Master Spanish Numbers

Spanish numbers 0–15 each have unique names that must be memorized, but from 16 onward the system becomes predictable: dieciséis ("ten-and-six"), diecisiete, and so on. Numbers 21–29 are contracted into single words (veintiuno, veintidós), while 31+ use separate words joined by y ("and"). Most Spanish-speaking countries use the long scale, where un billón means one million millions — a trillion in American English.

Watch the videos below, then download the Foreign Numbers app and practice what you've learned!

Spanish Phone Numbers

How phone numbers work in Spain & how locals say them

Here are the cardinal and ordinal numbers in Spanish:

Numeral	Cardinal	Ordinal
0	cero
1	un / uno (m) una (f)	primero
2	dos	segundo
3	tres	tercero
4	cuatro	cuarto
5	cinco	quinto
6	seis	sexto
7	siete	séptimo
8	ocho	octavo
9	nueve	noveno
10	diez	décimo
11	once	undécimo
12	doce	duodécimo
13	trece	decimotercero
14	catorce	decimocuarto
15	quince	decimoquinto
16	dieciséis	decimosexto
17	diecisiete	decimoséptimo
18	dieciocho	decimoctavo
19	diecinueve	decimonoveno
20	veinte	vigésimo
21	veintiuno	vigésimo primero
22	veintidós	vigésimo segundo
23	veintitres	vigésimo tercero
24	veinticuatro	vigésimo cuarto
25	veinticinco	vigésimo quinto
26	veintiseis	vigésimo sexto
27	veintisiete	vigésimo séptimo
28	veintiocho	vigésimo octavo
29	veintinueve	vigésimo noveno
30	treinta	trigésimo
31	treinta y uno	trigésimo primero
32	treinta y dos	trigésimo segundo
33	treinta y tres	trigésimo tercero
34	treinta y cuatro	trigésimo cuarto
35	treinta y cinco	trigésimo quinto
36	treinta y seis	trigésimo sexto
37	treinta y siete	trigésimo séptimo
38	treinta y ocho	trigésimo octavo
39	treinta y nueve	trigésimo noveno
40	cuarenta	cuadragésimo
41	cuarenta y uno	cuadragésimo primero
50	cincuenta	quincuagésimo
60	sesenta	sexagésimo
70	setenta	septuagésimo
80	ochenta	octogésimo
90	noventa	nonagésimo
100	cien	centésimo
101	ciento uno	centésimo primero
200	doscientos	ducentésimo
300	trescientos	tricentésimo
400	cuatrocientos	cuadringentésimo
500	quinientos	quingentésimo
600	seiscientos	sexcentésimo
700	setecientos	septingentésimo
800	ochocientos	octingentésimo
900	novecientos	noningentésimo
1000	mil	milésimo
2000	dos mil	dosmilésimo
1 million	un millón	millonésimo
2 million	dos millones	dosmillonésimo

Number data and information courtesy of Omniglot.

What Makes Spanish Numbers Challenging

Spanish numbers 0-15 are unique words requiring pure memorization. The contraction pattern changes at 16 (dieciséis) and again at 21 (veintiuno) and 31 (treinta y uno), creating three different combination styles. Phone numbers can be read in groups of varying size — digit-by-digit, pairs, or triples — and the style varies by speaker and country. The long scale in most Spanish-speaking countries means un billón = 1 trillion, a major trap in financial contexts. Regional pronunciation varies widely between Spain and Latin America.

Tips for Learning Spanish Numbers

Memorize 0-15 as a block, then learn the combining patterns for 16-19, 21-29, and 31+. Once you master these three patterns, the system is completely predictable. Practice with prices in euros or pesos for the most common real-world number encounters. For phone numbers, train with both digit-by-digit and group styles since speakers vary. Spanish number words are mostly transparent — cuarenta y cinco (45) literally means "forty and five" — making them intuitive once the base words are learned.

Practice Spanish Numbers

Reading about numbers is one thing — understanding them spoken at natural speed is another. Test your Spanish number skills with our free listening game.

Play the Number Game