Knowing the words for numbers is only the first step. English has its own habits for saying years, phone numbers, prices or the time. This guide shows the patterns you will meet every day.
Years
Years are split into two pairs of digits. From 2010 onwards you can also say the whole number.
| Year | How to say it |
|---|---|
| 1066 | ten sixty-six |
| 1492 | fourteen ninety-two |
| 1900 | nineteen hundred |
| 1905 | nineteen oh five |
| 2000 | two thousand |
| 2008 | two thousand and eight |
| 2026 | twenty twenty-six |
| 2030 | twenty thirty |
Phone numbers
Say each digit separately; 0 is “oh” or “zero”. Double digits are often said as “double”: 07700 900123 → “oh seven seven double oh, nine double oh, one two three”. Group the digits as they are written.
Prices and money
| Written | How to say it |
|---|---|
| £5 | five pounds |
| £5.50 | five pounds fifty (or five fifty) |
| $12.99 | twelve ninety-nine (or twelve dollars and ninety-nine cents) |
| €1,000 | one thousand euros |
| 99p | ninety-nine pence (or ninety-nine p) |
Decimals and percentages
- Say “point” for the decimal sign and read the digits one by one: 3.14 → “three point one four”; 0.5 → “zero point five” or “point five”.
- Percentages: 25% → “twenty-five percent”; 0.5% → “zero point five percent”.
Fractions
| Written | How to say it |
|---|---|
| 1/2 | a half |
| 1/3 | a third |
| 1/4 | a quarter |
| 2/3 | two thirds |
| 3/4 | three quarters |
| 5/8 | five eighths |
| 1½ | one and a half |
Maths
| Written | How to say it |
|---|---|
| 2 + 3 = 5 | two plus three equals (or is) five |
| 9 − 4 = 5 | nine minus four equals five |
| 6 × 7 = 42 | six times seven equals forty-two |
| 20 ÷ 4 = 5 | twenty divided by four equals five |
| 3² | three squared |
| √9 | the square root of nine |
Telling the time
| Digital | How to say it |
|---|---|
| 7:00 | seven o'clock |
| 7:05 | five past seven (or seven oh five) |
| 7:15 | a quarter past seven |
| 7:30 | half past seven (or seven thirty) |
| 7:45 | a quarter to eight |
| 7:55 | five to eight |
| 12:00 | twelve o'clock, noon or midday; midnight at 00:00 |
Use past for the first half of the hour and to for the second half. Add a.m. (morning) and p.m. (afternoon/evening) when you use the 12-hour clock: 7.30 p.m.
Common mistakes
- It costs 5 pounds fifty-five → five pounds fifty-five; the word “pounds” is plural but the number before “pence” stays singular (fifty pence).
- Half past seven o'clock → half past seven (no o'clock).
- two thousands → two thousand. The year two thousand twenty-six → twenty twenty-six.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say the year 2005?
“Two thousand and five” (British) or “two thousand five” (American). “Twenty oh five” is also used in speech.
Do you say “a” or “one” hundred?
Both are correct: “a hundred pounds” and “one hundred pounds”. Use “one” when you want to stress the number.