Numbers appear everywhere in daily life: on forms, bills, signs, tickets, websites, and calls. It’s normal to pause and think, “How do I say this date?”, “Do I read decimal digits by digit?”, “Is it zero or ‘oh’?”.
This guide gives you simple rules and lots of examples so you can say and write dates, read prices and the decimal point, handle big numbers, and read phone numbers and codes with confidence.
You’ll see numbers in real situations too, such as measurements in the metric system in the US, price tags, and receipts during grocery shopping.
In this guide, we will teach you how to:
- Say and write dates in US and UK styles.
- Read prices with dollars/cents and the decimal point.
- Read big numbers in english with easy chunking.
- Read phone numbers, IDs, and ZIP/postal codes digit by digit.
1) Dates & years
US order (how to write and say)
Two orders are common in English:
- US: month – day – year → July 4, 2024
Say: “July fourth, twenty twenty-four.”
Clear writing on forms. To avoid confusion on form numbers and applications, write the month as a word: 13 April 2025 / April 13, 2025. If a site asks for two-digit numbers (e.g., 06 for June), follow the format but still say the date with ordinal numbers: June twenty-first.
Hyphens in number words. Numbers from 21 to 99 use a hyphen when written as words: twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, thirty-five, forty-two, forty-seven, fifty-nine, sixty-six, sixty-seven, seventy-three, seventy-eight, eighty-seven, eighty-nine. These patterns also appear in sports scores, street addresses, and user IDs.
Saying years (2000–now)
In natural speech you will hear two styles:
- 2000–2009: “two thousand (and) one … two thousand (and) nine.”
- 2010+ : “twenty ten … twenty twenty-five” (also fine: “two thousand twenty-five”).
Pick one style and keep it in the same conversation or email thread. When you read years like 2026, say “twenty twenty-six” or “two thousand twenty-six”—both are accepted.
Days of the month (ordinals you need)
1st first, 2nd second, 3rd third, 4th fourth, 5th fifth, … 21st twenty-first, 22nd twenty-second, 23rd twenty-third, 24th twenty-fourth, 31st thirty-first. Practice these out loud: twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine.
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- ❌ “July four 2024” → ✅ “July fourth, 2024.”
- ❌ “4 July, 2024” (comma in UK order) → ✅ “4 July 2024” (no comma).
- ❌ “twenty five June” → ✅ “the twenty-fifth of June.”
- ❌ Using digits without a month word on international forms → ✅ “13 April 2025” to avoid mix-ups.
Say it out loud (short practice)
- US: June 21st, 2025 → “June twenty-first, twenty twenty-five.”
- UK: 21 June 2025 → “The twenty-first of June, twenty twenty-five.”
2) Money & prices
Natural ways to say prices
English has a short way and a full way:
- $3.50 → “three fifty” or “three dollars and fifty cents”
- $0.99 → “ninety-nine cents”
- $120.00 → “one hundred twenty dollars” (US) / “one hundred and twenty dollars” (UK)
- $1,200 → “one thousand two hundred dollars” (or twelve hundred dollars, common in speech)
When to prefer short vs full?
Use the short way in quick talk at a café or shop. Use the full way on the phone, in a meeting, or when the person might mishear you.
Reading decimals clearly
Say “point” and then read each digit after it:
- 3.5 → “three point five”
- 3.05 → “three point oh five” (or zero five)
- 12.70 → “twelve point seven oh” (or seven zero)
- 0.5 → “zero point five” (or point five, informal)
Common price phrases you’ll see during grocery shopping:
“Twenty percent off.”
“Tip included / not included.”
“Plus tax.”
These show quantity changes and final totals. “Half price” = 50% off.
Ranges, totals, and change
- $15–$20 → “fifteen to twenty dollars.”
- $20.00 + $1.50 tax → “twenty dollars, plus one-fifty tax.”
- “Your change is fifty cents.” (Count the coins if needed: fifty = two quarters in US English.)
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- ❌ “three point fifty” when it is a simple price → ✅ “three fifty.”
- ❌ Saying “point zero zero” for .00 → ✅ just say “one hundred (and) twenty” (no decimals).
- ❌ Mixing separators (writing 1.000,00 in English contexts) → ✅ 1,000.00 in English.
Say it out loud (short practice)
Read each two ways (short & full): $24.50, $7.85, $120, $0.79, $3.05.
Example: $24.50 → “twenty-four fifty” / “twenty-four dollars and fifty cents.”
3) Big numbers (and codes)
Writing and reading the English way
Use commas for thousands and a point for decimals: 5,200.75, 20,000, 1,250,000. These patterns appear in news, invoices, and school reports. In other languages you may see the reverse (1.000,00). When you move to a new language or region, notice the local style and follow it.
Names you need (with common ranges)
- 1,000 → one thousand
- 10,000 → ten thousand
- 100,000 → one hundred thousand (also heard as hundred thousand)
- 1,000,000 → one million
- 1,000,000,000 → one billion
Some regions also use thousand million in explanations—know the meaning, but in general English billion = 1,000,000,000.
How to say big numbers easily (chunking)
Break the number into parts and keep a steady rhythm:
- 2,300,000 → “two point three million”
- 1,299,000,000 → “one point two nine nine billion”
- 75,000 → “seventy-five thousand”
- 5,400 → “five thousand four hundred”
You’ll hear big numbers in the news about budgets, views, and city populations, and also in measurements—lengths, weights, and volumes, in the metric system in the US.
Rounding for easier speech
- 1,249,000 → “about one point two five million.”
- $3,998 → “almost four thousand dollars.”
- 20,001 → “about twenty thousand.”
Special names in everyday life
You’ll often say one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand, one million, and occasionally billion. Practice saying them quickly. Try these in sentences:
- “The new stadium cost one hundred million dollars.”
- “The city has one million residents.”
- “The company shipped ten thousand units last month.”
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- ❌ “one millions” after a number → ✅ “one million.” (No s when a number is in front.)
- ❌ “one thousands five hundred” → ✅ “one thousand five hundred.”
- ❌ Using dot for thousands in English writing → ✅ use commas for thousands: 1,500.
Say it out loud (short practice)
Read these smoothly: 5,400 / 75,000 / 1,250,000 / 3.05 / 12.7 / 1,299,000,000.
Then give rounded versions: “about five point four thousand,” “about seventy-five thousand,” “about one point two five million.”
4) Phone numbers, IDs, ZIP/postal codes
The core rule
Read them digit by digit. Many speakers say “oh” for 0 in phone numbers and codes. For repeats, use double or triple.
Models
- 415-660-0300 → “four one five, six six zero, oh three double-oh.”
- 02115 (ZIP) → “oh two one one five.”
- 88422 (ID) → “double eight, four double-two.”
- 347 AB (parking code) → “three four seven, A B.” Say each letter clearly and keep a small space between parts.
International style
- +1 416 555 0199 → “plus one, four one six, five five five, oh one nine nine.”
- +44 20 7946 0991 → “plus forty-four, twenty, seven nine four six, oh nine nine one.”
In messages
These habits match the spacing and clarity taught in texting etiquette in English. Repeat back numbers in calls to confirm: “That’s oh two one one five, correct?”
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- ❌ “four fifteen, six sixty, thirty-oh” → ✅ “four one five, six six zero, oh three double-oh.”
- ❌ Skipping zeros → ✅ Always say “oh” or “zero” for each 0.
- ❌ Running letters and numbers together → ✅ Pause: “three four seven, A B.”
Say it out loud (short practice)
Say your own phone number twice: once with zero, once with oh.
Read: 416-555-0199, 02115, 88422, 347 AB.
Spell your initials plus a three-digit number (e.g., AK 247)—keep the letters clear.
Pronunciation tips
- Ordinals: fourth, fifth, sixth—keep the /θ/ sound soft.
- Teen vs -ty: fifteen vs fifty; fourteen vs forty. The stress helps listeners hear the difference.
- Hyphen words: twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three—small stress on the final part.
- Decimal point: in numbers, say “point” (not “dot”).
- Clarity on the phone: slow down at groups of two letters or tricky clusters.
Mini practice
Dates
Write and say both styles: April 13, 2025 / 13 April 2025.
Say: “April thirteenth, twenty twenty-five.” / “The thirteenth of April, twenty twenty-five.”
Prices
Say two ways: $3.50, $0.99, $120.
Add one with tax: “twenty dollars, plus one-fifty tax.”
Decimals
Say each digit: 2.07, 0.5, 10.04, 12.70.
Big numbers
Read smoothly: 20,000; 1,000,000; 1,299,000,000.
Round them in words: “about twenty thousand,” “about one million,” “about one point three billion.”
Phones & codes
Read: 416-555-0199; 02115; 88422; 347 AB.
Repeat one back to check accuracy.
Conclusion
Small, regular practice makes numbers easy. Use ordinal numbers for dates (“June twenty-first”), say “point” + digits for decimals (“three point oh five”), chunk big values (“two point three million”), and read phone numbers digit by digit with oh/zero and double/triple for repeats.
The more you speak numbers out loud, the faster they become automatic in conversations, emails, and everyday tasks.
Sources
- British Council – Dates (B1–B2 Grammar): https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/dates
- Cambridge Dictionary – “decimal”: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/decimal
- Cambridge Dictionary – “decimal point”: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/decimal-point
- Cambridge Dictionary – “decimal place”: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/decimal-place
- Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries – “zero”: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/zero
- Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries – “O” (letter used as zero in phone numbers): https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/o_3
- BBC Learning English – Dates (unit): https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/lower-intermediate/unit-14
- BBC Learning English – Numbers (unit): https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/lower-intermediate/unit-8
- Microsoft Writing Style Guide – Numbers: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/style-guide/numbers
- Microsoft Globalization – Number formatting & locales: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/globalization/locale/number-formatting
- Northern Illinois University – Style Guide: Numbers: https://www.niu.edu/styleguide/writing/numbers.shtml
