Numbers and symbols are an important part of everyday English. We use numbers to talk about age, time, dates, prices, measurements, quantities, and many other things. Symbols also appear everywhere—from mathematical calculations and percentages to money, temperatures, email addresses, and written communication.
Learning numbers and symbols in English involves more than simply recognizing them. You also need to know their names, meanings, and how to read them correctly. For example, 25% is read as twenty-five percent, $50 as fifty dollars, and 5 + 3 = 8 as five plus three equals eight.
In this guide, you will learn common numbers and symbols used in English and see practical examples of how they are read and used together. You will also find links to detailed lessons on number types, ordinal numbers, writing numbers, and mathematical symbols when you want to explore a topic in greater detail.
Table of Contents
What Are Numbers and Symbols in English?
Numbers are used to represent quantities, amounts, positions, measurements, dates, time, prices, and other numerical information. In English, numbers can be written as numerals, such as 5, 20, and 100, or as words, such as five, twenty, and one hundred.
Symbols are special signs or characters that represent particular meanings, operations, units, or ideas. For example, the plus sign (+) represents addition, the percent sign (%) represents a percentage, and the dollar sign ($) represents dollars or a monetary value.
Numbers and symbols often appear together in everyday English. For example:
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50% — fifty percent
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$25 — twenty-five dollars
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10°C — ten degrees Celsius
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3 + 2 = 5 — three plus two equals five
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1/2 — one-half
Knowing how to recognize, name, and read these combinations can help you understand English in everyday conversations, schoolwork, shopping, measurements, and written communication.
Numbers in English
Numbers are used in English to express quantity, order, age, time, dates, prices, measurements, and calculations. They can be written as numerals, such as 8, 25, and 100, or as words, such as eight, twenty-five, and one hundred.
Some common ways numbers are used include:
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Quantity: I bought three books.
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Age: She is 25 years old.
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Time: The meeting starts at 9:30.
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Date: The event is on October 15.
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Price: The book costs $20.
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Measurement: The table is 2 meters long.
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Percentage: About 75% of the class passed.
English also uses different types of numbers for different purposes. Cardinal numbers such as one, two, and three show quantity, while ordinal numbers such as first, second, and third show position or order.
For a detailed explanation of number types, rules, and examples, see Numbers in English: A Complete Guide with Examples.
How to Read Numbers in English
Reading numbers correctly in English depends on how the number is being used. A number may represent a quantity, price, year, decimal, fraction, percentage, time, or measurement, and each type may be read differently.
Here are some common examples:
| Written Form | Read in English |
|---|---|
| 15 | fifteen |
| 125 | one hundred twenty-five |
| 2026 | two thousand twenty-six |
| 3.5 | three point five |
| 50% | fifty percent |
| $75 | seventy-five dollars |
| 1/2 | one-half |
| 8:30 | eight thirty |
| 20°C | twenty degrees Celsius |
Context is especially important. For example, 2026 may be read as two thousand twenty-six when referring to a year, while a decimal such as 2.5 is read as two point five.
Learning these patterns makes it easier to understand numbers in conversations, prices, dates, measurements, and other everyday situations.
For more detailed rules and examples, see How to Read Numbers in English.
Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers
Two common types of numbers in English are cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers. They serve different purposes when we talk about quantity and position.
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal numbers tell us how many people, objects, or things there are. Examples include one, two, three, ten, and one hundred.
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I have three books.
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There are twenty students in the class.
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She bought two tickets.
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The building has ten floors.
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers show position, order, or rank in a sequence. Examples include first, second, third, fourth, and tenth.
| Cardinal Number | Ordinal Number |
|---|---|
| one (1) | first (1st) |
| two (2) | second (2nd) |
| three (3) | third (3rd) |
| four (4) | fourth (4th) |
| five (5) | fifth (5th) |
| ten (10) | tenth (10th) |
For example:
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Sara finished first in the race.
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This is my second visit.
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He lives on the fifth floor.
In simple terms, cardinal numbers tell us how many, while ordinal numbers tell us the position or order.
For complete rules, examples, and a larger list, see Ordinal Numbers in English: Rules, Examples, and List.
Common Symbols in English
Symbols are special characters used to represent operations, values, measurements, currencies, percentages, and other information. Some symbols are mainly used in mathematics, while others appear frequently in everyday English.
Here are some common symbols and their names:
| Symbol | Name | Example |
|---|---|---|
| + | plus sign | 5 + 2 |
| − | minus sign | 10 − 3 |
| × | multiplication sign | 4 × 5 |
| ÷ | division sign | 20 ÷ 4 |
| = | equals sign | 2 + 3 = 5 |
| % | percent sign | 50% |
| $ | dollar sign | $25 |
| £ | pound sign | £20 |
| € | euro sign | €30 |
| ° | degree symbol | 25°C |
| # | number sign / hash | #5 |
| & | ampersand | research & development |
| @ | at sign | name@example.com |
| / | slash | and/or |
| * | asterisk | *See note below |
The name and meaning of a symbol can depend on its context. For example, # may be called the number sign when used before a number, as in #5, or a hashtag when used on social media.
Mathematical symbols form a larger group with their own names and functions. For a more detailed list, see Basic and Important Math Symbols in English.
How to Read Numbers and Symbols Together
Numbers and symbols frequently appear together in prices, percentages, measurements, temperatures, calculations, fractions, and other everyday information. When reading them aloud, the symbol is usually expressed by its English name or by the word normally associated with it.
Here are some common examples:
| Written Form | Read in English |
|---|---|
| $50 | fifty dollars |
| £25 | twenty-five pounds |
| €100 | one hundred euros |
| 75% | seventy-five percent |
| 20°C | twenty degrees Celsius |
| 68°F | sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit |
| 3.5 | three point five |
| 1/2 | one-half |
| 3/4 | three-quarters |
| 5 + 3 = 8 | five plus three equals eight |
| 10 − 4 = 6 | ten minus four equals six |
| 6 × 2 = 12 | six times two equals twelve |
| 20 ÷ 4 = 5 | twenty divided by four equals five |
Reading Currency
Currency symbols generally appear before the number in writing, but the currency name is spoken after the number.
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$25 → twenty-five dollars
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£50 → fifty pounds
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€30 → thirty euros
Reading Percentages
The percent sign (%) is read as percent after the number.
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10% → ten percent
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50% → fifty percent
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99.5% → ninety-nine point five percent
Reading Temperatures
The degree symbol (°) is read as degrees when talking about temperature.
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15°C → fifteen degrees Celsius
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70°F → seventy degrees Fahrenheit
Reading Mathematical Expressions
In mathematical expressions, each symbol is read according to the operation it represents.
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7 + 2 = 9 → seven plus two equals nine
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8 − 3 = 5 → eight minus three equals five
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5 × 4 = 20 → five times four equals twenty
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12 ÷ 3 = 4 → twelve divided by three equals four
Learning to read numbers and symbols together is especially useful because these combinations appear frequently in everyday English, from shopping and weather reports to schoolwork and measurements.
Writing Numbers in English
Numbers can be written as words or numerals, depending on the context and style of writing. For example, the number 8 can also be written as eight, while 25 can be written as twenty-five.
Here are a few basic examples:
| Numeral | Written in Words |
|---|---|
| 5 | five |
| 12 | twelve |
| 25 | twenty-five |
| 100 | one hundred |
| 250 | two hundred fifty |
| 1,000 | one thousand |
In general writing, smaller numbers are often spelled out, while numerals are commonly used for larger numbers, measurements, statistics, dates, times, prices, and percentages. The exact choice can also depend on the writing style being followed.
For example:
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She bought three books.
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The bag costs $45.
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The class starts at 9:00 a.m.
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Sales increased by 15%.
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The journey is 120 miles long.
Numbers may also require special writing conventions when they appear at the beginning of a sentence or when they are used for dates, decimals, fractions, and ordinal positions.
For complete rules on when to use words or numerals, see How to Write Numbers in English?
Common Uses of Numbers and Symbols in Everyday English
Numbers and symbols appear in many everyday situations. You may see them while shopping, checking the time, reading the weather, following directions, using measurements, or working with digital information.
Here are some common uses:
Prices and Money
Currency symbols are commonly written with numbers to show prices and monetary values.
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$15 — fifteen dollars
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£40 — forty pounds
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€75 — seventy-five euros
Dates and Time
Numbers are used to express dates and times.
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October 5, 2026 — a date
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8:30 a.m. — a time
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24/7 — twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week
Percentages
The percent symbol (%) expresses an amount out of one hundred.
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25% — twenty-five percent
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50% — fifty percent
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100% — one hundred percent
Measurements
Numbers are often combined with measurement units and symbols.
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5 km — five kilometers
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10 kg — ten kilograms
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6 ft — six feet
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25°C — twenty-five degrees Celsius
Mathematics
Numbers and mathematical symbols are used together in calculations and equations.
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5 + 5 = 10 — five plus five equals ten
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10 − 2 = 8 — ten minus two equals eight
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4 × 3 = 12 — four times three equals twelve
Digital Communication
Symbols are also common in email addresses, websites, usernames, and social media.
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@ — at sign
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# — number sign, hash, or hashtag
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/ — slash
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_ — underscore
Understanding these common uses makes it easier to recognize and read numbers and symbols correctly in both spoken and written English.
Conclusion
Numbers and symbols are an essential part of everyday English. They appear in prices, dates, time, percentages, measurements, temperatures, calculations, and digital communication, so knowing how to recognize and read them correctly is a useful language skill.
In this guide, you learned how common numbers and symbols in English are named, read, and used together. You also saw examples such as $50, 25%, 3.5, 1/2, 20°C, and 5 + 3 = 8.
To continue learning, explore the detailed lessons on Numbers in English, How to Read Numbers in English, Ordinal Numbers in English, How to Write Numbers in English, and Math Symbols in English.
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