Is 'twenty-five' spelled with a hyphen?

Yes, when written as a word (not the numeral '25'), it is standard to hyphenate compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine.

How do you pronounce the 't' in 'twenty'?

In careful speech, /t/ is pronounced. In rapid American speech, it is often pronounced as a flap [ɾ] or omitted, sounding like 'twenny' /ˈtwɛni/.

Can 'twenty-five' be used as a noun?

Yes, e.g., 'She drew a twenty-five' (a playing card or sports jersey number) or 'A twenty-five is a common age for graduates.'

What's the difference between 'twenty five' and 'twenty-five'?

'Twenty-five' (hyphenated) is the correct adjectival or nominal form. 'Twenty five' (without a hyphen) is considered a spelling error for the number, though it may appear in informal digital communication.

twenty-five

UK/ˌtwɛnti ˈfaɪv/US/ˌtwɛn(t)i ˈfaɪv/ or /ˌtwɛni ˈfaɪv/ (with possible flapping of /t/ and nasal assimilation)

Neutral; used across formal, informal, written, and spoken contexts.

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

The cardinal number equal to 20 + 5.

Refers to the specific number 25; can signify a count, age, measurement, or code identifier.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Primarily functions as a cardinal number. In temporal contexts, can denote age ('twenty-five years old') or time ('twenty-five past'). Can also refer to a specific item in a numbered series.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in meaning. Pronunciation and hyphenation style are identical.

Connotations

Similar connotations of youth (mid-twenties age), measurement, or identification.

Frequency

Equally frequent in both dialects. The hyphenated form is standard in both for the numeral.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

years oldpercentdollarspoundsmilesminutes

medium

a group of twenty-fivenumber twenty-fivepage twenty-fivechapter twenty-five

weak

twenty-five strongtwenty-five deeptwenty-five long

Grammar

Valency Patterns

twenty-five [COUNT NOUN (PLURAL)][BE/HAVE/etc.] twenty-fiveat twenty-five [TIME]

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

five and twenty (archaic/poetic)

Neutral

25a quarter of a hundred

Weak

two dozen plus one

Vocabulary

Antonyms

zeroone

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“Twenty-five to life (legal slang for a prison sentence)”
“Catch twenty-five (rare, humorous variant of 'catch-22')”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

"The project is budgeted at twenty-five thousand."

Academic

"The sample size was twenty-five participants."

Everyday

"I'll be there in twenty-five minutes."

Technical

"Set the parameter to twenty-five degrees."

Examples

By Part of Speech

adjective

British English

She has a twenty-five minute commute.
He placed a twenty-five pound bet.

American English

She has a twenty-five minute commute.
He placed a twenty-five dollar bet.

Examples

By CEFR Level

My brother is twenty-five.
I have twenty-five pencils.

The bus arrives at twenty-five past the hour.
It costs twenty-five euros.

Twenty-five percent of the respondents strongly agreed.
The law applied to those under twenty-five.

A margin of error of plus or minus twenty-five basis points was acceptable.
The statute mandates a minimum sentence of twenty-five years.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of a quarter (25 cents) or a square (5x5=25).

Conceptual Metaphor

QUANTITY IS VERTICALITY/UP ('the number rose to twenty-five'); TIME IS MOTION ('twenty-five years passed').

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Word order: 'twenty-five years old' not 'years twenty-five'.
Use hyphen in written form as numeral: 'twenty-five'.

Common Mistakes

Writing as 'twenty five' without a hyphen.
Pronouncing as 'twenty-five' with equal stress on both words (primary stress is on 'five').

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

She waited for minutes before the meeting started.

Multiple Choice

Which is the correct written form?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: Yes, when written as a word (not the numeral '25'), it is standard to hyphenate compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine.
: In careful speech, /t/ is pronounced. In rapid American speech, it is often pronounced as a flap [ɾ] or omitted, sounding like 'twenny' /ˈtwɛni/.
: Yes, e.g., 'She drew a twenty-five' (a playing card or sports jersey number) or 'A twenty-five is a common age for graduates.'
: 'Twenty-five' (hyphenated) is the correct adjectival or nominal form. 'Twenty five' (without a hyphen) is considered a spelling error for the number, though it may appear in informal digital communication.