Stress for Numbers
Many non-native speakers of English have difficulty hearing and saying the differences between numbers such as 13 and 30. The solution is quite simple, and once you become aware of the rule, it is an easy error to fix. There are two important differences in the pronunciation: syllable stress and pronunciation of the letter t.
Syllable Stress
Every word in English has one stressed syllable that is said louder and held longer.
- thir in thirteen is the unstressed syllable. It is short and quick. thirTEEN
- thir in thirty is the stressed syllable. It is long and clear. THIRty
Pronunciation of t
The pronunciation of t is also tied to syllable stress in American English. Since the t in -teen is in a stressed syllable, it is pronounced clearly as /t/. Since the t in -ty is in an unstressed syllable, it’s pronounced /d/. You can think of it as thir-D, four-D, fif-D, six-D….
| Stress “teen” | Stress 1st syllable | Pronounced |
| ThirTEEN | THIRty | THIRdy |
| FourTEEN | FORty | FORdy |
| FifTEEN | FIFty | FIFdy |
| SixTEEN | SIXty | SIXdy |
| SevenTEEN | SEVenty | SEVendy |
| EighTEEN | EIGHty | EIGHdy |
| nineTEEN | NINEty | NINEdy |
Usually -teen is stressed. However, stress shifts to the first syllable:
- When counting: THIRteen, FOURteen, FIFteen
- When showing contrast: I have SEVenteen and he has FIFteen.
Can you hear and say the differences between –teen and –ty in sentences? Stress the correct syllable. Remember to say a /d/ instead of /t/.
- Put sixteen candles on the cake.
- We drove 60 miles yesterday.
- The bus leaves at 9:15.
- The book cost $9.50.
- She has fourteen cats.
- I live at 40 Katz Road.
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