Is 'twenty-six' hyphenated?

Yes, when used as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., twenty-six students). It is not hyphenated when used as a noun (e.g., the number is twenty six).

What is the ordinal form of 'twenty-six'?

The ordinal form is 'twenty-sixth' (26th).

Are there any common confusions with 'twenty-six'?

Non-native speakers sometimes mishear 'twenty-six' and 'sixty' due to the stress pattern, though context usually clarifies.

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

Yes, it functions primarily as a noun (e.g., 'Twenty-six is a perfect square plus one') and as an adjective.

twenty-six

UK/?twenti ?s?ks/US/?tw?ni ?s?ks/

Neutral

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of twenty and six; 26.

Used to denote the quantity, order, or age of twenty-six. Can informally refer to the US Department of Justice (due to Title 26 being the Internal Revenue Code) or a firearm caliber.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

A compound numeral, consistently hyphenated when used attributively before a noun (e.g., twenty-six pages). In American legal contexts, 'Title 26' may be referred to metonymically as 'twenty-six'.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant lexical differences for the numeral itself. Pronunciation of 'twenty' may vary (/'tw?nti/ vs /'tw?ni/). Potential contextual difference in referencing 'Title 26' (US).

Connotations

Neutral numeric value. In US sports, can be associated with specific jersey numbers (e.g., baseball outfielders).

Frequency

Equally common in both dialects as a basic numeral.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

twenty-six years oldpage twenty-sixchapter twenty-sixnumber twenty-sixTitle twenty-six

medium

just twenty-sixonly twenty-sixabout twenty-sixover twenty-six

weak

twenty-six of themtwenty-six differenttwenty-six long

Grammar

Valency Patterns

[number] of [plural noun][adjective] twenty-six [noun]

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

two dozen and twoa score and six

Neutral

26XXVI

Weak

mid-twentiesover twenty-five

Vocabulary

Antonyms

zerononeminus twenty-six

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“Dressed up like a twenty-six (archaic, Australian slang for overdressed)”
“Twenty-six will get you twenty (US gambling slang).”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Used in reports for figures, ages, or sections (e.g., 'See clause twenty-six').

Academic

Used for page numbers, data points, ages in studies.

Everyday

Most common for stating age, quantity, or order in sequence.

Technical

Used as a code, model number, or measurement.

Examples

By Part of Speech

adjective

British English

She bought twenty-six bottles for the party.

American English

He has twenty-six unread emails.

Examples

By CEFR Level

I am twenty-six years old.
My house number is twenty-six.

Turn to page twenty-six in your textbook.
The recipe requires twenty-six grams of sugar.

Twenty-six of the participants reported a significant improvement.
The legal argument hinges on Title twenty-six of the US Code.

The data set was narrowed down to twenty-six statistically significant variables.
At twenty-six, he had already founded his second startup.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of a deck of cards (52), half a deck is twenty-six.

Conceptual Metaphor

QUANTITY IS VERTICALITY (the number is 'up there' in the twenties), COMPLETENESS IS A FULL SET (e.g., 26 letters in the English alphabet).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

No direct trap; прямой перевод 'двадцать шесть' is accurate. Ensure hyphen in adjective form.

Common Mistakes

Writing 'twenty six' without a hyphen when used attributively (incorrect: 'twenty six pages').
Mispronouncing 'twenty' as /'tweni/ instead of /'tw?nti/ or /'tw?ni/.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

Please refer to chapter for the detailed regulations.

Multiple Choice

How should the number be written in this sentence: 'She ran for ____ consecutive days.'?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: Yes, when used as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., twenty-six students). It is not hyphenated when used as a noun (e.g., the number is twenty six).
: The ordinal form is 'twenty-sixth' (26th).
: Non-native speakers sometimes mishear 'twenty-six' and 'sixty' due to the stress pattern, though context usually clarifies.
: Yes, it functions primarily as a noun (e.g., 'Twenty-six is a perfect square plus one') and as an adjective.