Learn English Numbers Step by Step: A Beginner’s Guide

Numbers make part of our everyday life. In fact, we use them for many purposes like talking about age, telling time, price and address. We also use them for phone number and to express quantities or positions. However as a beginner, learning English numbers can be overwhelming. This is because there are specific patterns for the tens (twenty, thirty…) which differ from those between the tens. – Twenty-one, twenty-two…).

Here you’ll master these rules. You’ll learn to write the tens and numbers between the tens, in words and digits, from One – One billion. To do so, we’ll walk you through: days of the week, months and dates. We’ll do so in a more effective and friendly way using short beginners’ lessons, worksheets and quizzes.

All written in simple, adult‑friendly English.                                                               Let’s begin:      

LESSON 1: How to Write Numbers in English to Show Quantity and Position?

Part one: Basic Numbers

Numbers Showing Quantity — PT “Números Indicando Quantidade”

EnglishPortuguês
1 — one1 — um
2 — two2 — dois
3 — three3 — três
4 — four4 — quatro
5 — five5 — cinco
6 — six6 — seis
1 — one1 — um
2 — two2 — dois
3 — three3 — três
4 — four4 — quatro

Numbers Expressing Position. — PT “Números Indicando Posição”

EnglishPortuguês
1st — first1º — primeiro
2nd — second2º — segundo
3rd — third3º — terceiro
4th — fourth4º — quarto
5th — fifth5º — quinto
6th — sixth6º — sexto
7th — seventh7º — sétimo
8th — eighth8º — oitavo
9th — ninth9º — nono
10th — tenth10º — décimo

LESSON 2: How to Read Days, Months and Dates in English, Step by Step?

Days of the Week — Dias da Semana

There are 7 days in a week — Existem 7 dias na semana

EnglishPortuguês
MondaySegunda-feira
TuesdayTerça-feira
WednesdayQuarta-feira
ThursdayQuinta-feira
FridaySexta-feira
SaturdaySábado
SundayDomingo

Extra

  • Weekdays: Monday–Friday
    Dias úteis: Segunda–Sexta
  • Weekend: Saturday & Sunday
    Fim de semana: Sábado e Domingo

English Numbers Guide: Months of the Year — Meses do Ano

There are 12 months — Existem 12 meses

EnglishPortuguês
JanuaryJaneiro
FebruaryFevereiro
MarchMarço
AprilAbril
MayMaio
JuneJunho
JulyJulho
AugustAgosto
SeptemberSetembro
OctoberOutubro
NovemberNovembro
DecemberDezembro

Time — Hora

EnglishPortuguês
3:00 → three o’clock3:00 → três horas
3:30 → three thirty3:30 → três e meia
3:15 → three fifteen3:15 → três e quinze
3:45 → quarter to four3:45 → quinze para as quatro

Dates — Datas

EnglishPortuguês
1st → first1º → primeiro
2nd → second2º → segundo
3rd → third3º → terceiro
4th → fourth4º → quarto
21st → twenty first21º → vigésimo primeiro

Example — Exemplo

“Today is the 5th of March.”
“Hoje é dia 5 de março.”

LESSON 3: English Numbers Guide: Numbers from 20 to 100  

Learn here English numbers in words & digits.

EnglishPortuguês
20 — twenty20 — vinte
30 — thirty30 — trinta
40 — forty40 — quarenta
50 — fifty50 — cinquenta
60 — sixty60 — sessenta
70 — seventy70 — setenta
80 — eighty80 — oitenta
90 — ninety90 — noventa
100 — one hundred100 — cem

Extra

These are called tens. — PT “dezenas”.

LESSON 4: Numbers Between the Tens — PT “Números entre as dezenas”

To make numbers like 21, 22, 23… use the following pattern: — PT “use o segunte padrão para formar números como 21, 22, 23…

EnglishPortuguês
twenty + one = twenty onevinte + um = vinte e um
twenty + two = twenty twovinte + dois = vinte e dois
twenty + three = twenty threevinte + três = vinte e três

Same pattern for all tens — Mesmo padrão para todas as dezenas

EnglishPortuguês
31 = thirty one31 = trinta e um
42 = forty two42 = quarenta e dois
56 = fifty six56 = cinquenta e seis
67 = sixty seven67 = sessenta e sete
78 = seventy eight78 = setenta e oito
89 = eighty nine89 = oitenta e nove
94 = ninety four94 = noventa e quatro

Extra

Use a hyphen between the words. — PT “Use um hífen entre as palavras.”

Examples

EnglishPortuguês
21 = twenty one21 = vinte e um
25 = twenty five25 = vinte e cinco
33 = thirty three33 = trinta e três
48 = forty eight48 = quarenta e oito
59 = fifty nine59 = cinquenta e nove
62 = sixty two62 = sessenta e dois
77 = seventy seven77 = setenta e sete
84 = eighty four84 = oitenta e quatro
99 = ninety nine99 = noventa e nove

LESSON 5: English Numbers Guide: Learn Spelling Rules

1. 40 is “forty”, not “fourty”

2. Numbers from 21 to 99 use hyphen

EnglishPortuguês
Twenty-onevinte e um
thirty-sixtrinta e seis
eighty-nineoitenta e nove

3. “Hundred” doesn’t use “and” in american English

EnglishPortuguês
Correct: one hundredCorreto: one hundred
Correct: one hundred twentyCorreto: one hundred twenty

British English often uses “and”

EnglishPortuguês
one hundred and twentyCento e vinte

LESSON 6 — The Tens (20, 30, 40…) with Pronunciation. — PT “As Dezenas (20, 30, 40…)” com pronúncia 

Here are the tens with pronunciation help. — PT “dezenas com ajuda de pronúncia”

EnglishPortuguês
20 — twenty (TWEN tee)20 — vinte (VIN‑tchi)
30 — thirty (THIR tee)30 — trinta (TRIN‑ta)
40 — forty (FOR tee)40 — quarenta (qua‑REN‑ta)
50 — fifty (FIF tee)50 — cinquenta (sin‑QUEN‑ta)
60 — sixty (SIKS tee)60 — sessenta (se‑SEN‑ta)
70 — seventy (SEV en tee)70 — setenta (se‑TEN‑ta)
80 — eighty (AY tee)80 — oitenta (oi‑TEN‑ta)
90 — ninety (NINE tee)90 — noventa (no‑VEN‑ta)
100 — one hundred100 — cem

LESSON 7 — Learn English Numbers in Real Life. — PT “Números na Vida Real”

Age — Idade

I am twenty nine years old. — PT “Eu tenho vinte e nove anos.”

Price — Preço

This costs forty five dollars. — PT “Isto custa quarenta e cinco dólares.”

Time — Hora

The meeting is at sixty minutes past the hour. — PT “A reunião é sessenta minutos depois da hora.”

Quantity — Quantidade

We need thirty two chairs. — PT “Precisamos de trinta e duas cadeiras.”

Address — Endereço

I live at eighty seven Green Street. — PT “Eu moro na Rua Green, número oitenta e sete.”

Phone numbers — Números de telefone

“My number is: eight six, ninety one, twenty three, fifty eight, one.” — PT “Meu número é: oitenta e seis, noventa e um, vinte e três, cinquenta e oito, um.”

LESSON 8: English Numbers Guide – Practice Exercises  

A. Write the numbers in words. — PT “Escreva os números por extensor”

NúmeroEnglishPortuguês
1. 22 vinte e dois
2. 37 trinta e sete
3. 49 quarenta e nove
4. 58 cinquenta e oito
5. 64 sessenta e quatro
6. 73 setenta e três
7. 86 oitenta e seis
8. 95 noventa e cinco

B. In your notebook write the numbers in digits. — PT “No seu bloco de notas, escreva os números em algarismos”

EnglishDigitsPortuguês
1. seventy two setenta e dois
2. forty nine quarenta e nove
3. eighty three oitenta e três
4. ninety seven noventa e sete
5. twenty six vinte e seis

C. Choose the correct answer. — PT “Escolha a resposta correta”  

QuestionCorrect Answer
1. 40 = (fourty / forty)✅ forty
2. 21 = (twenty one / twenty one)✅ twenty one
3. 100 = (one hundred / one hundred)✅ one hundred
4. 33 = (thirty three / thirty three)✅ thirty three
5. 90 = (ninety / ninty)✅ ninety

LESSON 9: English numbers guide: Numbers Showing Position (20th to 100th — PT “Números indicando Posição ( 20º a 100º)

EnglishPortuguês
20th — twentieth20º — vigésimo
21st — twenty first21º — vigésimo primeiro
22nd — twenty second22º — vigésimo segundo
23rd — twenty third23º — vigésimo terceiro
24th — twenty fourth24º — vigésimo quarto
30th — thirtieth30º — trigésimo
40th — fortieth40º — quadragésimo
50th — fiftieth50º — quinquagésimo
60th — sixtieth60º — sexagésimo
70th — seventieth70º — septuagésimo
80th — eightieth80º — octogésimo
90th — ninetieth90º — nonagésimo
100th — one hundredth100º — centésimo

Examples

EnglishPortuguês
“My birthday is on the twenty third.”“Meu aniversário é no dia vinte e três.”
“This is the thirtieth lesson.”“Esta é a trigésima lição.”
“He finished in ninety ninth place.”“Ele terminou em nonagésimo nono lugar.”

LESSON 10: English Numbers from 100 –1,000. — PT “Números de 100 a 1.000

To learn English numbers either in words or digits you need to consider that they follow simple patterns: PT “Esses números seguem um padrão simples”:

EnglishPortuguês
100 = one hundred100 = cem
200 = two hundred200 = duzentos
300 = three hundred300 = trezentos
400 = four hundred400 = quatrocentos
500 = five hundred500 = quinhentos
600 = six hundred600 = seiscentos
700 = seven hundred700 = setecentos
800 = eight hundred800 = oitocentos
900 = nine hundred900 = novecentos
1,000 = one thousand1.000 = mil

11. Numbers Between the Hundreds. — PT “Números entre as centenas”

To write numbers like 125, 340, 678, use the pattern below. — PT “Use o padrão a baixo para formar números como 125, 340, 678.

hundreds + tens + ones — PT “centenas + dezenas + unidades”

Here is an example of english numbers explained for beginners like you:

EnglishPortuguês
125 = one hundred twenty five125 = cento e vinte e cinco
340 = three hundred forty340 = trezentos e quarenta
678 = six hundred seventy eight678 = seiscentos e setenta e oito
909 = nine hundred nine909 = novecentos e nove

Without “and” in american English. — PT “Sem “and” no inglês Americano”

British English usually uses ‘and’. — PT ”O inglês britânico costuma usar “and”.

EnglishPortuguês
American: one hundred twenty fiveCento e vinte e cinco
British: one hundred and twenty fiveCento e vinte e cinco

12. English Numbers Guide: More Examples

EnglishPortuguês
101 = one hundred one101 = cento e um
115 = one hundred fifteen115 = cento e quinze
230 = two hundred thirty230 = duzentos e trinta
349 = three hundred forty nine349 = trezentos e quarenta e nove
587 = five hundred eighty seven587 = quinhentos e oitenta e sete
764 = seven hundred sixty four764 = setecentos e sessenta e quatro
999 = nine hundred ninety nine999 = novecentos e noventa e nove
1000 = one thousand100 = mil

Finished with English numbers in words and digit from 1 —1,000 (one to one thousand)? Head to the next article to learn big numbers in English from 1,000 —1,000,000,000 (one thousand to 1,000,000,000 billion).

👉 [Go to Big Numbers in English

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By Sabino

Sabino is an English Lecturer & Digital Educator. He’s based in Zambézia, Mozambique. As the creator of “English Journey Online: Start Speaking with Confidence – One Step at a Time”, he designs beginners’ friendly resources that help English second language learners build confidence by practicing vocabulary for everyday English situations. He’s passionate about helping people across the world learn English.

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