French Numbers 1–100 (and Beyond): How to Say, Spell & Pronounce Numbers in French

Q: ✍️ How do you write numbers in French?

French numbers are usually written as either: one word ( onze , quarante ), or hyphenated combinations ( vingt-deux , soixante-quinze ). Some tips: For numbers like 21, 31, 41 — use et : vingt-et-un , trente-et-un . In writing, commas are used instead of decimal points (e.g. 2,5 = two and a half). Big numbers often use spaces instead of commas: 1 000 (not 1,000 ).

Q: 📞 How are phone numbers written in French?

French phone numbers are grouped in pairs of digits : Example: 06 12 34 56 78 This format is standard across France and helps with clear pronunciation when speaking.

Mya Mosley

7 min

Learning French

Ah, French numbers. At first glance, they seem sweet and simple — until you meet
quatre-vingt-dix-sept (97) and realize you’ve entered the world of French math. Whether you’re just starting or want to master
how to say numbers in French, this guide will take you from 0 to 1000 and beyond.

This guide is packed with everything you need: clear explanations, handy tables, interactive practice, pronunciation help, and even a cheat sheet. Ready? Allons-y!

🗣 How to Say Numbers in French

Before we jump into the tables, here’s the good news: French numbers have patterns. Once you get the basics — and the pronunciation — it becomes surprisingly logical.

👉 Let’s start with the french numbers 1 to 10, and build up from there.

French Numbers 0–10

We begin with the essentials. These numbers pop up everywhere — from saying your age to ordering une baguette.

Number	French	Pronunciation
0	zéro	[zay-ro]
1	un	[uh(n)]
2	deux	[duh]
3	trois	[trwah]
4	quatre	[katr]
5	cinq	[sank]
6	six	[seess]
7	sept	[set]
8	huit	[weet]
9	neuf	[nuhf]
10	dix	[deess]

👂 Teacher tip: Practice these with audio and repeat out loud. French pronunciation has its own rhythm — the sooner you get used to it, the easier everything else will be.

Quick Test: Master French Numbers 0–10!

Think you’ve got the basics down? 🧠
Take this fun quiz to test your French numbers 0–10 😉

🇫🇷 French Numbers 11–19 with Pronunciation

Now we’re stepping into the wonderful world of teen numbers — where things get just a little funky before the logic kicks in at 20. 😅

Let’s take a look at French numbers from 11 to 19:

Number	French	Pronunciation
11	onze	[onz]
12	douze	[dooz]
13	treize	[trez]
14	quatorze	[ka-torz]
15	quinze	[kanz]
16	seize	[sez]
17	dix-sept	[dees-set]
18	dix-huit	[dees-weet]
19	dix-neuf	[dees-nuhf]

🧠 A few things to notice:

11 to 16 are unique words — there’s no real logic, you just have to memorize them.
Starting from 17, French goes back to being French and says things like:
- dix-sept → literally “ten-seven”
- dix-huit → “ten-eight”
- dix-neuf → “ten-nine”

So, from 17 to 19, it’s just dix + the number from 7 to 9. Easy, right?

Test Your Knowledge: French Numbers 11–19

Put your skills to the test with this quick quiz — practice reading, listening, and recognizing the French numbers.

Finally, Patterns!

Numbers 20 to 69 with Examples

Now we enter friendly territory. These numbers follow a logical pattern: you take the ten, and add the unit.

22 → vingt-deux (twenty-two)
35 → trente-cinq (thirty-five)
48 → quarante-huit (forty-eight)

Here are the tens:

Number	French	Pronunciation
20	vingt	[vahn]
30	trente	[tront]
40	quarante	[ka-ront]
50	cinquante	[sank-ont]
60	soixante	[swa-sont]
70	soixante-dix	[swa-sont-dees]
80	quatre-vingts	[ka-truh-vahn]
90	quatre-vingt-dix	[ka-truh-vahn-dees]

Heads up: The number 21 is vingt-et-un (with an “et”), but 22 is just vingt-deux. The “et” appears only with 1s: 21, 31, 41, etc.

Want to go from numbers to full conversations? Check out our French classes for beginners to keep learning step by step.

🎬 Practice French Numbers 20–69 with Audio and Native Pronunciation

Want to hear how native speakers pronounce French numbers from 20 to 69 — and practice along? 🎥

👉 Watch, listen carefully, and repeat out loud after each number.
Pro tip: Try shadowing — say the number at the same time as the speaker. It’s a fantastic way to build natural rhythm and pronunciation!

Ready? Hit play and let’s practice together!

Numbers 70 to 99 — Welcome to French-style Math

Now the fun begins. The French system from 70 up is based on addition — or chaos, depending on your mood.

70 = 60 + 10 → soixante-dix
71 = 60 + 11 → soixante et onze
80 = 4 × 20 → quatre-vingts
90 = 80 + 10 → quatre-vingt-dix

Yes, 98 in French is literally “four-twenty-eighteen” → quatre-vingt-dix-huit.

😅 Teacher tip: Don’t try to “feel” the logic. Just learn the building blocks like you would Lego. And practice. A lot.

✅ Test Your Skills: French Numbers 70–99 (And Survive French Math!)

Take this quick quiz to see if you can handle sixty-ten, four-twenty, and all the joyful chaos!

Pro tip: Listen carefully and trust your inner math wizard. 🧙‍♂️

🤯 Why Are French Numbers So Weird?

French numbers have a reputation for being… a little unusual. Especially from 70 onward, things get mathy:

70 = 60 + 10 → soixante-dix
80 = 4 × 20 → quatre-vingts
98 = literally “four-twenty-eighteen” → quatre-vingt-dix-huit

So, why is it like this?

It comes from an old vigesimal system (base-20), which was once common in parts of Europe. While France still uses this system officially, some French-speaking countries — like Belgium and Switzerland — use much simpler alternatives: septante (70), huitante (80), and nonante (90).

Weird as it is, the system does have its own logic.
And once you’ve cracked it, you’ll say quatre-vingt-dix-huit without even blinking. 😉

🗣 French Numbers 1–100 Pronunciation Guide

Want to know how to pronounce numbers in French from 1 to 100 correctly? You’re not alone. Many learners get tripped up by linking sounds and tricky combinations — especially in numbers like quatre-vingt-seize (96) or soixante et onze (71).

Here are a few tips:

Listen and repeat: Play native-speaker audio and say each number aloud.
Watch for linking: Notice how final consonants link to the next word. Example: dix-huit sounds like [dee-zweet].
Use shadowing: Say the number at the same time as the native speaker — it’s one of the fastest ways to sound natural.

👉 Want to hear them out loud? Check out our full French number pronunciation practice from 1 to 100 with audio.

French Numbers 100 to 1000

Congratulations — you’ve survived the French math jungle! 🥳
Now it’s time to jump into the world of bigger numbers. Good news: once you hit 100, French counting becomes much more regular and logical (phew!).

Number	French	Pronunciation
100	cent	[sahn]
200	deux cents	[duh sahn]
300	trois cents	[trwah sahn]
400	quatre cents	[katr sahn]
500	cinq cents	[sank sahn]
600	six cents	[seess sahn]
700	sept cents	[set sahn]
800	huit cents	[weet sahn]
900	neuf cents	[nuhf sahn]
1000	mille	[meel]

🎁 Bonus: French Ordinal Numbers in French (1st, 2nd, 3rd…)

So, you’ve mastered counting in French? Bravo! 🥳
But what if you want to say “the first time”, “the second floor”, or “the third croissant”?

Welcome to the world of ordinal numbers — your next power-up in French!

Here’s the quick and friendly guide you need:

How French Ordinals Work

“First” is a little special:
→ premier (masculine) / première (feminine).
From second onward, it’s very regular:
You simply take the number and add -ième at the end!

Number	French Ordinal	Pronunciation
1st	premier / première	[pruh-myey] / [pruh-myair]
2nd	deuxième	[duh-zyem]
3rd	troisième	[trwah-zyem]
4th	quatrième	[ka-tree-em]
5th	cinquième	[sank-yem]
6th	sixième	[see-syem]
7th	septième	[set-yem]
8th	huitième	[weet-yem]
9th	neuvième	[nuhv-yem]
10th	dixième	[dee-syem]

Have Any Question?

Whether you have questions about our language courses or simply seek guidance on the best program for your language learning journey, our team is here to assist you.

FAQ: French Numbers

🧠 Why are French numbers so weird?

It’s a common question — especially when you reach numbers like quatre-vingt-dix-huit (98).
We explain the whole logic behind it in this section.
Hint: blame the old base-20 system that the French still use today.

✍️ How do you write numbers in French?

French numbers are usually written as either:

one word (onze, quarante), or
hyphenated combinations (vingt-deux, soixante-quinze).

Some tips:

For numbers like 21, 31, 41 — use et: vingt-et-un, trente-et-un.
In writing, commas are used instead of decimal points (e.g. 2,5 = two and a half).
Big numbers often use spaces instead of commas: 1 000 (not 1,000).

📞 How are phone numbers written in French?

French phone numbers are grouped in pairs of digits:

Example: 06 12 34 56 78

This format is standard across France and helps with clear pronunciation when speaking.

📣 How do you pronounce French numbers?

French pronunciation can be tricky at first — especially with nasal vowels and linked sounds (liaison).
For example:

dix-huit → [dee-zweet]
vingt-et-un → [vɛ̃-t‿e-œ̃]

Check out our Pronunciation Guide above to hear native audio and practice aloud.

🧾 Are French numbers masculine or feminine?

Numbers themselves don’t have gender.
But the words they describe do:

un garçon (a boy) — masculine
une fille (a girl) — feminine

So the number agrees with the noun, not the other way around.

🧒 Do French children also learn the 60+10 system?

Yes — in France, children are taught the same math-like system (soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, etc).
However, in Belgium and Switzerland, they often learn simpler alternatives like septante (70) and nonante (90).

🎯 What’s the best way to learn French numbers?

A mix of practice methods works best:

Repetition and listening (especially for tricky 70–99)
Quizzes to test recognition
Saying numbers in context (age, money, dates)

Try shadowing with native speakers — it helps lock in the rhythm naturally.