Numbers in IELTS: A Comprehensive Guide
Numbers play a crucial role in all sections of the IELTS test.
by ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΑ ΚΙΤΣΟΥ
Numbers in Listening and Speaking
1 Listening Test 2 Speaking Test 3 Distinguishing
Sounds
Numbers appear in Practice saying numbers
various forms: age, aloud, like Learn to differentiate
currency, measurements, between "-teen" and "-ty"
100,000 = a hundred
dates, times, telephone endings by noting syllable
thousand
numbers, credit card stress.
numbers. 2020 = two thousand and
twenty OR the year
‘twenty twenty’
3,500 = three and a half
thousand
Numbers in Reading and Writing
Reading Test Writing Test
Transfer numbers accurately, especially when You might need to use numbers when presenting
there are multiple zeros. If the number contains data in Academic Writing Task 1. You can either
currency symbols or commas, make sure you write the number in word form or as presented in
copy it in the same way. the visual diagram. For example:
10,000 OR ten thousand
25% OR twenty-five percent
75% OR ¾
Along with writing exact numbers, it is also
beneficial to write approximations when the
exact numbers are not presented. For example:
Just above 65%
Under 70%
Over half
Almost 25%
Numbers can be presented in tens, hundreds,
thousands, millions and billions. It is important to
note which number is being referred to in the Y-
axis of the diagram.
When referring to a general number, you can write ‘millions’, however, when it’s a specific number, you
have to write ‘million’. For example:
Millions of dollars were spent on transportation.
Australia spent 20 million dollars.
Hearing difference between numbers
Quantities that end in -teen and -ty are used often when it comes to numbers such as age, year, and just
counting how many.
Hearing the difference between, for example, 13 and 30, is a necessity as they have similar ending
sounds. The best way to hear the difference is to note the syllable stress. The last syllable ‘teen’ is
stressed, whereas ‘ty’ is often unstressed.
13 – 30: thir teen - thir ty
14 – 40: four teen - for ty
15 – 50: fif teen - fif ty
How to write currency
Dollars ($) and pounds (£) are the two most commonly
used types of currency in IELTS.
You can choose to write currency as:
Words (e.g ‘dollars’ or ‘pounds’)
Currency symbols (e.g. $ or £)
When listening to amounts, numbers can be said in different
ways. As correct spelling is important in the Listening test, a
good tip is to write the numeral you hear, rather than writing the
complete word. For example:
$4.50 = Four dollars fifty cents
£4.50 = Four pound fifty pence
How to write measurements
You may hear different measurements in your test. For example, you might hear measurements as:
Centimetres
Kilometres
Kilograms
You can abbreviate the word when writing these measurements as numbers. For example, you can write
60 kilometres as:
Sixty kilometres
60 kilometres
60 km
60 kms
All the forms mentioned above are correct ways to write measurements. While you can write numbers
in all the above formats, it is best to avoid writing the numbers out as words to avoid spelling mistakes.
Write in the number form instead.
How to write dates
Dates can be written in a variety of ways. You can use the number or word form, as well as abbreviate
days of the week or months of the year. For example:
March 5th
Mar 5th
5th of Mar
03/05
5/3
Be careful with ordinal numbers. Most ordinal numbers end with ‘th’ except for:
1st (first)
2nd (second)
3rd (third)
4th (fourth)
5th (fifth)
If you write, for example, 2th, this will be marked as incorrect as the correct format is 2nd.
How to write time
Although times can be said differently, it is generally written in the same way. When writing time, make
sure you know what quarter past, quarter to, and half past mean. For example:
6:45 = Six forty-five OR Quarter to seven
6:15 = Six fifteen OR Quarter past six
6:30 = Six thirty OR Half past six
How to write telephone and credit card numbers
There are a few things to remember with a sequence of numbers, especially in telephone or credit card
numbers.
A 0 (zero) can sometimes be called ‘O’, like the letter. Also, the same number twice or three times in a
row may be referred to as double or triple. For example:
2450 - 7762 - 3338 = Double seven/ Triple three
03 9658 9914 = ‘O’ three / Double nine
Numbers can feel unimportant, but they play an important role in the English language, and your IELTS
test. Make sure you can write and say them correctly in order to get the best possible score.
Importance of Numbers
in IELTS
Listening Accurate number
recognition
Speaking Clear number
pronunciation
Reading Precise number transfer
Writing Correct number usage and
format
Numbers are crucial in all IELTS sections. Mastering their use
can significantly improve your overall score.
