How to Read Numbers in English

Understanding how to read numbers in English can be tricky, especially with big numbers, decimals, fractions, dates, and ordinals.

Whether you are a beginner or looking to improve your skills, I will help you learn how to read all types of numbers in English, in the simplest way possible.

Table of Contents

1. Reading Basic Numbers

Before diving into the more complex numbers, let’s first understand how to read basic numbers in English.

These are numbers from 1 to 10, and they are the building blocks for larger numbers.

Here are the first few numbers and how to say them:

1 – One
2 – Two
3 – Three
4 – Four
5 – Five
6 – Six
7 – Seven
8 – Eight
9 – Nine
10 – Ten

When reading larger numbers, you build them from these basic numbers.

2. Reading Big Numbers

Big numbers can seem scary, but once you understand the structure, it’s easy!

In English, we group numbers into thousands, millions, billions, and so on.

Here’s how to read big numbers:

Hundreds:

100 – One hundred
200 – Two hundred
350 – Three hundred fifty
999 – Nine hundred ninety-nine

Thousands:

1,000 – One thousand
5,000 – Five thousand
10,000 – Ten thousand
25,000 – Twenty-five thousand
100,000 – One hundred thousand
999,999 – Nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine

Millions:

1,000,000 – One million
5,000,000 – Five million
10,000,000 – Ten million
100,000,000 – One hundred million
1,000,000,000 – One billion

Example Sentences:

The population of the city is 2,500,000 – Two million five hundred thousand.
There are 50,000 books in the library – Fifty thousand books.

3. Reading Decimals

Decimals are numbers that have a part after a decimal point. In English, we say each digit after the decimal point as a separate number.

Here’s how to read decimals:

0.1 – Zero point one
1.25 – One point two five
3.14159 – Three point one four one five nine (this is Pi)
0.75 – Zero point seven five
8.9 – Eight point nine

Example Sentences:

My phone number is 123.45 – One two three point four five.
The price of the book is 19.99 – Nineteen point ninety-nine.

4. Reading Fractions

Fractions are another important part of numbers. A fraction is a way to express a part of a whole.

Here’s how to read fractions in English:

1/2 – One-half
1/3 – One-third
1/4 – One-fourth or one-quarter
2/3 – Two-thirds
3/4 – Three-fourths or three-quarters
5/8 – Five-eighths
7/10 – Seven-tenths

Example Sentences:

I ate 1/2 of the pizza – I ate one-half of the pizza.
The cake is divided into 3/4 – The cake is divided into three-fourths.

5. Reading Dates

Reading dates in English can vary depending on where you are.

In most English-speaking countries, we use the format day/month/year or month/day/year.

Here’s how to read dates:

Days of the Month:

1st – First
2nd – Second
3rd – Third
21st – Twenty-first
22nd – Twenty-second
30th – Thirtieth
31st – Thirty-first

Months of the Year:

January – January
February – February
March – March
April – April
May – May
June – June
July – July
August – August
September – September
October – October
November – November
December – December

How to Read Dates:

1st January – First of January
25th December – Twenty-fifth of December
12/11/2024 – Twelfth of November, twenty twenty-four (day/month/year format)
11/12/2024 – Eleventh of December, twenty twenty-four (month/day/year format)

6. Reading Phone Numbers

Phone numbers are often read digit by digit, especially in countries like the United States and the UK.

Here’s how to read phone numbers:

123-456-7890 – One two three, four five six, seven eight nine zero
555-1234 – Five five five, one two three four

If the phone number has an area code (like many numbers in the US), you usually say that first:

(800) 555-1234 – Eight hundred, five five five, one two three four

7. Reading Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers show the position or order of something. For example, first, second, third, and so on.

Here’s how to read them:

1st – First
2nd – Second
3rd – Third
4th – Fourth
5th – Fifth
10th – Tenth
21st – Twenty-first
100th – One hundredth

Example Sentences:

He finished 1st in the race – He finished first in the race.
My birthday is on 5th May – My birthday is on the fifth of May.

8. Reading Large Numbers: Tips and Tricks

Reading large numbers can sometimes be overwhelming, but here are some tips that can help you:

Break it down: If the number is too large, break it into smaller parts. For example, 1,234,567 becomes One million, two hundred thirty-four thousand, five hundred sixty-seven.
Understand the pattern: After a thousand, you get a million, then a billion, trillion, etc. The pattern is predictable.
Practice regularly: Practice reading big numbers out loud so you become comfortable.

9. How to Read Percentages

Percentages are also an important part of reading numbers in English. To read percentages, you simply say the number followed by “percent.”

Here’s how:

50% – Fifty percent
12.5% – Twelve point five percent
100% – One hundred percent

Example Sentences:

The company’s profit increased by 20% – The company’s profit increased by twenty percent.
45% of students passed the exam – Forty-five percent of students passed the exam.

10. Summary of Key Points

Big Numbers: Break them into parts (thousands, millions, etc.).
Decimals: Say each digit after the decimal point.
Fractions: Say the numerator (top number) and denominator (bottom number) separately.
Dates: Learn the day and month names and practice different date formats.
Phone Numbers: Read each digit individually and use the area code first.
Ordinals: Use “st,” “nd,” “rd,” and “th” to show position or order.
Percentages: Say the number followed by “percent.”

Final thoughts

Reading numbers in English can be simple if you follow the rules and practice regularly.

Whether it’s big numbers, decimals, fractions, dates, phone numbers, or ordinals, learning how to read numbers correctly will help you in everyday situations.

By breaking down the process and using these tips, you can master how to read all numbers in English with ease.

Keep practicing, and soon you will find that reading numbers in English becomes second nature!

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How to Read Numbers in English

1. Reading Basic Numbers