Rule 2 of 6
Quick winThirteen versus thirty
In -teen numbers, stress the last syllable and hold its ii twice as long as a short i. In -ty numbers, stress the first syllable and say the final i short, with a full t.
This works the same way in both styles, and it prevents mistakes with prices, dates and quantities.
Stress in -teen and -ty numbers
The stressed syllable is louder, longer and higher. In -teen numbers it is the last one, and its ii is long.
-teen and -ty numbers
| -teen | -ty | Play both |
|---|---|---|
| 13thirteenthəə-tiin | 30thirtythəə-ti | |
| 14fourteenfoo-tiin | 40fortyfoo-ti | |
| 15fifteenfif-tiin | 50fiftyfif-ti | |
| 16sixteensiks-tiin | 60sixtysiks-ti | |
| 17seventeense-vən-tiin | 70seventyse-vən-ti | |
| 18eighteenei-tiin | 80eightyei-ti | |
| 19nineteennain-tiin | 90ninetynain-ti |
Twenty follows the -ty pattern: twen-ti, never twe-ni.
Before a noun, native speakers sometimes move the stress forward ('thəə-tiin days'), so the long ii and the final n are your most reliable signal. Americans may say thirty as thər-di: listen for the long ii instead.
Confirm the number
For prices, dates, times and quantities, confirm the number in digits:
- Thirteen, that's one-three.