In English language there are two groups of numbers:

-cardinal and

-ordinal numbers

We will start with cardinal numbers:

0 - zero

1- one         11- eleven          21- twenty-one 130- a hundred and thirty

2- two         12- twelve          22- twenty-two etc. 300- three hundred

3- three      13- thirteen        30 – thirty 1000 – a thousand

4- four        14- fourteen       40- forty 10 000- ten thousand

5- five         15- fifteen          50- fifty 698 456- six hundred and

6- six           16- sixteen        60- sixty ninety-eight thou-

7- seven       17- seventeen   70- seventy sand four hundred

8- eight        18 – eighteen    80 – eighty and fifty-six

9- nine          19- nineteen    90- ninety

10- ten          20- twenty       100- a hundred 1 000 000- a million

When there is a certain number in front of words hundred, thousand and million then theydo not get –s ending in plural: four hundred dollars, five thousand students, three million inhabitants. But, if there is no number in front of these words then they get the ending –s in plural: hundreds of years, thousands of people, millions of pounds.

Although numbers from 13-19 and from 30-90 sound very similar still there is a difference in pronunciation. The first group is pronounced with long i / i: / in this “teen” and the other group is pronounced with short / ti /.

When it comes to ordinal numbers we can see that only first three numbers are not formed like the others: one- first (1^st), two- second (2^nd) three- third (3^rd). The rest of ordinal numbers is formed just by adding the ending –th to cardinal numbers: four- fourth (4^th), five- fifth (5^th), six- sixth (6^th), seven- seventh (7^th), eight- eighth (8^th), nine- ninth (9^th), ten- tenth (10^th).

The exceptions are fifth, eighth, ninth and twelfth. Ordinal numbers are always used with definite article “the” in front of them: the first book, the ninth boy, the sixth class etc.

Fractions and decimals

Simple fractions are normally said in the following way:

1/2 – a half 3/8 – three eights 3/4 hour- three quarters of an hour

1/4 - a quarter 2/3 – two thirds 3/ 10 mile – three tenths of a mile

1/5 – a/one fifth 13/14- thirteen fourteenths

Decimals are normally said and written as follows:

0.245 - nought/zero point two four five 4.7 – four point seven

Percentages

Percentages are written with a special symbol % and are spoken as per cent:

The current rate is 17.5 %. (seventeen point five per cent)

The salaries raised by 4.75%. (four point seventy-five per cent)

Telephone numbers

Each figure in a telephone number is commonly indicated separately. Speakers usually pause after groups of three or four figures when reading a telephone number. When the figure comes twice, either it can be said twice or the word “double” can be used:

9807 6933- nine eight oh seven, six nine double three

Or: nine eight zero seven, six nine three three

Use of and

And is commonly used before the tens in a number:

310 – three hundred and ten

5642- five thousand, six hundred and forty two

Use of commas

In writing, commas are normally used to divide large numbers into groups of three figures, usually in order to indicate the thousands and the millions. Full stops are not used in this way: 5,139 ( 5.139) , 8,577,184

Commas may be omitted in four-figures numbers and they are not used in dates:

7, 394 or 7394 the year 1983

Round numbers and dates

The phrases eleven hundred for 1100 or twelve hundred for 1200 are often used instead of on thousand one hundred etc. The form with hundreds is especially preferred in American English. It is most common with round numbers between 1100 to 1900:

They only paid eleven hundred pounds for the whole holiday.

It all cost twenty eight hundred dollars.

This form is used in historical dates. Hundred is omitted in informal contexts:

Shakespeare was born in fifteen sixty four. (1564)

It was built in seventeen (hundred and) twenty-nine . (1729) (more formal)

There are also different ways of saying dates but these two are the most common:

British English: 4 January 1985 – the fourth January nineteen eighty-five 4.1.1985

American English: January, 4, 1985- January fourth, nineteen eighty-five 1.4.1985

Spoken forms of 0

0 is usually said as nought in decimal numbers where it occurs before the decimal point:

0.455 litres- nought point four five five litres

American English prefers zero, and this is becoming more common in British English too:

0.855 centimetres - zero point eight eight five centimetres

0 is typically said as oh where it occurs after a decimal point and in a wide range of numbers such as telephone numbers, addresses, years:

7.05 seconds- seven point oh five seconds

She lives at 205 Hills Avenue. – two oh five

His phone number is 470503. –four seven oh five, oh three