Number Words
Kindergarten · English · Study Guide
Learn to read and write the words for numbers one through ten.
Numbers can be written two ways! You can write the numeral 3, or you can write the word 'three.' Both mean exactly the same thing. In reading and writing, we often use number words instead of numerals — especially for small numbers.
The number words from one to ten are: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Learning to read these words is important because you will see them in books, on signs, and in directions all the time.
After ten, the number words keep going: eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty. Notice a pattern starting at thirteen? Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen — they all end in '-teen'! That is because these numbers are basically 'four and ten,' 'five and ten,' and so on.
You use number words every day without realizing it. When someone says 'meet me in five minutes,' 'five' is a number word. When a recipe says 'add two eggs,' 'two' is a number word. Practicing number words makes you a better reader because you can recognize them quickly without having to stop and sound them out.
| Numeral | Word | Numeral | Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | one | 6 | six |
| 2 | two | 7 | seven |
| 3 | three | 8 | eight |
| 4 | four | 9 | nine |
| 5 | five | 10 | ten |
Key terms
- number word
- A word that stands for a number — like 'three' for 3 or 'seven' for 7
- numeral
- The written symbol for a number — like 3 or 7
- teen numbers
- Numbers from 13 to 19 — they all end in the -teen sound
Flashcards
- one
- The number word for 1
- two
- The number word for 2
- three
- The number word for 3
- four
- The number word for 4
- five
- The number word for 5
- six
- The number word for 6
Practice questions
What is the number word for 3?
- two
- four
- three
- five
Show answer
Answer: three
Three is the number word for the numeral 3.
The number word for 7 is 'seven'.
Show answer
Answer: True
Seven is the correct number word for the numeral 7.
The number word for 10 is ___ .
Show answer
Answer: ten
Ten is the number word for 10 — the last single-digit number plus zero.
Which number does the word 'eight' stand for?
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Show answer
Answer: 8
Eight is the number word for 8. Six=6, seven=7, nine=9.
The number word for 2 is 'twelve'.
Show answer
Answer: False
The number word for 2 is 'two.' Twelve is the number word for 12.
Fun facts
- The word 'four' has four letters — but 'five' only has four letters too, and 'one' only has three! The letter count rarely matches the number.
- The number word 'forty' is spelled differently from 'four' — many people accidentally write 'fourty' but that is not correct!
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