Word Representation of Numbers

Reading & writing numbers in words, is the most difficult aspect of learning numbers. This difficulty is compounded in English as most children in India have difficulty with the language itself.

However, the logical structure of the number naming system, can be used to make the learning much easier. Many of the number names are repeated. If this is brought to the attention of the students, they will realise that their learning load is much less.

Look at the following table of number names.

1. It only has a list of 30 words. But all the numbers from 0 to 99,999 can be represented by these 30 words. For example

   1. 945 is Nine Hundred Forty Five (4 words)

   2. 813 is Eight Hundred Thirteen (3 words)

   3. 87, 267 is Eighty Seven Thousand Two Hundred Sixty Seven (7 words)

2. If the words are seen horizontally, their logical connection comes out. Eg Three, Thirteen & Thirty. Hence the logical sequence of the number names can be understood.

3. Only four words have no logic and have to be learnt separately – Eleven, Twelve, Hundred & Thousand

4. Recognizing & Reading numbers

   1. If these 30 names are written on cards, with multiple copies, the children can practice forming the words by arranging the respective cards.

   2. Children can even make their own sets and practice these skills at home.

   3. By repeated practice, the “spellings” will get internalized

5. Writing the numbers

   1. Once the “spellings” are internalized, writing the number names would become easier.

Unique Properties of Number Words

This exercise would also bring out the fact that, except for "Thousand" none of the other 29 words, uses the letter "a". This means that none of the number names from 0 to 999 (a thousand numbers) uses the letter "a".

Hence a fun quiz question which children could use to stump their parents is "Tell me in 5 minutes, a thousand words which do not use the letter "a".

The letters "b, m, p" do not occur in the first million (0 - 999,999) numbers. So these numbers can be recited without our lips touching each other!.

The word “zero” is never used in any other number name, except itself!

There is an 'e' in every odd number!

Naming Very Large Numbers

We saw that the largest digit in the Roman Number system was Myriad which is just equal to ten thousand. Obviously they had no need for representing & using larger numbers. But due to advancement of commerce, science & technology, we have to deal with ever larger numbers and hence the need to have number names for them.

Scientists have created a series of names like million & billion, all ending with the phrase "..lion" which indicate numbers which are powers of thousand. A million is a thousand thousand and a trillion is a thousand million etc.

Some numbers which defy our imagination are given special names! A number which has 1 followed by one hundred zeros is called a Googol.

Lack of Logic in Number Names

Chapter 21.2 gives several examples of the lack of logic in number names in several languages.