Reception Maths: Number words and numerals to 10
Part of the Reception Maths counting to 10 chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Number words and numerals to 10
Priya is making a birthday card. It says her age: seven.
A numeral is a number written with digits, like 7. A number word is its name, like seven. Both mean the same number.
| Numeral | Word | Numeral | Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | zero | 6 | six |
| 1 | one | 7 | seven |
| 2 | two | 8 | eight |
| 3 | three | 9 | nine |
| 4 | four | 10 | ten |
| 5 | five |
Key ideas
- A numeral is a number written with digits, like 7.
- A number word is its name, like seven.
- Zero is 0, and it is the first number.
Key words. A numeral is a number written with digits, like 7.
Method. Read the number word, then find it on the number list.
- Read the whole word. Read every letter, not just the first one.“seven”
- Find the word on the list. Each word matches one number.seven = 7
- Write the numeral. A numeral is a number written with digits.7
Check. Count 7 things. The last number you say is 7. ✓
Watch out. Check the spelling of the word before you write the numeral.
Key words. The number word is the name of the number, like seven.
Method. Say the number, then write its name in words.
- Look at the numeral. Find it on the number list.4
- Find its name. Every number has one name.4 = four
- Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 4 letters.four
Check. Count 4 things and say “four” at the end. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” are different numbers.
Key words. The number word is the name of the number, like seven.
Method. Say the number, then write its name in words.
- Look at the numeral. Find it on the number list.9
- Find its name. Every number has one name.9 = nine
- Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 4 letters.nine
Check. Count 9 things and say “nine” at the end. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” are different numbers.
Watch out
Watch out: six and seven start with the same letter but they are different numbers. Look at the whole word.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Write each numeral big on paper, then write its word under it. Do not worry about neat writing yet. Say the word and find it on the card together.
Exercise 1C Numerals and words
Non-calculatorKey words. A numeral is a number written with digits, like 7.
Method. Read the number word, then find it on the number list.
- Read the whole word. Read every letter, not just the first one.“five”
- Find the word on the list. Each word matches one number.five = 5
- Write the numeral. A numeral is a number written with digits.5
Check. Count 5 things. The last number you say is 5. ✓
Watch out. Check the spelling of the word before you write the numeral.
Key words. A numeral is a number written with digits, like 7.
Method. Read the number word, then find it on the number list.
- Read the whole word. Read every letter, not just the first one.“eight”
- Find the word on the list. Each word matches one number.eight = 8
- Write the numeral. A numeral is a number written with digits.8
Check. Count 8 things. The last number you say is 8. ✓
Watch out. Check the spelling of the word before you write the numeral.
Key words. The number word is the name of the number, like seven.
Method. Say the number, then write its name in words.
- Look at the numeral. Find it on the number list.3
- Find its name. Every number has one name.3 = three
- Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 5 letters.three
Check. Count 3 things and say “three” at the end. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” are different numbers.
Key words. The number word is the name of the number, like seven.
Method. Say the number, then write its name in words.
- Look at the numeral. Find it on the number list.10
- Find its name. Every number has one name.10 = ten
- Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 3 letters.ten
Check. Count 10 things and say “ten” at the end. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” are different numbers.
Key words. The number word is the name of the number, like seven.
Method. Say the number, then write its name in words.
- Look at the numeral. Find it on the number list.0
- Find its name. Every number has one name.0 = zero
- Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 4 letters.zero
Check. Count 0 things and say “zero” at the end. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” are different numbers.
Key words. A numeral is a number written with digits, like 7.
Method. Read the number word, then find it on the number list.
- Read the whole word. Read every letter, not just the first one.“two”
- Find the word on the list. Each word matches one number.two = 2
- Write the numeral. A numeral is a number written with digits.2
Check. Count 2 things. The last number you say is 2. ✓
Watch out. Check the spelling of the word before you write the numeral.
Key words. The number word is the name of the number, like seven.
Method. Say the number, then write its name in words.
- Look at the numeral. Find it on the number list.6
- Find its name. Every number has one name.6 = six
- Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 3 letters.six
Check. Count 6 things and say “six” at the end. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” are different numbers.
Key words. A numeral is a number written with digits, like 7.
Method. Read the number word, then find it on the number list.
- Read the whole word. Read every letter, not just the first one.“four”
- Find the word on the list. Each word matches one number.four = 4
- Write the numeral. A numeral is a number written with digits.4
Check. Count 4 things. The last number you say is 4. ✓
Watch out. Check the spelling of the word before you write the numeral.
Key words. A numeral is a number written with digits, like 7.
Method. Read the number word, then find it on the number list.
- Read the whole word. Read every letter, not just the first one.“one”
- Find the word on the list. Each word matches one number.one = 1
- Write the numeral. A numeral is a number written with digits.1
Check. Count 1 things. The last number you say is 1. ✓
Watch out. Check the spelling of the word before you write the numeral.
Key words. A numeral is a number written with digits, like 7.
Method. Read the number word, then find it on the number list.
- Read the whole word. Read every letter, not just the first one.“nine”
- Find the word on the list. Each word matches one number.nine = 9
- Write the numeral. A numeral is a number written with digits.9
Check. Count 9 things. The last number you say is 9. ✓
Watch out. Check the spelling of the word before you write the numeral.
Key words. The number word is the name of the number, like seven.
Method. Say the number, then write its name in words.
- Look at the numeral. Find it on the number list.2
- Find its name. Every number has one name.2 = two
- Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 3 letters.two
Check. Count 2 things and say “two” at the end. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” are different numbers.
Key words. The number word is the name of the number, like seven.
Method. Say the number, then write its name in words.
- Look at the numeral. Find it on the number list.8
- Find its name. Every number has one name.8 = eight
- Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 5 letters.eight
Check. Count 8 things and say “eight” at the end. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” are different numbers.
Key words. The number word is the name of the number, like seven.
Method. Say the number, then write its name in words.
- Look at the numeral. Find it on the number list.0
- Find its name. Every number has one name.0 = zero
- Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 4 letters.zero
Check. Count 0 things and say “zero” at the end. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” are different numbers.
Method. Look at the letters one at a time: f, i, v, e.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter.f - i - v - e
- Check the letters. The word for 5 is spelled with v before e.five: f, i, v, e
- Write the word. five
Check. Count 5 things. Say the word at the end. ✓
Watch out. Check the letters in the order they come.
Key words. The number word is the name of the number, like seven.
Method. Say the number, then write its name in words.
- Look at the numeral. Find it on the number list.6
- Find its name. Every number has one name.6 = six
- Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 3 letters.six
Check. Count 6 things and say “six” at the end. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” are different numbers.
Method. Think about what a numeral and a word are.
- Look at the numeral. A numeral is a number written with digits.7
- Look at the word. A number word is the name of the same number.seven
- Write the answer. No. The numeral 7 and the word seven are two ways to write the same number.
Check. Count 7 things, then say the word seven. It is the same number. ✓
Watch out. A numeral and a word can name the same number.