1608
7 Numbers
How numbers are spoken
Numbers over 20
21. twenty-one
22 twenty-two
32 thirty-two
99 ninety-nine
Numbers over 100
101 a/one hundred (and) one
121 a/one hundred (and) twenty-one
200 two hundred
232 two hundred (and) thirty-two
999 nine hundred (and) ninety-nine
Note: In British English the "and" is always used: two hundred and thirty-two. But in American English it is often left out: two hundred thirty-two.
Numbers over 1000
1001 a/one thousand (and) one
1121 one thousand one hundred (and) twenty-one
2000 two thousand
2232 two thousand two hundred (and) thirty-two
9999 nine thousand nine hundred (and) ninety-nine
Ordinal numbers
20th twentieth
21st twenty-first
25th twenty-fifth
90th ninetieth
99th ninety-ninth
100th hundredth
101st hundred and first
225th two hundred (and) twenty-fifth
1624 sixteen twenty-four
1903 nineteen-oh-three
1987 nineteen eighty-seven
What numbers represent
Numbers are often used on their own to show:
It cost eight seventy-five (= 8 pounds 75 pence or 8 dollars 75 cents: £8.75 or $8.75).
Time
We left at two twenty-five (= 25 minutes after 2 o'clock).
Age
She's forty-six (= 46 years old). | He's in his sixties (= between 60 and 69 years old).
This shirt is a thirty-eight (= size 38).
Temperature
The temperature fell to minus fourteen (= -14°). | The temperature was in the mid-thirties (= about 34-36°).
The score in a game
Becker won the first set six-three (= by six games to three: 6-3).
Something marked with the stated number
She played two nines and an eight (= playing cards marked with these numbers).
A set or group of the stated number
The teacher divided us into fours (= groups of 4). | You can buy cigarettes in tens or twenties (= in packets containing 10 or 20).
Numbers and grammar
Numbers can be used as:
Five people were hurt in the accident. | the three largest companies in the US | several hundred cars
Pronouns
We invited a lot of people but only twelve came/only twelve of them came. | Do exercise five on page nine.
Six can be divided by two and three. | Three twos make six.
See also NUMBER (USAGE).
2 Weights and measures
The words in dark type are the ones that are most commonly used in general speech.
Units of length
1 millimetre = 0.03937 inch
10 mm = 1 centimetre = 0.3937 inch
10 cm = 1 decimetre = 3.937 inches
10 dm = 1 metre = 39.37 inches
10 m = 1 decametre = 10.94 yards
10 dam = 1 hectometre = 109.4 yards
10 hm = 1 kilometre = 0.6214 mile
Units of weight
1 milligram = 0.015 grain
10 mg = 1 centigram = 0.154 grain
10 cg = 1 decigram = 1.543 grains
10 dg = 1 gram = 15.43 grains = 0.035 ounces
10 g = 1 decagram = 0.353 ounce
10 dag = 1 hectogram = 3.527 ounces
10 hg = 1 kilogram = 2.205 pounds
1000 kg = 1 tonne (metric ton) = 0.984 (long) ton
= 2204.62 pounds
Units of capacity
1 millilitre = 0.00176 pint
10 ml = 1 centilitre = 0.0176 pint
10 cl = 1 decilitre = 0.176 pint
10 dl = 1 litre = 1.76 pints = 0.22 UK gallon
10 l = 1 decalitre = 2.20 gallons
10 dal = 1 hectolitre = 22.0 gallons
10 hl = 1 kilolitre = 220.0 gallons