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Cardinal Numbers

"Cardinal numbers" are ordinary numbers like 1, 2, 3. In the chart below, you can see how we make numbers from 0 to 100 and then some units above that. You can hear how we say some of these numbers in this numbers song.

The numbers from 13 (thirteen) to 19 (nineteen) all end in -teen and are called "the teens". This is why people from thirteen to nineteen years of age are called "teenagers".

Arabic numeral word
0 zero, nought
1 one
2 two
3 three
4 four
5 five
6 six
7 seven
8 eight
9 nine
10 ten
11 eleven
12 twelve
13 thirteen
14 fourteen
15 fifteen
16 sixteen
17 seventeen
18 eighteen
19 nineteen
20 twenty
21 twenty-one
22 twenty-two
23 twenty-three
24 twenty-four
30 thirty
31 thirty-one
40 forty
50 fifty
60 sixty
70 seventy
80 eighty
90 ninety
100 one hundred
101 one hundred and one
152 one hundred and fifty-two
200 two hundred
1,000 one thousand
1,000,000 one million
1,000,000,000 one billion
1,000,000,000,000 one trillion
 
For numbers in the hundreds, the British usually say "and" but the Americans often do not say "and":
  • British English: 120 = one hundred and twenty
  • American English: 120 = one hundred twenty
 
Be careful with billions and trillions in English!

In American English, and now in British English, a billion has nine zeros (so, one billion = one thousand million). Before, in British English one billion had twelve zeros (one million million).

In American English, and now in British English, a trillion has twelve zeros (so, one trillion = one million million). Before, in British English one trillion had eighteen zeros (one million million million).

  American English
and British English		 Some other languages
and "old" British English
million 1,000,000 1,000,000
billion 1,000,000,000 1,000,000,000,000
trillion 1,000,000,000,000 1,000,000,000,000,000,000

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