British English Numbers — From Hundreds to Trillions
Core PathWayIntro: Thirteen or Thirty? — Where the Stress Goes
Some numbers sound almost the same: 13 and 30, 14 and 40, 15 and 50, all the way to 19 and 90. If you mix them up, a price, a date or a phone number can be completely wrong.
The difference is not just the ending. The difference is where the stress is.
| -TEEN (13–19) stress at the END |
-TY (30–90) stress at the START |
|---|---|
| 13 thirTEEN | 30 THIRty |
| 14 fourTEEN | 40 FORty |
| 15 fifTEEN | 50 FIFty |
| 16 sixTEEN | 60 SIXty |
| 17 sev-enTEEN | 70 SEV-en-ty |
| 18 eighTEEN | 80 EIGHty |
| 19 nineTEEN | 90 NINEty |
So there are two clues to listen for:
- Stress. In -teen numbers the last part is strong: thirTEEN. In -ty numbers the first part is strong: THIRty.
- The ending. -teen has a long, clear “ee” sound: teeeen. -ty is short and weak: ty.
Be careful: in a sentence the stress can move. In “thirteen people” you may hear THIRteen PEOple. Then the long “ee” of -teen is your best clue.
Listen and repeat. First you hear the pairs in order, from 13 and 30 up to 19 and 90. Then the numbers come in a random order. Is it a -teen or a -ty?
💬 'TEEN' or 'T'
Jack: “Thirteen or thirty? Again… thirteen or thirty?”
Jenny: “Fourteen or forty? Again… fourteen or forty?”
Jack: “Fifteen or fifty? Again… fifteen or fifty?”
Jenny: “Sixteen or sixty? Again… sixteen or sixty?”
Jack: “Seventeen or seventy? Again… seventeen or seventy?”
Jenny: “Eighteen or eighty? Again… eighteen or eighty?”
Jack: “Nineteen or ninety? Again… nineteen or ninety?”
Jenny: “Fifteen. Again… fifteen.”
Jack: “Forty. Again… forty.”
Jenny: “Nineteen. Again… nineteen.”
Jack: “Thirty. Again… thirty.”
Jenny: “Sixteen. Again… sixteen.”
Jack: “Eighty. Again… eighty.”
Jenny: “Fourteen. Again… fourteen.”
Jack: “Ninety. Again… ninety.”
Jenny: “Seventeen. Again… seventeen.”
Jack: “Fifty. Again… fifty.”
Jenny: “Thirteen. Again… thirteen.”
Jack: “Seventy. Again… seventy.”
Jenny: “Eighteen. Again… eighteen.”
Intro Big Numbers — The One Rule You Need
Small numbers are easy. Big numbers are different. How do you say 101? How do you say 1,001? How do you say 254,656?
In British English, there is one little word that makes the difference: AND.
The main rule is this: say AND after “hundred” when another number follows.
100 is one hundred (or a hundred). There is no AND, because nothing follows.
101 is a hundred and one. There is an AND, because “one” follows.
199 is one hundred and ninety-nine. Again, AND, because “ninety-nine” follows.
You will hear AND very quickly, almost like “un” or “n”. So a hundred and ten sounds like “a hundred ‘n’ ten”. Listen for it. Say it quickly and lightly.
The same idea works for big numbers. Big numbers are built from groups of three digits. Each group is said like a small number, and then we add its name: thousand, million, billion, trillion.
Your best teacher is your ear. Listen to the audio in each section, then practise out loud. Listen again and again until the rhythm feels natural.
Focus
- Say AND after “hundred” when another number follows: 350 = three hundred and fifty.
- No AND for round numbers: 300 = three hundred.
- You can say “a hundred” or “one hundred”. Both are correct.
- AND is short and weak in speech: it sounds like “un” or “n”.
- The words hundred, thousand and million never take an -s: two hundred, five thousand, three million.
Rules
- 101 to 999: hundred + AND + the rest. 215 = two hundred and fifteen.
- 1,001 to 1,099: thousand + AND + the rest. 1,005 = a thousand and five.
- 1,100: no AND. 1,100 = one thousand, one hundred. 1,101 = one thousand, one hundred and one.
- AND also comes before a final number under 100 after any group: 2,050 = two thousand and fifty. 3,000,007 = three million and seven.
- Big numbers: say each group of three, then its name. 123,432,321 = one hundred and twenty-three million, four hundred and thirty-two thousand, three hundred and twenty-one.
- A billion is a thousand million. A trillion is a thousand billion.
1Listening 1 — The Hundreds
Start with the hundreds, from 100 to 999. Listen to Jack and Jenny. Hear where they say AND, and where they do not.
Remember: 200 has no AND. 201 has an AND.
💬 hundred_999
Jack: “Welcome to British numbers, part one. Today we learn the hundreds. Let’s start with “one hundred”… you can also say “a hundred”. Both are correct.”
Jenny: “That’s right. Now, what comes after a hundred? It’s “a hundred and one”. Then “a hundred and two”, and “a hundred and three”.”
Jack: “Listen to that little word, “and”. In British English, we say “and” after the word “hundred” when there is another number following it.”
Jenny: “And we say it very quickly, almost like “un”. So “a hundred and ten” sounds like “a hundred ‘n’ ten”.”
Jack: “But here’s the important rule. “A hundred” on its own, one-zero-zero, has no “and”, because no other number follows.”
Jenny: “Exactly. So “one hundred” has no “and”, but “one hundred and one” does.”
Jack: “Let’s practise. “One hundred and fifteen” – “One hundred and twenty” – “One hundred and twenty-five”.”
Jenny: “Now two hundred. “Two hundred”, with no “and”. Then “two hundred and one”, “two hundred and two”, “two hundred and ten”.”
Jack: “Good. And “three hundred”. Then “three hundred and fifty”. “Three hundred and fifty-five”.”
Jenny: “Notice the pattern. Hundred, then “and”, then the tens and units. So, “Four hundred and forty-four”.”
Jack: “”Five hundred” has no “and”. But “five hundred and sixty-seven” does.”
Jenny: “”Six hundred”. “Six hundred and seventy-eight”. Remember to say “and” quickly and lightly.”
Jack: “”Seven hundred and eighty-nine”. “Eight hundred and ninety”. Can you hear the rhythm?”
Jenny: “Yes! Nine hundred” has no “and”. But “nine hundred and one” does.”
Jack: “So the rule is simple. If there is another number after “hundred”, say “and” – when ZERO-ZERO follows “Hundred” you don’t say “and””
Jenny: “so “nine hundred” , that’s nine-zero-zero, but “nine hundred and nine” is “nine-zero-nine”, let’s hear that again:”
Jack: “OK, “nine hundred” and then “nine hundred and nine””
Jenny: “Great. So, “nine hundred and ninety-nine” is the last number before “one thousand””
Jack: “Also said as “a thousand”, remember it’s common to hear both “one hundred””
Jenny: “and “a hundred”. Same with “one thousand” or “a thousand”. We are going to cover the “thousands” in the next section.”
1aPractice 1 — Say the Hundreds
Now practise. Listen and repeat each number. Each number is said twice. Say it with Jack and Jenny. You can also listen and write the number, and then check your answer.
💬 British English | Practice 1 – Hundreds
You will hear these numbers: 783, 105, 909, 402, 256, 660, 191, 500, 347, 827, 113, 690, 431, 999, 148, 575, 214, 300, 812, 120 | BUT NOT IN THAT ORDER
Jack: “Three hundred and forty-seven. That’s three hundred and forty-seven”
Jenny: “Eight hundred and twelve. That’s eight hundred and twelve.”
Jack: “A hundred and five. That’s one hundred and five.”
Jenny: “Six hundred and sixty. That’s six hundred and sixty.”
Jack: “Nine hundred and ninety-nine. That’s nine hundred and ninety-nine.”
Jenny: “Two hundred and fourteen. That’s two hundred and fourteen.”
Jack: “Five hundred. That’s five hundred.”
Jenny: “Four hundred and thirty-one. That’s four hundred and thirty-one.”
Jack: “A hundred and twenty. That’s one hundred and twenty.”
Jenny: “Seven hundred and eighty-three. That’s seven hundred and eighty-three.”
Jack: “Two hundred and fifty-six. That’s two hundred and fifty-six.”
Jenny: “Nine hundred and nine. That’s nine hundred and nine”
Jack: “A hundred and thirteen. That’s one hundred and thirteen.”
Jenny: “Five hundred and seventy-five. That’s five hundred and seventy-five”
Jack: “Three hundred. That’s three hundred.”
Jenny: “Six hundred and ninety. That’s six hundred and ninety.”
Jack: “A hundred and forty-eight. That’s one hundred and forty-eight.”
Jenny: “Eight hundred and twenty-seven. That’s eight hundred and twenty-seven.”
Jack: “Four hundred and two. That’s four hundred and two.”
Jenny: “A hundred and ninety-one. That’s one hundred and ninety-one.”
2 Listening 2 — The Thousands
Next, the thousands. There is a surprise here. After “a thousand”, the numbers 1,001 to 1,099 use AND: a thousand and one, a thousand and ninety-nine.
But 1,100 has no AND. It is one thousand, one hundred. Then AND comes back after “hundred”: one thousand, one hundred and one. Listen carefully for this.
💬 thousand_hundred_thousand
Jack: “Welcome to British numbers, part two. Now we move into the thousands. First, “one thousand”, or “a thousand”. Just like “a hundred”, there is no “and”.”
Jenny: “That’s right. But listen to what comes next. “A thousand and one”. The “and” is back!”
Jack: “Yes, because only a small number follows. “A thousand and one”, “a thousand and two”, “a thousand and ten”.”
Jenny: “And we continue like this, all the way up to “a thousand and ninety-nine”. We say “and” before the last two digits.”
Jack: “Now here’s the surprise. The next number is “one thousand, one hundred”. Did you hear it? There is no “and” in that number.”
Jenny: “Right. “One thousand, one hundred” has no “and”, just like “one hundred” on its own. But then we get “one thousand, one hundred and one”. The “and” returns after “hundred”.”
Jack: “So we have “one thousand, one hundred and ten”, and “one thousand, one hundred and ninety-nine”.”
Jenny: “Then “one thousand, two hundred”, with no “and”. And “one thousand, two hundred and one”, with an “and”.”
Jack: “Let’s jump ahead. “One thousand, five hundred”. “One thousand, five hundred and fifty”.”
Jenny: “”One thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine”. And then, “two thousand”. No “and” again.”
Jack: “But “two thousand and one” has an “and”! Because a small number follows the word “thousand”.”
Jenny: “”Two thousand and twenty-five”. “Two thousand, three hundred”, no “and”. “Two thousand, three hundred and forty-five”, with an “and”.”
Jack: “Same pattern for “three thousand”. “Three thousand and seven”. “Three thousand, four hundred and fifty”.”
Jenny: “”Four thousand and sixteen”. “Four thousand, eight hundred”. “Four thousand, eight hundred and eight”.”
Jack: “”Five thousand and fifty”. “Five thousand, five hundred”. “Five thousand, five hundred and five”.”
Jenny: “”Six thousand and sixty”. “Six thousand, seven hundred and seventy-seven”.”
Jack: “”Seven thousand and one”. “Eight thousand, nine hundred”. “Eight thousand, nine hundred and ninety”.”
Jenny: “So here is the rule. After “hundred”, say “and” if another number follows. After “thousand”, say “and” if only a small number follows.”
Jack: “and you continue counting thousands you reach “ninety-nine thousand”. Now add “nine hundred and ninety-nine””
Jenny: “so we arrive at “ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine”. Add “one” to that number and we arrive at “one hundred thousand”…we will learn what happens after “one hundred thousand” in the next session.”
2a Practice 2 — Say the Thousands
Listen and repeat numbers from 1,000 to 99,999. Notice where AND appears: before a small final number, and after “hundred”.
💬 British English | Practice 1 – thousands
You will hear these numbers: 45612, 2001, 88888, 1100, 99999, 3333, 67008, 15230, 1005, 73500, 9009, 4250, 20017, 30000, 12345, 1999, 6480, 5090, 10101, 8764 | BUT NOT IN THAT ORDER
Jack: “A thousand and five. Again…. One thousand and five.”
Jenny: “Four thousand, two hundred and fifty. Again…. Four thousand, two hundred and fifty.”
Jack: “Twelve thousand, three hundred and forty-five. Again…. twelve thousand, three hundred and forty-five.”
Jenny: “A thousand, one hundred. Again…. One thousand, one hundred.”
Jack: “Sixty-seven thousand and eight. Again…. Sixty-seven thousand and eight.”
Jenny: “Two thousand and one. Again…. Two thousand and one.”
Jack: “Ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine. Again…. Ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine.”
Jenny: “Eight thousand, seven hundred and sixty-four. Again….Eight thousand, seven hundred and sixty-four.”
Jack: “Thirty thousand. Again…. Thirty thousand.”
Jenny: “A thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine. Again…One thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine.”
Jack: “Forty-five thousand, six hundred and twelve. Again….Forty-five thousand, six hundred and twelve.”
Jenny: “Five thousand and ninety. Again…. Five thousand and ninety.”
Jack: “Ten thousand, one hundred and one. Again…. ten thousand, one hundred and one.”
Jenny: “Seventy-three thousand, five hundred. Again….seventy-three thousand, five hundred”
Jack: “Three thousand, three hundred and thirty-three. Again…. three thousand, three hundred and thirty-three”
Jenny: “Twenty thousand and seventeen. Again….. twenty thousand and seventeen.”
Jack: “Six thousand, four hundred and eighty. Again…. six thousand, four hundred and eighty.”
Jenny: “Eighty-eight thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eight. Again….. eighty-eight thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eight.”
Jack: “Nine thousand and nine. Again….. nine thousand and nine.”
Jenny: “Fifteen thousand, two hundred and thirty. Again…… fifteen thousand, two hundred and thirty.”
3 Listening 3 — The Hundred Thousands
Now the numbers from 100,000 to 999,999. The pattern is the same, but now you may hear AND twice in one number.
For example, 254,656 is two hundred and fifty-four thousand, six hundred and fifty-six. The first group comes before “thousand”. The second group comes after.
💬
Jack: “Welcome to British numbers, part three. Last time we reached “ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine”. Add “one” to that, and we arrive at “one hundred thousand”. Today, we explore the hundreds of thousands.”
Jenny: “First, “one hundred thousand”, or “a hundred thousand”. Just like “a hundred” and “a thousand”, there is no “and”.”
Jack: “But the pattern from part two comes back. “A hundred thousand and one”. “A hundred thousand and two”. “A hundred thousand and ten”.”
Jenny: “And we continue all the way up to “a hundred thousand and ninety-nine”. The “and” comes before the last two digits.”
Jack: “Now the next number is “a hundred thousand, one hundred”. Did you hear it? There is no “and” in that number.”
Jenny: “Right. But then “a hundred thousand, one hundred and one” has an “and”, after the word “hundred”. So does “a hundred thousand, one hundred and ninety-nine”.”
Jack: “Then “a hundred thousand, two hundred”, with no “and”. We continue like this, up to “a hundred thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine”.”
Jenny: “Now something new! The next number is “a hundred and one thousand”. The “and” comes after the first “hundred”, because “one” follows it, before the word “thousand”.”
Jack: “”A hundred and two thousand”. “A hundred and ten thousand”. “A hundred and twenty-five thousand”. Listen to the “and” in the middle.”
Jenny: “Compare these two. “Two hundred thousand”, with no “and”. But “two hundred and one thousand”, with an “and”. -that number is “two-zero-one-comma-zero-zero-zero” in digits. Remember that we use a ‘comma’ to separate 2thousands” from “hundreds” when writing numbers.”
Jack: “But not when saying them. So, now onward, “two hundred thousand and one”, Yes, there is an “and”, because only a small number follows., listen again: “two hundred thousand and one”, BUT “Two hundred thousand, five hundred” has no “and”.”
Jenny: “Now the big one. “Two hundred and fifty-four thousand, six hundred and fifty-six”. Two “and” words, one after each “hundred”.”
Jack: “”Three hundred thousand and five”. Only one “and”. But “three hundred and thirty-three thousand, three hundred and thirty-three” has two.”
Jenny: “”Four hundred and eighty-one thousand, nine hundred and twenty-six”. Listen for both “and” words.”
Jack: “”Five hundred thousand, five hundred”, with no “and”. But “five hundred and five thousand, five hundred and five” has two.”
Jenny: “”Six hundred and sixty thousand and six”. Two “and” words, in two different places.”
Jack: “”Seven hundred thousand”. “Seven hundred and seventy-seven thousand, seven hundred and seventy-seven”. Say it with the rhythm.”
Jenny: “”Eight hundred and eight thousand”. “Eight hundred and eight thousand and eight”. Hundreds of thousands are just a three-digit number plus “thousand”.”
Jack: “So we reach the biggest number in this lesson: “nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine”.”
Jenny: “Add “one” to that number, and we arrive at “one million”. We’ll learn what happens after “one million” in the next session.”
3a Practice 3 — Say the Hundred Thousands
Listen and repeat. Say each number in two parts: the group before “thousand”, and the group after it. Take your time.
💬 British English | Practice 1 – Hundreds of thousands
You will hear these numbers: 417300, 100000, 999999, 148725, 620015, 305000, 254656, 700000, 100042, 531009, 850400, 222222, 101101, 900900, 376018, 450001, 264583, 713640, 189950, 600600| BUT NOT IN THAT ORDER
Jack: “A hundred thousand. Again, one hundred thousand.”
Jenny: “Two hundred and fifty-four thousand, six hundred and fifty-six. Again, two hundred and fifty-four thousand, six hundred and fifty-six.”
Jack: “A hundred thousand and forty-two. Again, one hundred thousand and forty-two.”
Jenny: “Four hundred and seventeen thousand, three hundred. Again, four hundred and seventeen thousand, three hundred”
Jack: “Nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine. Again, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine.”
Jenny: “Three hundred and five thousand. Again, three hundred and five thousand.”
Jack: “Six hundred and twenty thousand and fifteen. Again, six hundred and twenty thousand and fifteen.”
Jenny: “A hundred and forty-eight thousand, seven hundred and twenty-five. Again, one hundred and forty-eight thousand, seven hundred and twenty-five.”
Jack: “Seven hundred thousand. Again, seven hundred thousand.”
Jenny: “Five hundred and thirty-one thousand and nine. Again, five hundred and thirty-one thousand and nine”
Jack: “Two hundred and twenty-two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two. Again, two hundred and twenty-two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two.”
Jenny: “Eight hundred and fifty thousand, four hundred. Again, eight hundred and fifty thousand, four hundred.”
Jack: “A hundred and one thousand, one hundred and one. Again, one hundred and one thousand, one hundred and one.”
Jenny: “Three hundred and seventy-six thousand and eighteen. Again, three hundred and seventy-six thousand and eighteen.”
Jack: “Nine hundred thousand, nine hundred. Again, nine hundred thousand, nine hundred.”
Jenny: “Two hundred and sixty-four thousand, five hundred and eighty-three. Again, two hundred and sixty-four thousand, five hundred and eighty-three.”
Jack: “Seven hundred and thirteen thousand, six hundred and forty. Again, seven hundred and thirteen thousand, six hundred and forty.”
Jenny: “Four hundred and fifty thousand and one. Again, four hundred and fifty thousand and one.”
Jack: “A hundred and eighty-nine thousand, nine hundred and fifty. Again, one hundred and eighty-nine thousand, nine hundred and fifty.”
Jenny: “Six hundred thousand, six hundred. Again, six hundred thousand, six hundred.”
4 Listening 4 — Millions
Millions use exactly the same pattern, with one more group. The famous example is 123,432,321: three groups, each said like a small number, each with its name.
Do not worry about the length. Say one group at a time.
💬 one_million_to_hundreds_of
Jack: “Welcome to British numbers, part four. Last time we reached “nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine”. Add “one”, to that big number and we arrive at “one million”.”
Jenny: “”One million”, or “a million”. Then “a million and one”, “a million and ten”, up to “a million and ninety-nine”. The same pattern again!”
Jack: “Now bigger jumps. “A million, one hundred thousand”, doesn’t have “and”. But “a million, one hundred thousand and one” has an “and” again because of the final “one”.”
Jenny: “Before we move forward, let’s quickly review all the numbers so far in British Numbers part one to part four”
Jack: “OK. “Ninety-nine”, that’s “nine-nine””
Jenny: “and “nine hundred and ninety-nine”, which is “nine-nine-nine””
Jack: “then “nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine””
Jenny: “which is “nine-comma-nine-nine-nine”, remember, when writing we separate thousands from hundreds with a ‘comma’”
Jack: “Then adding another “nine” we arrive at “ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine”. There is just one “and” in that number because the word “hundred” is present only once.”
Jenny: “True, but when we add another “nine” to that number we arrive at “nine hundred AND ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred AND ninety-nine” – so that’s two times “AND” in this big number because the word “hundred” is present twice.”
Jack: “And then we arrive at “nine million, nine hundred AND ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred AND ninety-nine” – again the word and is present twice because the word “hundred” is present twice.”
Jenny: “But listen to this: “Nine hundred AND ninety-nine MILLION, nine hundred AND ninety nine THOUSAND, nine hundred AND ninety-nine”. So now the words “and” is present three times….because the word “hundred” is present three times.”
Jack: “SO that’s the pattern. big numbers exist in groups of “three” and the word “hundred” is followed by “and”. Listen again:”
Jenny: “”nine hundred and ninety-nine””
Jack: “”nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand””
Jenny: “”Nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine””
Jack: “”Nine hundred and ninety-nine million””
Jenny: “”Nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand””
Jack: “”Nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine”…did you hear how the big numbers include groups of three?”
Jenny: “Yes! “nine-nine-nine” , so the first group is “nine hundred and ninety-nine”….then the other groups just add their denominator, i.e. Thousand or Million. Next time we will continue this pattern in to the “billions””
4a Practice 4 — Say the Millions
Listen and repeat numbers from one million to 999 million. Go group by group, and keep the rhythm.
💬 British English | Practice 4 – Millions
You will hear these numbers: 505505505, 1000001, 712090404, 48500000, 999999999, 5000250, 82010000, 123432321, 3456789, 1000000, 801060007, 250000000, 1500000, 336114882, 67000019, 20020020, 7654321, 14205000, 9900000, 100000000 | BUT NOT IN THAT ORDER
Jack: “A million. Again, one million.”
Jenny: “A hundred and twenty-three million, four hundred and thirty-two thousand, three hundred and twenty-one. Again, one hundred and twenty-three million, four hundred and thirty-two thousand, three hundred and twenty-one.”
Jack: “Five million, two hundred and fifty. Again, five million, two hundred and fifty.”
Jenny: “Forty-eight million, five hundred thousand. Again, forty-eight million, five hundred thousand.”
Jack: “A million and one. Again, one million and one.”
Jenny: “Seven hundred and twelve million, ninety thousand, four hundred and four. Again, seven hundred and twelve million, ninety thousand, four hundred and four.”
Jack: “Three million, four hundred and fifty-six thousand, seven hundred and eighty-nine. Again, three million, four hundred and fifty-six thousand, seven hundred and eighty-nine”
Jenny: “Two hundred and fifty million. Again, two hundred and fifty million.”
Jack: “Sixty-seven million and nineteen. Again, sixty-seven million and nineteen.”
Jenny: “Nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine. Again, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine.”
Jack: “Fourteen million, two hundred and five thousand. Again, fourteen million, two hundred and five thousand.”
Jenny: “Eight hundred and one million, sixty thousand and seven. Again, eight hundred and one million, sixty thousand and seven.”
Jack: “Nine million, nine hundred thousand. Again, nine million, nine hundred thousand.”
Jenny: “Three hundred and thirty-six million, one hundred and fourteen thousand, eight hundred and eighty-two. Again, three hundred and thirty-six million, one hundred and fourteen thousand, eight hundred and eighty-two.”
Jack: “Twenty million, twenty thousand and twenty. Again, twenty million, twenty thousand and twenty.”
Jenny: “Seven million, six hundred and fifty-four thousand, three hundred and twenty-one. Again, seven million, six hundred and fifty-four thousand, three hundred and twenty-one.”
Jack: “Five hundred and five million, five hundred and five thousand, five hundred and five. Again, five hundred and five million, five hundred and five thousand, five hundred and five.”
Jenny: “Eighty-two million, ten thousand. Again, eighty-two million, ten thousand.”
Jack: “A million, five hundred thousand. Again, one million, five hundred thousand.”
Jenny: “A hundred million. Again, one hundred million.”
5 Listening 5 — Billions and Trillions
After a million comes a billion. Today, a British billion is a thousand million, the same as in American English. A trillion is a thousand billion.
After trillion, the pattern repeats. You already know how it works.
💬 Billions
Jack: “Welcome to British numbers, part five, the final lesson on ‘how to say BIG numbers”. Last time we heard that big numbers are built using patterns of ‘three’, followed by a denominator such as ‘thousand’ or ‘million’ when there are more than three digits.”
Jenny: “Yes, three digits, like “six – six – six” is “six hundred and sixty-six”, but six digits, like “two – two – two – two – two – two” is ” two hundred and twenty-two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two””
Jack: “and adding another three “twos” to that number gives us “two hundred and twenty-two-million, two hundred and twenty-two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two””
Jenny: “So, what about “billions” – is the pattern the same?”
Jack: “Yes, it’s exactly the same, listen: “a billion and one” – that’s “one billion” with a single “one” added. “one hundred and ninety nine billion” – just one “and” because the word “hundred is present just once.”
Jenny: “But it’s “six hundred and fifty billion, two hundred and fifty million” – so “and” is present twice because the word “hundred” is present twice. It’s the ‘groups of three’ pattern repeated.”
Jack: “Listen carefully to this string of twelve digits: “one – two – three (these will be the hundreds of billions), four – five – six (these will be the hundreds of millions), seven – eight – nine (these will be the hundreds of thousands) and finally, one – two – three (these will be the hundreds). So, Jenny, say the entire number please!”
Jenny: “er, ok…it’s “one hundred and twenty three BILLION, four hundred and fifty-six MILLION, seven hundred and eighty-nine THOUSAND, one hundred and twenty-three. Now that’s a very big number.”
Jack: “Well, we can go even bigger! what about the ‘trillions’?”
Jenny: “Ok, Jack – sure “trillions” exist…and the pattern is exactly the same, so “one hundred and twenty-three trillion” etc. But in real life, we don’t often need to say such large numbers, do we?”
Jack: “No, not often. But we do sometimes just say “trillions”, “billions”, “millions” and “thousands””
Jenny: “That’s right, when we don’t need to be precise and just want to give the idea of magnitude we use the denominator without a digit. For example, Jack, how many trees are there in the world?”
Jack: “I don’t know exactly, I think there are billions of trees in the world.”
Jenny: “Well, certainly there are “hundreds of millions”, but it’s impossible to give a precise number.”
Jack: “Jenny, is there any number bigger than “trillions””
Jenny: “Sure, we have “quadrillions”, which is “one followed by fifteen zeros”, “sextillions”, “septillions” “octillions” and “decillions”, but believe me, you will never need these numbers”
Jack: “Sure, my salary will never reach so high! OK, final recap: the basic rule for British English numbers is that we use “and”after the word “hundred” when there is another digit following.”
Jenny: “And we can place and after “thousand” when the are just two digits following, e.g. “one thousand and one” or “one thousand and ninety-nine””
Jack: “Then big numbers exist in ‘groups of three’ , meaning “hundreds of” each with their denominator, so “three hundred and sixty-three MILLION, two hundred and seventy-five THOUSAND, one hundred and twenty-three””
Jenny: “Now you need to practice. Next time we will look at how to avoid saying really big numbers by reducing them to ‘decimals’.”
5a Practice 5 — Say the Billions and Trillions
These are long numbers. Listen to each one, then repeat it group by group. You do not need to rush.
💬 British English | Practice 5 – Billions
You will hear these numbers: 87654321098, 1000000000, 1234567890123, 5000000007, 999999999999, 48200000000, 101101101101, 3250140000000, 2000000000, 750000000000, 6000300000, 214000000512, 15000000000000, 9876543210, 30000000001, 400500600700, 12345678901, 620000000000000, 8123456789000, 1000000000000 | BUT NOT IN THAT ORDER
Jack: “A billion. Again, one billion.”
Jenny: “Twelve billion, three hundred and forty-five million, six hundred and seventy-eight thousand, nine hundred and one. Again, twelve billion, three hundred and forty-five million, six hundred and seventy-eight thousand, nine hundred and one.”
Jack: “Five billion and seven. Again, five billion and seven.”
Jenny: “Seven hundred and fifty billion. Again, seven hundred and fifty billion.”
Jack: “A trillion. Again, one trillion.”
Jenny: “Forty-eight billion, two hundred million. Again, forty-eight billion, two hundred million.”
Jack: “Three trillion, two hundred and fifty billion, one hundred and forty million. Again, three trillion, two hundred and fifty billion, one hundred and forty million.”
Jenny: “Nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine. Again, nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine.”
Jack: “Six billion, three hundred thousand. Again, six billion, three hundred thousand.”
Jenny: “Two hundred and fourteen billion, five hundred and twelve. Again, two hundred and fourteen billion, five hundred and twelve.”
Jack: “Eighty-seven billion, six hundred and fifty-four million, three hundred and twenty-one thousand and ninety-eight. Again, eighty-seven billion, six hundred and fifty-four million, three hundred and twenty-one thousand and ninety-eight.”
Jenny: “Two billion. Again, two billion.”
Jack: “Four hundred billion, five hundred million, six hundred thousand, seven hundred. Again, four hundred billion, five hundred million, six hundred thousand, seven hundred.”
Jenny: “Nine billion, eight hundred and seventy-six million, five hundred and forty-three thousand, two hundred and ten. Again, nine billion, eight hundred and seventy-six million, five hundred and forty-three thousand, two hundred and ten.”
Jack: “Fifteen trillion. Again, fifteen trillion.”
Jenny: “A hundred and one billion, one hundred and one million, one hundred and one thousand, one hundred and one. Again, one hundred and one billion, one hundred and one million, one hundred and one thousand, one hundred and one.”
Jack: “Thirty billion and one. Again, thirty billion and one.”
Jenny: “Eight trillion, one hundred and twenty-three billion, four hundred and fifty-six million, seven hundred and eighty-nine thousand. Again, eight trillion, one hundred and twenty-three billion, four hundred and fifty-six million, seven hundred and eighty-nine thousand.”
Jack: “Six hundred and twenty trillion. Again, six hundred and twenty trillion.”
Jenny: “One trillion, two hundred and thirty-four billion, five hundred and sixty-seven million, eight hundred and ninety thousand, one hundred and twenty-three. Again, one trillion, two hundred and thirty-four billion, five hundred and sixty-seven million, eight hundred and ninety thousand, one hundred and twenty-three.”
6 Groups of Three — See the Pattern
Let’s break down a very large number and visualise the ‘groups of 3’ rules:
999,999,999,999 is spoken as: Nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine
Now visualise it:
So you see the ‘hundred and DENOMINATOR (i.e. billion, million, thousand)’ pattern.
Now listen carefully. We are going to start with the number 2 and add another 2 each time (2, 22, 222…) until we reach the hundreds of millions, 222,222,222. Then we’ll do the same with 6, all the way up to 666,666,666.
💬 Bulding Up the Numbers
Jack: “Two”
Jenny: “Twenty two”
Jack: “Two Hundred and twenty two”
Jenny: “Two thousand, two hundred and twenty two”
Jack: “Twenty-two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two”
Jenny: “Two hundred and twenty-two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two”
Jack: “Two million, two hundred and twenty-two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two”
Jenny: “Twenty-two million, two hundred and twenty-two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two”
Jack: “Two hundred and twenty-two million, two hundred and twenty-two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two”
Jenny: “Now with 'six'”
Jack: “Six”
Jenny: “Sixty-six”
Jack: “Six hundred and sixty-six”
Jenny: “Six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six”
Jack: “Sixty-six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six”
Jenny: “Six hundred and sixty-six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six”
Jack: “Six million, six hundred and sixty-six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six”
Jenny: “Sixty-six million, six hundred and sixty-six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six”
Jack: “Six hundred and sixty-six million, six hundred and sixty-six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six”
Jenny: “Now, listen again and repeat in time with the audio.”
P.1 Mixed Practice 1 — Any Number
Now the numbers are in a random order, and they can be small or large. Listen carefully. What is the number?
💬 British English | Mixed Practice 1
You will hear these numbers: 8618204730, 909090, 129, 150000000, 76500, 55555555, 418, 32010, 1070, 704, 900400800, 835001, 11011, 383917206, 987, 260000, 1111, 40300, 2640, 32768 | BUT NOT IN THAT ORDER
Jack: “Seventy-six thousand, five hundred. Again, seventy-six thousand, five hundred.”
Jenny: “Four hundred and eighteen. Again, four hundred and eighteen.”
Jack: “Three million, two thousand and ten. Again, three million, two thousand and ten.”
Jenny: “Nine hundred and nine thousand and ninety. Again, nine hundred and nine thousand and ninety.”
Jack: “Two thousand, six hundred and forty. Again, two thousand, six hundred and forty.”
Jenny: “A hundred and fifty million. Again, one hundred and fifty million.”
Jack: “A hundred and twenty-nine. Again, one hundred and twenty-nine.”
Jenny: “Forty thousand, three hundred. Again, forty thousand, three hundred.”
Jack: “Six hundred and eighteen million, two hundred and four thousand, seven hundred and thirty. Again, six hundred and eighteen million, two hundred and four thousand, seven hundred and thirty.”
Jenny: “A thousand and seventy. Again, one thousand and seventy.”
Jack: “Eight hundred and thirty-five thousand and one. Again, eight hundred and thirty-five thousand and one.”
Jenny: “Fifty-five million, five hundred and fifty-five thousand, five hundred and fifty-five. Again, fifty-five million, five hundred and fifty-five thousand, five hundred and fifty-five.”
Jack: “Seven hundred and four. Again, seven hundred and four.”
Jenny: “Eleven thousand and eleven. Again, eleven thousand and eleven.”
Jack: “Two hundred and sixty thousand. Again, two hundred and sixty thousand.”
Jenny: “Nine million, four hundred thousand, eight hundred. Again, nine million, four hundred thousand, eight hundred.”
Jack: “A thousand, one hundred and eleven. Again, one thousand, one hundred and eleven.”
Jenny: “Three hundred and eighty-three million, nine hundred and seventeen thousand, two hundred and six. Again, three hundred and eighty-three million, nine hundred and seventeen thousand, two hundred and six.”
Jack: “Nine hundred and eighty-seven. Again, nine hundred and eighty-seven.”
Jenny: “Thirty-two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-eight. Again, thirty-two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-eight.”
P.2 Mixed Practice 2 — Any Number
Another set of random numbers. Try to write each number before you hear it the second time.
💬 British English | Mixed Practice 2
You will hear these numbers: 817654321, 501320000, 777777, 143000, 19000000, 3005, 24680013, 474747, 5280, 66066606, 1001800, 1234, 6000000, 390105, 700007, 244, 570, 92180, 24600, 8008 | BUT NOT IN THAT ORDER
Jack: “Five thousand, two hundred and eighty. Again, five thousand, two hundred and eighty.”
Jenny: “Seven hundred thousand and seven. Again, seven hundred thousand and seven.”
Jack: “Two hundred and forty-four. Again, two hundred and forty-four.”
Jenny: “Nineteen million. Again, nineteen million.”
Jack: “Four hundred and seventy-four thousand, seven hundred and forty-seven. Again, four hundred and seventy-four thousand, seven hundred and forty-seven.”
Jenny: “A thousand, eight hundred. Again, one thousand, eight hundred.”
Jack: “Sixty-six million, sixty-six thousand, six hundred and six. Again, sixty-six million, sixty-six thousand, six hundred and six.”
Jenny: “Three hundred and five. Again, three hundred and five.”
Jack: “Ninety-two thousand, one hundred and eighty. Again, ninety-two thousand, one hundred and eighty.”
Jenny: “Five hundred and one million, three hundred and twenty thousand. Again, five hundred and one million, three hundred and twenty thousand.”
Jack: “Eight thousand and eight. Again, eight thousand and eight.”
Jenny: “A hundred and forty-three thousand. Again, one hundred and forty-three thousand.”
Jack: “Two million, four hundred and sixty-eight thousand and thirteen. Again, two million, four hundred and sixty-eight thousand and thirteen.”
Jenny: “Five hundred and seventy. Again, five hundred and seventy.”
Jack: “Eight hundred and seventeen million, six hundred and fifty-four thousand, three hundred and twenty-one. Again, eight hundred and seventeen million, six hundred and fifty-four thousand, three hundred and twenty-one.”
Jenny: “Twenty-four thousand, six hundred. Again, twenty-four thousand, six hundred.”
Jack: “Three hundred and ninety thousand, one hundred and five. Again, three hundred and ninety thousand, one hundred and five.”
Jenny: “Six million. Again, six million.”
Jack: “A thousand, two hundred and thirty-four. Again, one thousand, two hundred and thirty-four.”
Jenny: “Seven hundred and seventy-seven thousand, seven hundred and seventy-seven. Again, seven hundred and seventy-seven thousand, seven hundred and seventy-seven.”
P.3 Mixed Practice 3 — Any Number
The final set. Listen, repeat, and check yourself. Well done for finishing the series.
💬 British English | Mixed Practice 3
You will hear these numbers: 255255255, 740000000, 999000, 86420975, 12500, 330303, 199, 920011, 3030, 48000012, 111, 672, 100100, 5505050, 7319, 14000, 801, 64920, 2999, 460200100 | BUT NOT IN THAT ORDER
Jack: “Twelve thousand, five hundred. Again, twelve thousand, five hundred.”
Jenny: “Four hundred and sixty million, two hundred thousand, one hundred. Again, four hundred and sixty million, two hundred thousand, one hundred.”
Jack: “A hundred and ninety-nine. Again, one hundred and ninety-nine.”
Jenny: “Three thousand and thirty. Again, three thousand and thirty.”
Jack: “Nine hundred and twenty thousand and eleven. Again, nine hundred and twenty thousand and eleven.”
Jenny: “Forty-eight million and twelve. Again, forty-eight million and twelve.”
Jack: “Six hundred and seventy-two. Again, six hundred and seventy-two.”
Jenny: “A hundred thousand, one hundred. Again, one hundred thousand, one hundred.”
Jack: “Seven thousand, three hundred and nineteen. Again, seven thousand, three hundred and nineteen.”
Jenny: “Two hundred and fifty-five million, two hundred and fifty-five thousand, two hundred and fifty-five. Again, two hundred and fifty-five million, two hundred and fifty-five thousand, two hundred and fifty-five.”
Jack: “Fourteen thousand. Again, fourteen thousand.”
Jenny: “Eight hundred and one. Again, eight hundred and one.”
Jack: “Five million, five hundred and five thousand and fifty. Again, five million, five hundred and five thousand and fifty.”
Jenny: “Sixty-four thousand, nine hundred and twenty. Again, sixty-four thousand, nine hundred and twenty.”
Jack: “Three hundred and thirty thousand, three hundred and three. Again, three hundred and thirty thousand, three hundred and three.”
Jenny: “Two thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine. Again, two thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine.”
Jack: “Seven hundred and forty million. Again, seven hundred and forty million.”
Jenny: “A hundred and eleven. Again, one hundred and eleven.”
Jack: “Eighty-six million, four hundred and twenty thousand, nine hundred and seventy-five. Again, eighty-six million, four hundred and twenty thousand, nine hundred and seventy-five.”
Jenny: “Nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand. Again, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand.”