million
Important: In English, we use commas for big numbers (1,000) and periods for decimals (3.14). Many other languages do the opposite!
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers tell you the position or order of something.
| Cardinal | Ordinal | Short Form |
|---|---|---|
| one | first | 1st |
| two | second | 2nd |
| three | third | 3rd |
| four | fourth | 4th |
| five | fifth | 5th |
| six | sixth | 6th |
| seven | seventh | 7th |
| eight | eighth | 8th |
| nine | ninth | 9th |
| ten | tenth | 10th |
| eleven | eleventh | 11th |
| twelve | twelfth | 12th |
| twenty | twentieth | 20th |
| twenty-one | twenty-first | 21st |
The pattern: Most ordinal numbers end in -th. The exceptions are first (1st), second (2nd), and third (3rd).
We Use Ordinal Numbers For:
- Dates: My birthday is on the third of May. (May 3rd)
- Floors: I live on the fifth floor.
- Positions: She finished first in the race.
Using Numbers in Daily Life
Telling the Time
- It's three o'clock. (3:00)
- It's half past two. (2:30)
- It's quarter to five. (4:45)
Talking About Prices
- This coffee costs three dollars and fifty cents. ($3.50)
- The book is twelve ninety-nine. ($12.99)
Saying Phone Numbers
Say each number separately:
- 555-0123 = "five five five, oh one two three"
- We say "oh" for zero in phone numbers.
Talking About Age
- I am twenty-five years old.
- She is thirty-two.
Example Sentences
- There are twelve months in a year.
- I have two sisters and one brother.
- My apartment is on the fourth floor.
- The meeting is at three thirty (3:30).
- This shirt costs forty-nine ninety-nine ($49.99).
- She was born on the fifteenth of August.
- There are seven days in a week and twenty-four hours in a day.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Spelling "forty"
- Wrong:
fourty - Correct: forty (there is no "u"!)
Mistake 2: Forgetting the hyphen in compound numbers
- Wrong:
twenty one - Correct: twenty-one
Mistake 3: Confusing thirteen/thirty, fourteen/forty, etc.
- Thirteen (13) vs. Thirty (30) — listen to the ending: "-teen" vs. "-ty"
- Tip: "-teen" numbers have stress on the LAST syllable (thirTEEN), "-ty" numbers have stress on the FIRST syllable (THIRty).
Mistake 4: Adding -s to "hundred" or "thousand" after a number
- Wrong:
two hundreds - Correct: two hundred (no -s after a specific number)
Practice Tips
- Count things around you: Count the books on your shelf, the chairs in the room, the windows in your house.
- Practice phone numbers: Write down phone numbers and practice saying them out loud.
- Learn prices: Go to an online shopping website and practice reading the prices in English.
- Use ordinal numbers for dates: Practice saying birthdays of your family members using ordinal numbers.
- Number of the day: Each day, pick a random number between 1 and 100 and practice saying it. Can you spell it correctly?