🔢 Lesson 1.3: Numbers, Age & Personal Information

Numbers are everywhere — your age, your phone, your address, prices, times, and dates. In this lesson you count from 0 to 100. You learn to say how old you are the right way in English. And you say your phone number and email out loud.

📚 What You'll Learn

After this lesson, you can:

Say and read numbers 0–100 in English
Ask and answer "How old are you?" the right way
Say a phone number one digit at a time
Give basic personal information — name, age, phone, and email

⏱️ Estimated Time: ~50 minutes

🎯 Project: Say aloud your age, your phone number (digit by digit), and spell your email address.

In This Lesson

🔤 New Words in This Lesson

Here are some useful words from this lesson. Tap 🔊 to hear a word.

number — a word like one, two, three
count — say numbers in order
digit — one number, from 0 to 9
age — how old you are
phone number — the numbers people use to call you
email — an address for messages online
address — where you live

Why Numbers Matter

Think about your day. You check the time. You pay a price. You give your phone number. You fill in a form with your age and address. All of these use numbers. When you can say numbers clearly, you can do a big part of everyday English.

The good news: English numbers follow easy patterns. First learn 0–20 and the tens. Then you can build every number up to a hundred, like joining two bricks. Let's start counting. 🧱

🧠 Mindset

You already know numbers. You count in your own language every day. You are not learning numbers from zero. You just learn new words for ideas you already know. That is a small job. Say them out loud. Get a few wrong. Laugh, and try again. Mistakes make your brain stronger. 💪

Numbers 0–20

Learn these first twenty-one words very well. Everything else comes from them. The Say it like hints show you how the word sounds.

Number	Word	Number	Word
0	zero /ˈzɪəroʊ/	11	eleven
1	one	12	twelve /twɛlv/
2	two	13	thirteen /ˌθɜːrˈtiːn/
3	three /θriː/	14	fourteen
4	four	15	fifteen
5	five	16	sixteen
6	six	17	seventeen
7	seven	18	eighteen
8	eight /eɪt/	19	nineteen
9	nine	20	twenty
10	ten

💡 The tricky sounds

Three of these are hard for almost everyone at first:

three /θriː/ — put your tongue lightly between your teeth for the "th", don't say "tree."
twelve /twɛlv/ — one word, not "twoelve."
thirteen /ˌθɜːrˈtiːn/ — "th" again, and say the -teen part louder.

⚠️ The classic trap: -teen vs. -ty

The numbers 13–19 end in -teen. The tens (30, 40, 50…) end in -ty. They sound almost the same, so people get confused. The secret is stress — which part of the word is louder and longer:

fourTEEN (14) — stress on the end: /ˌfɔːrˈtiːn/
FORty (40) — stress on the front: /ˈfɔːrti/

Say the pair out loud. Make the loud part very loud: "four-TEEN … FOR-ty." Not sure what someone said? You can ask: "Fourteen, one-four? Or forty, four-zero?"

The Tens: 10 to 100

Now the round numbers. Notice they almost all end in -ty. Watch the spelling. A few are not spelled the way you think.

Number	Word	Note
10	ten
20	twenty	say "twen-ty"
30	thirty	not "threety"
40	forty	no "u"! not "fourty"
50	fifty	not "fivety"
60	sixty
70	seventy
80	eighty	one "t", not "eightty"
90	ninety	keeps the "e": nine + ty
100	one hundred	or just "a hundred"

⚠️ Spelling watch-out

forty has no "u". The number four has a "u" (f-o-u-r). But forty does not (f-o-r-t-y). Even native speakers get this wrong. Write it a few times: forty, forty, forty.

Building 21–99

Here is the easy pattern. To make any number between the tens, say the ten first. Then say the single digit. Join them with a hyphen when you write it:

📖 The pattern

tens word + - + ones word

21 = twenty + one = twenty-one
35 = thirty + five = thirty-five
99 = ninety + nine = ninety-nine

Number	Word	Number	Word
21	twenty-one	52	fifty-two
25	twenty-five	67	sixty-seven
33	thirty-three	78	seventy-eight
44	forty-four	89	eighty-nine
48	forty-eight	96	ninety-six

✅ Pro Tip

You never need to learn all 80 of these! Learn the tens and the ones. Then you can build any number right away. That is the whole trick.

Talking About Age

One of the first questions people ask is your age. Here is the question and two natural ways to answer.

Ask	Answer (short)	Answer (full)
How old are you?	I'm 25.	I'm 25 years old.
How old is he?	He's 30.	He's 30 years old.
How old is she?	She's 19.	She's 19 years old.

Notice that "I'm" is short for "I am," "He's" for "He is," and "She's" for "She is." You can stop after the number ("I'm 25"). Or you can add "years old." Both are correct and common.

⚠️ Very common mistake: use BE, not HAVE

In many languages, you say "I have 25 years." In English this is wrong. English uses the verb to be:

❌ ~~I have 25 years.~~
✅ I'm 25. / I'm 25 years old.

If you remember only one thing from this lesson, remember: for age, English says "I am…" not "I have…"

A: How old are you?
B: I'm 22. And you?
A: I'm 22 years old too! Same age.
B: Nice! And how old is your brother?
A: He's 30.

🌍 Culture note: In some cultures, asking someone's age directly can feel rude, mostly with older people or strangers. With friends, casual English is usually fine. Not sure? It is polite to let the other person say their age first. Or just do not ask.

Phone Numbers & Email

Phone numbers work in a different way. You do not say them as big numbers. You say each digit one at a time.

💡 Two handy rules for phone numbers

Zero is very often said "oh" (like the letter O). So 0 = "oh".
When a digit comes two times, say "double". So 77 = "double seven".

Example number: 770-812-3456

Say it: "double seven — oh — eight — one — two — three — four — five — six."

Say each digit slowly. Make a small stop between groups. Then the other person can write it down easily.

Now the phrases to ask for a number and to give one:

What's your phone number? My number is… It's… Can you say that again? Slowly, please.

📧 Saying your email address

Email addresses use two special little words:

@ — say "at"
. — say "dot"

So anna@mail.com is said: "anna — at — mail — dot — com." If a letter is not clear, spell it out (remember Lesson 1.1!): "A — double N — A, at mail dot com."

A: What's your phone number?
B: It's two — oh — nine — double four — two — three — one — oh — five.
A: Slowly, please!
B: Sure. Two — oh — nine … four — four — two … three — one — oh — five.
A: Got it. And your email?
B: It's ben, B — E — N, at mail dot com.
A: Thank you!

🗂️ Personal information word list

name — what people call you
age — how old you are
phone number — your telephone digits
email address — your address for messages
address — where you live
at — the @ sign
dot — the . in an email/website

Practice & Project

🏋️ Exercise 1: Numbers ↔ words

Objective: Practice the hard -teen vs. -ty difference.

Part A — Write these numerals as words:

Part B — Write these words as numbers:

nineteen
ninety
thirty-two
seventy-seven

✅ Answer

Part A: 15 = fifteen · 50 = fifty · 13 = thirteen · 40 = forty (no "u"!) · 67 = sixty-seven · 84 = eighty-four

Part B: nineteen = 19 · ninety = 90 · thirty-two = 32 · seventy-seven = 77

🏋️ Exercise 2: Read three phone numbers aloud

Objective: Say each digit one at a time. Use "oh" for zero and "double" for repeats.

Read each number out loud, slowly, one digit at a time:

555-0199
770-440-2883
1-800-121-2121

✅ Answer

555-0199 = "double five — five — oh — one — double nine" (or "five — five — five — oh — one — nine — nine")

770-440-2883 = "double seven — oh — double four — oh — two — double eight — three"

1-800-121-2121 = "one — eight hundred — one — two — one — two — one — two — one" (for free 800 numbers, Americans say "eight hundred")

Any clear version is correct — the goal is that a listener can write down the exact digits.

🎯 Your Project: Say Your Details

This is your speaking task. Do it out loud — to a partner, a teacher, or your phone's voice recorder.

(2 min) Count out loud from 0 to 20, then say the tens: 10, 20, 30 … 100.
(2 min) Say your age: "I'm ___ years old." (Remember: am, not have!)
(3 min) Say your phone number, digit by digit. Use "oh" for zero and "double" for any repeats.
(3 min) Spell your email address out loud, using "at" for @ and "dot" for the dot.
(2 min) If you recorded yourself, listen back once. Which numbers felt hard? Note them for the journal.

✅ Project Completion Checklist

☐ I counted 0–20 and the tens out loud
☐ I said my age using "I'm … years old"
☐ I said my phone number digit by digit
☐ I said my email with "at" and "dot"
☐ I noticed which numbers are still tricky for me

🎯 Quick Quiz

Question 1: Someone says a number with the stress on the end: "four-TEEN." Which number is it?

Question 2: You are 30 years old. What's the correct English?

Tips & Common Mistakes

✅ Do's

Practice the -teen / -ty pairs out loud: "thirteen–thirty, fourteen–forty, fifteen–fifty."
Say phone numbers slowly, one digit at a time. Clear is better than fast.
Use real numbers: your age, your phone, house numbers you see on the street.

❌ Common Mistakes

⚠️ Watch Out

"I have 25 years": Wrong. Age uses to be — say "I'm 25."
"fourty": Wrong spelling. 40 = forty, with no "u".
Mixing -teen and -ty: If you're unsure, confirm the digits: "Fifteen, one-five? Or fifty, five-zero?"
Saying a phone number as one big number: Don't. Say each digit separately.

📓 Learning Journal

Keep adding to your learning journal. After every lesson, take five minutes. Write down:

Key concepts you learned
Things that clicked for you
Questions or confusion points to revisit
Ideas you want to try
Your progress and feelings about learning English

✍️ This lesson's prompt: Write your own personal information in English — your name, your age ("I'm ___ years old"), your phone number in words, and your email with "at" and "dot." Then say it all out loud one time. Which part felt easy? Which number sounds are still hard to say?

📝 Lesson Summary

🎓 Key Takeaways

Learn 0–20 and the tens — then build any number by joining a ten and a ones digit with a hyphen (twenty-one, thirty-five).
-teen (13–19) stresses the end; -ty (30, 40…) stresses the front. And 40 = forty, no "u".
For age, English uses to be: "I'm 25 (years old)," never "I have 25 years."
Say phone numbers digit by digit; 0 = "oh", and repeats can be "double". Email uses "at" (@) and "dot" (.).

🎉 What You've Accomplished

Now you can count to a hundred. You can tell people your age the right way in English. You can give your phone number and email clearly, so anyone can write them down. You use these skills every day — at a store, a clinic, a hotel, or a first meeting. Well done. 🎉

❓ Common Questions at This Stage

Do I have to add "years old," or is "I'm 25" enough?

Just "I'm 25" is perfect and very common. "I'm 25 years old" is the longer form. Both are correct. Use the one that feels natural.

Is it "oh" or "zero" for 0 in a phone number?

People understand both. In phone numbers, "oh" is very common and natural. "Zero" is clearer. Use "zero" when you really need to be exact.

I keep mixing up thirteen and thirty. Is that bad?

Not at all. Even native speakers ask "one-three or three-zero?" to be sure. Practice the stress. When you are not sure, check the digits. This confusion is very normal.

🔭 Looking Ahead

In Lesson 2.1, you learn the small but powerful verb behind this lesson: the verb "to be" (am, is, are). You already used it for age and introductions. Next you learn to use it everywhere.

✅ Before the Next Lesson

Count out loud from 0 to 100 once, from memory if you can.
Say your age, phone number, and email out loud to one other person.
Write this lesson's Learning Journal entry.

🌟 Encouragement for the Journey

Numbers open up so much of daily life, and you just added them to your English. Every time you say your age or your phone number out loud, you practice. Keep counting, keep speaking, and I'll see you in Lesson 2.1! 👋