Reading numbers aloud in English has specific conventions that differ from other languages. Whether dealing with large sums, fractions, dates, or scores, knowing the correct spoken form avoids awkward misunderstandings.
3 subtopics — pick one to start practising
Large Numbers & Hundreds
For hundreds: "100" = "a hundred" or "one hundred". "101" = "a hundred and one" (British) or "a hundred one" (American). For thousands: "2,500" = "two thousand five hundred" or "twenty-five hundred" (informal). For millions: "3,400,000" = "three million four hundred thousand". Never say "three millions" — million, thousand, and hundred do not take -s after a number.
Dates & Years
Years up to 1999: split into two pairs. "1985" = "nineteen eighty-five". "1900" = "nineteen hundred". From 2000: "2000" = "two thousand"; "2005" = "two thousand and five" (British) or "twenty oh five" (informal). From 2010: both styles used: "2019" = "twenty nineteen" or "two thousand and nineteen". Dates: "15 March" = "the fifteenth of March" (British) or "March fifteenth" (American).
Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
Fractions: numerator = cardinal, denominator = ordinal. "1/3" = "one third". "3/4" = "three quarters" (not "three fourths" in British English). "1/2" = "a half" or "one half". Decimals: say each digit after the point individually. "3.14" = "three point one four". Percentages: "75%" = "seventy-five percent". "0.5%" = "nought point five percent" (British) or "zero point five percent" (American).