French Number Pronunciation: A Comprehensive Guide44

French numbers are pronounced differently than English numbers. This can be a challenge for native English speakers, but with a little practice, it's easy to master. In this article, we'll provide a comprehensive guide to French number pronunciation, including all the numbers from 0 to 100.

Pronunciation of 0 to 10

The pronunciation of French numbers from 0 to 10 is as follows:
0: zéro
1: un
2: deux
3: trois
4: quatre
5: cinq
6: six
7: sept
8: huit
9: neuf
10: dix

Pronunciation of 11 to 19

French numbers from 11 to 19 are formed by adding the word "et" (and) between the tens place and the ones place. For example, 11 is pronounced "onze" (dix + et + un), 12 is pronounced "douze" (dix + et + deux), and so on.
11: onze
12: douze
13: treize
14: quatorze
15: quinze
16: seize
li>17: dix-sept
18: dix-huit
19: dix-neuf

Pronunciation of 20 to 69

French numbers from 20 to 69 are formed by combining the tens place and the ones place. The tens place is pronounced as a single word, and the ones place is pronounced as a separate word. For example, 20 is pronounced "vingt" (pronounced "van"), 30 is pronounced "trente" (pronounced "trant"), and so on.
20: vingt
21: vingt et un
22: vingt-deux
30: trente
31: trente et un
40: quarante
41: quarante et un
50: cinquante
51: cinquante et un
60: soixante
61: soixante et un

Pronunciation of 70 to 99

French numbers from 70 to 99 are formed by combining the tens place and the ones place, with the exception of 80 and 90. 80 is pronounced "quatre-vingts" (pronounced "katr-van"), and 90 is pronounced "quatre-vingt-dix" (pronounced "katr-van-dees").
70: soixante-dix
71: soixante et onze
80: quatre-vingts
81: quatre-vingt-un
90: quatre-vingt-dix
91: quatre-vingt-onze

Pronunciation of 100 and Above

The number 100 is pronounced "cent" (pronounced "son"). Numbers greater than 100 are pronounced by combining the hundreds place, the tens place, and the ones place. For example, 101 is pronounced "cent un" (pronounced "son oon"), 110 is pronounced "cent dix" (pronounced "son dees"), and so on.

Special Cases

There are a few special cases to keep in mind when pronouncing French numbers:
The number 21 is pronounced "vingt et un" (pronounced "van ay oon") instead of "vingt-un" (pronounced "van oon").
The number 71 is pronounced "soixante et onze" (pronounced "swasant ay onz") instead of "soixante-onze" (pronounced "swasant onz").
The number 80 is pronounced "quatre-vingts" (pronounced "katr-van") instead of "quatre-vingt" (pronounced "katr-van-t").
The number 90 is pronounced "quatre-vingt-dix" (pronounced "katr-van-dees") instead of "quatre-vingt-dix" (pronounced "katr-van-dees-z").

2024-11-16

Previous：Silent Consonant Endings in French

Next：How to Learn to Dance French at Home: A Comprehensive Guide