Numbers seem simple—until you have to say them out loud in English. Is it "thirteen" or "thirty"? How do you say the year 2024? What about phone numbers? These everyday situations trip up Spanish speakers constantly.
Let's master the pronunciation of numbers in all their forms.
The -TEEN vs. -TY Problem
This is the #1 number confusion for Spanish speakers. The difference between 13 and 30 (or 14 and 40, etc.) can cause serious misunderstandings.
The Key Difference: Stress
| -TEEN Numbers | Stress Pattern | -TY Numbers | Stress Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| thirTEEN /θɜːrˈtiːn/ | stress on TEEN | THIRty /ˈθɜːrti/ | stress on THIR |
| fourTEEN /fɔːrˈtiːn/ | stress on TEEN | FORty /ˈfɔːrti/ | stress on FOR |
| fifTEEN /fɪfˈtiːn/ | stress on TEEN | FIFty /ˈfɪfti/ | stress on FIF |
| sixTEEN /sɪksˈtiːn/ | stress on TEEN | SIXty /ˈsɪksti/ | stress on SIX |
| sevenTEEN /ˌsevənˈtiːn/ | stress on TEEN | SEVenty /ˈsevənti/ | stress on SEV |
| eighTEEN /eɪˈtiːn/ | stress on TEEN | EIGHty /ˈeɪti/ | stress on EIGH |
| nineTEEN /naɪnˈtiːn/ | stress on TEEN | NINEty /ˈnaɪnti/ | stress on NINE |
Pro Tips for -TEEN vs. -TY
- -TEEN: Make the "teen" syllable longer and higher in pitch. Really emphasize it: "thir-TEEEEEN"
- -TY: Keep it short. The ending almost sounds like "dee": "THIR-dee"
- The /iː/ in -teen is a long vowel; the /i/ in -ty is short
Saying Years Correctly
Year pronunciation in English has specific patterns that differ from Spanish.
Years Before 2000
Split the year into two pairs of numbers:
- 1985 → "nineteen eighty-five" (NOT "one thousand nine hundred...")
- 1776 → "seventeen seventy-six"
- 1999 → "nineteen ninety-nine"
Years 2000-2009
Say "two thousand" + the number:
- 2000 → "two thousand" (or "the year two thousand")
- 2001 → "two thousand (and) one"
- 2005 → "two thousand (and) five"
Note: Americans often drop the "and," while British speakers include it.
Years 2010 and Beyond
You have two options (both are correct):
- 2010 → "two thousand (and) ten" OR "twenty ten"
- 2024 → "two thousand twenty-four" OR "twenty twenty-four"
- 2030 → "two thousand thirty" OR "twenty thirty"
The "twenty" format is becoming more popular and sounds more natural.
Special Cases
- 1900 → "nineteen hundred"
- 1800 → "eighteen hundred"
- 2100 → "twenty-one hundred" (or "two thousand one hundred")
Saying Dates
English uses ordinal numbers for dates (first, second, third), not cardinal numbers (one, two, three).
American Format (Month-Day-Year)
- December 5, 2024 → "December fifth, twenty twenty-four"
- July 4, 1776 → "July fourth, seventeen seventy-six"
British Format (Day-Month-Year)
- 5 December 2024 → "the fifth of December, twenty twenty-four"
- 25 December → "the twenty-fifth of December"
Ordinal Number Endings
| Number | Ordinal | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st (first) | /fɜːrst/ |
| 2 | 2nd (second) | /ˈsekənd/ |
| 3 | 3rd (third) | /θɜːrd/ |
| 4-20 | 4th, 5th... (fourth, fifth...) | add /θ/ |
| 21 | 21st (twenty-first) | /ˈtwenti fɜːrst/ |
| 22 | 22nd (twenty-second) | /ˈtwenti ˈsekənd/ |
| 23 | 23rd (twenty-third) | /ˈtwenti θɜːrd/ |
| 24-30 | 24th... (twenty-fourth...) | add /θ/ |
| 31 | 31st (thirty-first) | /ˈθɜːrti fɜːrst/ |
Phone Numbers
English phone numbers are pronounced digit by digit, with some special rules.
Basic Rules
- Say each digit separately: 555-1234 → "five five five, one two three four"
- Group digits naturally with pauses where the hyphens are
- "Zero" can be pronounced as "zero" or "oh": 702 → "seven oh two" or "seven zero two"
Double and Triple Digits
When digits repeat, you can say them two ways:
- 555 → "five five five" OR "triple five"
- 77 → "seven seven" OR "double seven"
- 1-800 → "one eight hundred" (say 800 as "eight hundred")
American vs. British Style
- American: Each number individually - "five five five, seven seven two two"
- British: Often groups doubles - "double five five, double seven double two"
Saying "Zero"
Zero has multiple pronunciations depending on context:
| Context | How to Say 0 | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Phone numbers | "oh" or "zero" | 702 → "seven oh two" |
| Math/decimals | "zero" or "nought" (UK) | 0.5 → "zero point five" |
| Temperature | "zero" | 0°C → "zero degrees" |
| Sports scores | "zero," "nil" (UK soccer), "love" (tennis) | 2-0 → "two nil/zero" |
| Time | "oh" | 3:05 → "three oh five" |
Large Numbers
English groups large numbers by thousands, not hundreds like in some contexts:
- 1,000 → "one thousand" (NOT "ten hundred")
- 1,500 → "one thousand five hundred" OR "fifteen hundred"
- 10,000 → "ten thousand"
- 100,000 → "one hundred thousand"
- 1,000,000 → "one million"
Note on Commas vs. Periods
English uses commas for thousands and periods for decimals (opposite of Spanish in many countries):
- 1,500.50 → "one thousand five hundred point five oh" (or "and fifty cents" for money)
Money
Currency has its own pronunciation patterns:
- $5.99 → "five ninety-nine" OR "five dollars and ninety-nine cents"
- $100 → "a hundred dollars" OR "one hundred dollars"
- $1,250 → "twelve fifty" (informal) OR "one thousand two hundred fifty dollars"
- $0.99 → "ninety-nine cents"
Time
Telling time in English:
- 3:00 → "three o'clock"
- 3:05 → "three oh five" OR "five past three"
- 3:15 → "three fifteen" OR "quarter past three"
- 3:30 → "three thirty" OR "half past three"
- 3:45 → "three forty-five" OR "quarter to four"
Practice These Tricky Pairs
Quick Reference Card
- -TEEN: Stress the second syllable, make it long: "thir-TEEEEEN"
- -TY: Stress the first syllable, keep it short: "THIR-dee"
- Years before 2000: Split into pairs (1985 = nineteen eighty-five)
- Years 2000+: "Two thousand X" or "Twenty X" (2024 = twenty twenty-four)
- Phone numbers: Digit by digit (555 = five five five)
- Dates: Use ordinal numbers (December 5th = December fifth)
Practice these patterns until they become automatic. Numbers come up in nearly every conversation!
Want to master the TH sound in "thirteen" and "thirty"? Check out our TH Sound Pronunciation Guide.