Dates & numbers
Ordinals, years and how to read figures aloud.
The rules
- Dates use ordinals: "the third of May" or "May the third".
- "One thousand five hundred" (or informally "fifteen hundred"). Hundred/thousand stay singular after numbers.
- After a number, "million" stays singular with no "of": "two million people".
- Clock time takes "at"; parts of the day take "in": "at 9:30 in the morning".
- Decimals use "point", not "comma": "zero point five" (or "nought point five").
- Years split into pairs: 19-99 → "nineteen ninety-nine".
Examples
- the third of May
- one thousand five hundred
- two million people
- The meeting is at 9:30 in the morning.
- zero point five
- nineteen ninety-nine
Quick check
Pick an answer to see the rule behind it.
1.How do you say the date 3 May?
2.How do you read 1,500?
3.Which is correct?
4.The meeting is _____ 9:30 _____ the morning.
5.How do you read 0.5?