How to Read Numbers in English

Numbers are everywhere in everyday English. We use them when talking about prices, dates, years, phone numbers, addresses, measurements, percentages, decimals, and large quantities. However, knowing how to write a number is not always enough—you also need to know how to read and say it correctly.

For example:

• 25 → twenty-five
• 105 → one hundred and five
• 1,250 → one thousand two hundred and fifty
• 3.5 → three point five
• 25% → twenty-five percent
• $19.99 → nineteen dollars and ninety-nine cents

The way we read a number can also change depending on its purpose. For example, 2026 may be read as two thousand and twenty-six when referring to a quantity, but as twenty twenty-six when referring to a year.

In this guide, you will learn how to read numbers in English correctly, from basic numbers to hundreds, thousands, millions, decimals, fractions, percentages, money, dates, years, phone numbers, and more. Each section includes simple rules and practical examples to help you use numbers confidently in everyday English.

How to Read Numbers in English

To read numbers in English correctly, it is helpful to understand how numbers are grouped and combined. Small numbers have their own names, while larger numbers are formed using words such as hundred, thousand, million, and billion.

Here are some simple examples:

Start from the Largest Place Value

When reading a large number, start with the largest place value and move from left to right.

For example:

4,325

Break it into parts:

• 4 thousand

• 3 hundred

• 20

• 5

We read the complete number as:

four thousand three hundred and twenty-five

Another example:

27,640

This can be divided into:

• 27 thousand

• 6 hundred

• 40

So, we read it as:

twenty-seven thousand six hundred and forty

Learn the Main Place Values

Understanding place value makes reading numbers much easier.

Notice that commas divide large numbers into groups of three digits. These groups make large numbers easier to read.

For example:

12,345,678

The groups are:

12 | 345 | 678

We read this as:

twelve million three hundred and forty-five thousand six hundred and seventy-eight

Use Hyphens for Numbers from 21 to 99

When a number between 21 and 99 is not an exact multiple of ten, its written form normally uses a hyphen.

For example:

• 21 → twenty-one

• 34 → thirty-four

• 58 → fifty-eight

• 76 → seventy-six

• 99 → ninety-nine

However, exact tens do not need a hyphen:

• 20 → twenty

• 40 → forty

• 60 → sixty

• 90 → ninety

Using “And” When Reading Numbers

In British English, and is commonly used after hundred when additional numbers follow.

For example:

• 105 → one hundred and five

• 125 → one hundred and twenty-five

• 2,450 → two thousand four hundred and fifty

In American English, and is often omitted when reading whole numbers:

• 105 → one hundred five

• 125 → one hundred twenty-five

• 2,450 → two thousand four hundred fifty

Both patterns are widely understood. The important thing is to be consistent with the variety of English you are using.

Once you understand these basic patterns, reading numbers becomes much easier. Let’s begin with the smallest numbers and work our way up to larger ones.

How to Read Numbers from 0 to 20

Numbers from 0 to 20 are the foundation for reading numbers in English. It is important to learn these number words because they are used to form many larger numbers.

Here is how to read numbers from 0 to 20:

Reading Numbers from 0 to 10

The numbers from zero to ten have individual names, so they need to be learned separately.

For example:

• 2 → two

• 4 → four

• 7 → seven

• 9 → nine

• 10 → ten

These basic number words appear frequently in everyday English.

Examples in sentences:

• I have two brothers.

• She bought four books.

• We waited for ten minutes.

• There are seven days in a week.

Reading Numbers from 11 to 19

The numbers 11 and 12 are irregular:

• 11 → eleven

• 12 → twelve

They do not follow the pattern used for most of the numbers from 13 to 19, so you should memorize them.

Most numbers from 13 to 19 end in -teen:

• 13 → thirteen

• 14 → fourteen

• 15 → fifteen

• 16 → sixteen

• 17 → seventeen

• 18 → eighteen

• 19 → nineteen

Be careful with some spelling changes:

• five → fifteen, not fiveteen

• eight → eighteen, not eightteen

Be Careful with -teen and -ty Numbers

English learners sometimes confuse numbers ending in -teen with numbers ending in -ty.

For example:

The difference is important because thirteen and thirty, for example, represent completely different numbers.

When speaking, the -teen ending is often stressed more strongly, while exact tens such as thirty and forty usually have stronger stress on the first syllable.

For example:

• thirTEEN → 13

• THIRty → 30

• fifTEEN → 15

• FIFty → 50

Learning numbers from 0 to 20 gives you the foundation you need to read larger numbers. Once these forms are familiar, you can begin combining tens and ones to read numbers such as 21, 35, 48, and 99.

How to Read Numbers from 21 to 99

Once you know the basic numbers from 0 to 20, reading numbers from 21 to 99 becomes much easier. These numbers are usually formed by combining a tens number with a ones number.

First, learn the exact tens:

Combine Tens and Ones

For numbers that are not exact multiples of ten, say the tens number first and then the ones number.

For example:

• 21 → twenty-one

• 23 → twenty-three

• 35 → thirty-five

• 42 → forty-two

• 57 → fifty-seven

• 64 → sixty-four

• 78 → seventy-eight

• 86 → eighty-six

• 99 → ninety-nine

The pattern is simple:

tens + ones

For example:

47 = forty + seven = forty-seven

82 = eighty + two = eighty-two

Use a Hyphen When Writing These Numbers

When writing compound numbers from 21 to 99 in words, use a hyphen between the tens and ones.

Correct:

• twenty-one

• thirty-six

• forty-eight

• seventy-four

• ninety-nine

Incorrect:

• twenty one

• thirty six

• forty eight

However, exact tens do not use a hyphen:

• 20 → twenty

• 30 → thirty

• 50 → fifty

• 80 → eighty

Watch the Spelling of the Tens

Some tens have spellings that learners commonly get wrong.

40 is written forty, not fourty.

50 is written fifty, not fivety.

80 is written eighty, not eightty.

Here are some examples:

• 44 → forty-four

• 52 → fifty-two

• 68 → sixty-eight

• 81 → eighty-one

Examples in Sentences

Here are some examples of numbers from 21 to 99 in everyday English:

• There are twenty-five students in the class.

• My grandmother is seventy-two years old.

• The book has ninety-six pages.

• We invited thirty-eight people to the event.

• She scored eighty-five points on the test.

Once you understand the tens-and-ones pattern, you can read almost any two-digit number in English. The next step is learning how to read three-digit numbers using hundreds.

Conclusion

Learning how to read numbers in English is an essential skill for everyday communication. Numbers appear everywhere—from prices and dates to phone numbers, measurements, percentages, addresses, and mathematical expressions.

The easiest way to read numbers correctly is to understand their patterns. Learn the basic number words first, recognize place values such as hundred, thousand, million, and billion, and break large numbers into groups of three digits. For special number formats such as decimals, fractions, years, dates, and phone numbers, remember that the way a number is read depends on its context.

Most importantly, practice reading numbers aloud whenever you encounter them. Start with simple numbers and gradually move to larger and more complex forms. With regular practice, you will be able to recognize and read numbers in English more naturally, accurately, and confidently.

Continue learning about numbers and symbols in English with these related guides:

• Numbers in English: A Complete Guide with Examples 
• Ordinal Numbers in English: Rules, Examples, and List
• How to Write Ordinal Numbers Correctly
• Basic and Important Math Symbols in English