number · Year 2 · Suggested learning sequence
Number words and numerals
Each part of a number word tells you a digit and its column. 'Three thousand and forty' is 3 in the thousands, 4 in the tens, and nothing in the hundreds or ones, so we write zeros there: 3040. Teen words say the ones first ('four-teen') but the ten is still written on the left: 14. To write a numeral in words, say each column's part, skipping zeros, with 'and' before the last tens and ones.
Sample questions
Write "thirteen" as a numeral.
- "thirteen" means ten and three more: 1 ten and 3 ones.
- Write the tens digit first, even though the ones are said first.
- The numeral is 13.
Answer: 13
Write "fifteen" as a numeral.
- "fifteen" means ten and five more: 1 ten and 5 ones.
- Write the tens digit first, even though the ones are said first.
- The numeral is 15.
Answer: 15
Write "nineteen" as a numeral.
- "nineteen" means ten and nine more: 1 ten and 9 ones.
- Write the tens digit first, even though the ones are said first.
- The numeral is 19.
Answer: 19