Number Words – Definition, Examples, Practice Problems, FAQs

What Are Number Words?

Number words are the alphabetical form of numbers. As the name suggests, these are numbers written in words. Word form is writing the numerical/number as you would say it in words.

‘Number words’ or ‘number names’ are simply the names assigned to numbers so that we can identify each number uniquely. When we talk about “math,” what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Numbers! Are you aware that numbers also have names called number names? Yes, like everything else in the world, numbers have names. Let us know the number name definition and the rules to write them.

Number Words: Definition  

A number word or number name is a way to express numbers in their word form. We can express numbers using their number name form. The spelling of numbers in English is something we should focus on while writing the numbers in word form.  

For example, we can write 1 as “one.” So, the number name for 1 is “one.” 

Similarly, we can express the number 2 as “two” in its word form. 

The number 3 as “three” in its word form, and so on.

For example:

With the help of the number words from one to ten, we can make number words of higher value.

It is important to learn every number word from One to Twenty to learn other number words. Also, the number words from eleven to twenty are very different from other number words.

After learning the number words up to twenty, it is important to learn the number words such as thirty, forty, fifty, sixty until hundred. 

Once you know these number words, it is easy to make number words for higher value numbers.

For example:

The above two number words are made from learning the basic number words from one to ten, and the number words for tens value, like sixty, seventy and eighty.

As the numbers increase in value and become larger with three, four, five, six, seven and more digits, the names start to change.

Rules to Write Numbers in Word Form

While writing numbers in their number words form, we have to follow certain rules. These rules are as follows:

Rule 1

Always consider place values while writing numbers in the word form.

For example, the digit 2 at the ones place is read as 2. The same digit at the tens place has the value “twenty.” So, 22 can be written as “twenty-two.”

Rule 2

To write numbers between 1–20, refer to the number names chart. 

To express numbers beyond 20 in words, you must follow a certain pattern. As per this pattern, the multiples of 10 up to 90 are written as thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, and ninety.

Rule 3

For writing multiples of 100 in word form, you can write the digit in the word form and add the word hundred after it. 

For example, you can express 200 as two hundred in the word form, 600 as six hundred, and so on.

You can follow the same rule while writing multiples of 1000 in word form. The only difference is that you have to add the word thousand instead of hundred. For example, you can write 3000 as three thousand in the word form.

Rule 4

For writing two-digit or three-digit numbers in word form, you have to write them in their expanded form. Ensure that you take the position of 0 in account.

For example, you can write 107 (expanded into $100 + 0 + 7$) as one hundred seven. 

The word form of 125 (expanded into $100 + 20 + 5$) is one hundred twenty-five.  

Number Words or Number Names from 1 to 100

Here’s a table containing numbers 1 to 100 and their corresponding word forms:

The Number Words for Higher Values

It becomes easy to convert numbers to number words and number words to number if we know the number words.

For example:

Write the given numbers in words.

Write the given numbers in numerals.

Number Names as per the International Number System

In the international system, the numbers are organized into periods and groups. The periods are categorized as ones, thousands, millions, etc. Each period is grouped into three place values. While writing numbers in this system, we insert a comma or separator after every three digits from the right.  

The place value names in the international system are as follows:

• Ones
• Tens
• Hundreds
• Thousands
• Ten Thousands
• Hundred Thousands
• Millions
• Ten Millions
• Hundred Millions
• Billions
• Ten Billions
• Hundred Billions
• Trillions, and so on

Example: Suppose you have to write the word form of the number 6,342,715 in the international system. 

6,342,715 is Six Million Three Hundred Forty-two Thousand Seven Hundred Fifteen.

Place Value Chart for International System

Here is the place value chart for the international system:

From this place value chart, we understand:

• 1 million $= 1000$ thousand
• 1 billion $= 1000$ million

Tips and Tricks to Learn Numbers Names

Here are a few tips to help you learn and write numbers in their word forms:

• Write down 1 to 20 as numbers and their spellings.

• Write down the multiples of 10 up to 90 and their spellings.

For example, 10: Ten, 20: Twenty, 30: Thirty, and so on.

• Write down the multiples of 100 and their spellings. 

For example, 100: Three hundred, 200: Two hundred, and so on.

• For two-digit numbers beyond 20, expand them and write them in words in their expanded form. For example, you can expand 32 as $30 + 2$ and write “thirty-two.”

• Follow the same technique for large numbers. 

For example, you can expand 471 as “$400 + 70 + 1$” and write “four hundred seventy-one” or “four hundred and seventy-one.”

Number Names as per the Ordinal System

An ordinal number expresses the rank or position of something. That is why they are also known as ranking or positioning numbers.

Ordinal numbers are written as 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and so on.

Here is a chart of the first 50 ordinal numbers and their number names:

Fun Facts

Conclusion

Number names offer an easy way to identify and learn numbers. They can help us to understand how the number system functions. Knowing to read and write numbers in words can enable us to identify how numbers relate to one another.  

Solved Examples on Number Words

1.  Write the number 7575 in words.

Solution: 

We can expand 7575 as $7000 + 500 + 70 + 5$.

7575 in word form is “seven thousand five hundred seventy-five.”

2.  What comes after the given number name: twenty-nine?

Solution:

Twenty-nine $= 29$

The number after 29 is $29 + 1 = 30$

30 in the word form is Thirty. 

So, thirty comes after twenty-nine.

3.  Count the emojis in the given image and write the number in words.  

Solution: 

$5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 15$

The given image has fifteen or 15 smileys.

4. Express 2022 in words and also in the ordinal system.

Solution:

$2022 = 2000 + 0 + 20 + 2$

In words, we write it as “two thousand twenty-two.” 

Also, 2022 is written as “two thousand twenty-second” in the ordinal system.

5.  Write the word form of 404.

Solution: 

$404 = 400 + 0 + 4$

404 is four hundred four.

Practice Problmes on Number Words

Frequently Asked Questions on Number Words