Master Italian Numbers
Italian teens have a quirky split: 11–16 end with -dici (undici, dodici...) but 17–19 flip the order and start with dici- (diciassette, diciotto, diciannove). Fun fact: 17 (diciassette) is considered unlucky in Italy because its Roman numeral XVII can be rearranged to spell VIXI — Latin for "I have lived," implying death.
Watch the videos below, then download the Foreign Numbers app and practice what you've learned!
Italian Phone Numbers
How phone numbers work in Italy & how locals say them
| Numeral | Cardinal | Ordinal |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | zero | |
| 1 | uno (m) una (f) | primo |
| 2 | due | secondo |
| 3 | tre | terzo |
| 4 | quattro | quarto |
| 5 | cinque | quinto |
| 6 | sei | sesto |
| 7 | sette | settimo |
| 8 | otto | ottavo |
| 9 | nove | nono |
| 10 | dieci | decimo |
| 11 | undici | undicesimo |
| 12 | dodici | dodicesimo |
| 13 | tredici | tredicesimo |
| 14 | quattordici | quattordicesimo |
| 15 | quindici | quindicesimo |
| 16 | sedici | sedicesimo |
| 17 | diciassette | diciassettesimo |
| 18 | diciotto | diciottesimo |
| 19 | diciannove | diciannovesimo |
| 20 | venti | ventesimo |
| 21 | ventuno | ventunesimo |
| 22 | ventidue | ventiduesimo |
| 23 | ventitré | ventitreesimo |
| 24 | ventiquattro | ventiquattresimo |
| 25 | venticinque | venticinquesimo |
| 26 | ventisei | ventiseiesimo |
| 27 | ventisette | ventisettesimo |
| 28 | ventotto | ventottesimo |
| 29 | ventinove | ventinovesimo |
| 30 | trenta | trentesimo |
| 40 | quaranta | quarantesimo |
| 50 | cinquanta | cinquantesimo |
| 60 | sessanta | sessantesimo |
| 70 | settanta | settantesimo |
| 80 | ottanta | ottantesimo |
| 90 | novanta | novantesimo |
| 100 | cento | centesimo |
| 200 | duecento | duecentesimo |
| 300 | trecento | trecentesimo |
| 400 | quattrocento | quattrocentesimo |
| 500 | cinquecento | cinquecentesimo |
| 600 | seicento | seicentesimo |
| 700 | settecento | settecentesimo |
| 800 | ottocento | ottocentesimo |
| 900 | novecento | novecentesimo |
| 1.000 | mille | millesimo |
| 10.000 | diecimila | diecimillesimo |
| 100.000 | centomila | centomillesimo |
| 1.000.000 | un milione | millionesimo |
| 1.000.000.000 | un miliardo | milliardesimo |
Number data and information courtesy of Omniglot.
What Makes Italian Numbers Challenging
Italian numbers are mostly regular but the teen split (11-16 vs 17-19) and the vowel-dropping in compounds (ventuno not ventiuno, ventotto not ventiotto) create small traps. Phone numbers can be read either digit-by-digit or as groups of hundreds, and you never know which style someone will use. The varying grouping style means a single number might be read as "trecentoquarantasette" (347 as one word) or "tre-quattro-sette" (3-4-7).
Tips for Learning Italian Numbers
Master the teen split first: 11-16 end with -dici, but 17-19 start with dici-. Learn which vowels drop in compounds (before uno and otto). Practice recognizing numbers both digit-by-digit and as spoken groups, since Italians switch between styles freely. Italian numbers have a musical quality — the rhythm and melody of the language helps with memorization. Prices, train platform numbers, and addresses make great real-world practice.
Practice Italian Numbers
Reading about numbers is one thing — understanding them spoken at natural speed is another. Test your Italian number skills with our free listening game.
Play the Number Game