< Saying Numbers

Saying Numbers: Saying Street Numbers

Dennis Oliver

Saying Street Numbers

In American English, there are several ways to say
street numbers.

If the street number has one or two digits,
say it as a normal number (3 = three;
22 = twenty-two).

If the street number has three digits, there
are three ways to say it:

a.		digit - digit - digit: 923 = nine - two - three 459 = four - five - nine 278 = two - seven - eight 110 = one - one - oh 320 = three - two - oh

b.		digit - double-digit 923 = nine - twenty-three 459 = four - fifty-nine 278 = two - seventy-eight 110 = one - ten 320 = three - twenty This pattern is not used if the middle digit is 0:

c.		If the middle digit is 0, say the number as digit - oh - digit: 903 = nine - oh - three 409 = four - oh - nine 208 = two - oh - eight 101 = one - oh - one 302 = three - oh - two

If the street number has four digits, there are
four ways to say it:

a.		digit - digit - digit - digit: 9234 = nine - two - three - four 4598 = four - five - nine - eight 2786 = two - seven - eight - six

b.		double-digit - double-digit 9234 = ninety-two - thirty-four 4598 = forty-five - ninety-eight 2786 = twenty-seven - eighty-six This pattern is not used if the third digit is 0:

c.		If the third digit is 0, one way to say it is digit - digit - oh - digit: 9204 = nine - two - oh - four 4508 = four - five - oh - eight 2706 = two - seven - oh - six If the third digit is 0, the other way to say it is double-digit - oh - digit: 9204 = ninety-two - oh - four 4508 = forty-five - oh - eight 2706 = twenty-seven - oh - six

If the street number has more than four digits,
say it as digit - digit - digit - digit - digit (etc.).
If any digit is 0, say it as oh:

14278 = one - four - two - seven - eight

392554 = three - nine - two - five - five - four

10203 = one - oh - two - oh - three

309060 = three - oh - nine - oh - six - oh

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Examples:

written		spoken

8 Main Place		eight Main Place

87 Oak Street		eighty-seven Oak Street

872 Grand Avenue		eight - seven - two Grand Avenue / eight - seventy-two Grand Avenue

870 River Road		eight - seven - oh River Road / eight - seventy River Road

8721 Central Boulevard		eight - seven - two - one Central Boulevard / eighty-seventy twenty-one Central Boulevard

87021 North Johnson Drive		eight - seven - oh - two - one North Johnson Drive