How To Spell Numbers In Spanish

How To Spell Numbers In Spanish

Introduction

Learning to spell numbers in Spanish is a fundamental skill for anyone studying the language. Whether you’re counting objects, telling the time, or expressing quantities, knowing how to spell numbers accurately will greatly enhance your Spanish communication skills. In this article, we’ll cover how to spell numbers from zero to a billion in Spanish, providing you with a solid foundation for using numerical terms effectively.

Cardinal Numbers 0 to 20

Let’s start with the most basic numbers in Spanish:

– 0: cero (pronounced: seh-roh)
– 1: uno (pronounced: oo-noh)
– 2: dos (pronounced: dohs)
– 3: tres (pronounced: trehs)
– 4: cuatro (pronounced: kwah-troh)
– 5: cinco (pronounced: seen-koh)
– 6: seis (pronounced: seh-eess)
– 7: siete (pronounced: syeh-teh)
– 8: ocho (pronounced: oh-choh)
– 9: nueve (pronounced: nwheh-veh)
– 10: diez (pronounced: dyehs)
– 11: once (pronounced: ohn-seh)
– 12: doce (pronounced: doh-seh)
– 13: trece (pronounced: treh-seh)
– 14: catorce (pronounced: kah-tohr-seh)
– 15: quince (pronounced: keen-seh)
– 16: dieciséis (pronounced: dyeh-see-seys)
– 17: diecisiete (pronounced: dyeh-see-syeh-teh)
– 18: dieciocho (pronounced: dyeh-thyo-choh)
– 19: diecinueve (pronounced: dyeh-see-nweh-veh)
– 20: veinte (pronounced: veh-een-teh)

Tens and Hundreds

As we move on to the tens and hundreds, the numbers in Spanish follow a regular pattern:

– 30: treinta (pronounced: trehn-tah)
– 40: cuarenta (pronounced: kwah-rehn-tah)
– 50: cincuenta (pronounced: seen-kwehn-tah)
– 60: sesenta (pronounced: seh-sehn-tah)
– 70: setenta (pronounced: seh-tehn-tah)
– 80: ochenta (pronounced: oh-chehn-tah)
– 90: noventa (pronounced: noh-behn-tah)
– 100: cien (when referring to exactly 100) (pronounced: syehn)
– 200: doscientos (when referring to exactly 200) (pronounced: dohs-syehn-tohs)
– 300: trescientos (pronounced: trehs-syehn-tohs)
– 1000: mil (pronounced: meel)

Combining Numbers

When forming numbers beyond 100, the hundreds and tens are combined:

– 101: ciento uno (pronounced: syehn-toh oo-noh)
– 245: doscientos cuarenta y cinco (pronounced: dohs-syehn-tohs kwah-rehn-tah ee seen-koh)
– 500: quinientos (pronounced: keen-yehtohs)
– 789: setecientos ochenta y nueve (pronounced: seh-teh-syehn-tohs oh-chehn-tah ee nwheh-veh)

Thousands and Beyond

When dealing with thousands and beyond, the word “mil” (thousand) is used as a multiplier:

– 1000: mil (pronounced: meel)
– 2000: dos mil (pronounced: dohs meel)
– 5000: cinco mil (pronounced: seen-koh meel)
– 10,000: diez mil (pronounced: dyehs meel)
– 100,000: cien mil (pronounced: syehn meel)
– 1,000,000: un millón (pronounced: oon mee-yohn)
– 1,000,000,000: mil millones (pronounced: meel mee-yoh-nehss)

Conclusion

Knowing how to spell numbers in Spanish is a crucial aspect of language learning. By familiarizing yourself with the cardinal numbers and their patterns, as well as understanding how to combine them to form larger values, you’ll be better equipped to handle various numerical situations in Spanish. Practice regularly, and you’ll soon find that using numbers in Spanish comes naturally, making your conversations and interactions in the language much smoother.
How To Spell Love In Spanish