Mastering the Art of Reading and Writing Natural Numbers
Reading and writing numbers may seem straightforward, but when dealing with long sequences, such as those found on value-added tax invoices, it’s important to know the correct way to articulate and present these figures. This is a common challenge not only for adults but also for elementary school students.
Many of us were taught the basics of reading and writing numbers in elementary school, but due to a lack of attention to detail or fading memory, we may find ourselves unsure about the correct pronunciation and spelling of certain digits, especially when it comes to the numbers 1, 4, and 5.
In this article, we will guide you through the intricacies of reading and writing natural numbers accurately, covering both the spoken and written forms.
Part 1: Reading Natural Numbers
To read natural numbers accurately, the first step is to divide the sequence into groups of three digits, starting from the leftmost digit and moving to the right. When reading, combine the pronunciation of each digit with the name of its corresponding group.
Example:
537 797 686
Million, thousand, unit.
Read as: Five hundred thirty-seven million, seven hundred ninety-seven thousand, six hundred eighty-six.
To master this skill, it’s crucial to know how to read three-digit numbers correctly. Accurate pronunciation will help prevent errors in spelling.
1. Numbers Ending with 1
When a number ends with 1, there are two common pronunciations: “mốt” and “một.”
Case 1: 1 is pronounced as “một” when the tens digit is equal to or less than 1.
Examples:
501: năm trăm linh một
911: chín trăm mười một
67811: sáu mươi bảy nghìn tám trăm mười một
Case 2: 1 is pronounced as “mốt” when the tens digit is greater than or equal to 2, and less than or equal to 9.
(Pronounce it as “mốt” when combined with the word “mươi” immediately before.)
Examples:
891: Tám trăm chín mốt
689121: Sáu trăm tám mươi chín nghìn một trăm hai mươi mốt
2. Numbers with 4 as the Last Digit
There are two ways to pronounce the number 4, either as “bốn” or “tư,” depending on the context.
Case 1: We pronounce it as “bốn” when the tens digit is less than or equal to 1.
Examples:
6704: Sáu nghìn bảy trăm lẻ bốn
89514: Tám mươi chín nghìn năm trăm mười bốn.
Case 2: We use “tư” when the tens digit is greater than or equal to 2, or less than or equal to 9.
(When pronouncing “tư,” it’s preferable to combine it with “mươi” immediately before in the sentence.)
Examples:
324: Ba trăm hai mươi tư. (Ba trăm hai mươi bốn)
1944: Một nghìn chín trăm bốn mươi tư. (Một nghìn chín trăm bốn mươi bốn)
678934: Sáu trăm bảy mươi tám nghìn chín trăm ba mươi tư
(* Note: It is acceptable to use “bốn” when the tens digit is 2 or 4.)
3. Numbers Ending with 5
To distinguish between counting numbers and time-related units, the Vietnamese language uses two different pronunciations for the number 5: “lăm” and “năm.”
In the context of writing amounts of money with 5 as the last digit, there are also two ways to read it: “lăm” and “năm.”
Case 1: Read as “năm” when the tens digit is 0, or when combined with a unit name or the word “mươi” immediately after.
Examples:
78905: Bảy mươi tám nghìn chín trăm lẻ năm
505155: Năm trăm linh năm nghìn một trăm năm mươi lăm.
Case 2: Read as “lăm” if the tens digit is greater than 0, and less than or equal to 9.
(Pronounce it as “lăm” when combined with the words “mươi” or “mười” immediately before.)
Examples:
9845: Chín nghìn tám trăm bốn mươi lăm
5555: Năm nghìn năm trăm năm mươi lăm
98675: Chín mươi tám nghìn sáu trăm bảy mươi lăm
Reading the Number 5 in Mathematics
Here are some examples of how to read numbers containing the digit 5:
5: Năm
15: Mười lăm
25: Hai mươi lăm
50: Năm mươi
55: Năm mươi lăm
505: Năm trăm linh (lẻ) năm
515: Năm trăm mười lăm
1005: Một nghìn không trăm linh năm
1025: Một nghìn không trăm hai mươi lăm
1500: Một nghìn năm trăm
5,525,000: Năm triệu, năm trăm hai mươi lăm nghìn
5,025,110: Năm triệu, không trăm hai mươi lăm nghìn, một trăm mười
555,555: Năm trăm năm mươi lăm nghìn, năm trăm năm mươi lăm
505,515: Năm trăm linh năm nghìn, năm trăm mười lăm
1,505,555,005: Một tỷ, năm trăm linh năm triệu, năm trăm năm mươi lăm nghìn, không trăm linh năm.
Example: Fifteen or Ten Years
Correct Answer:
– If referring to the number 15, the correct spelling is “mười lăm.”
– When expressing a duration of 10 years, the correct spelling is “mười năm.”
Explanation:
“Lăm” in this context is a noun referring to a cut of meat from the neck of a cow or pig. It is also used to count years, following the tens. For example: Mười lăm, Ba lăm, Bốn lăm. Alternatively, “nhăm” can be used as a replacement. For instance, Bốn mươi nhăm, bốn nhăm…
“Năm,” on the other hand, is a noun representing the time it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun, equivalent to 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 40 seconds, or twelve months. It is also used as the number 5, following the number four in the natural number sequence. For instance, a child is five years old, there are five people in a group, fifty-seven…
Therefore, when referring to a sequence of numbers, the correct spelling is “mười lăm.” This distinction is particularly important for accountants and professionals dealing with numerical data to avoid confusion and errors.
Another Example: Fifty Years or Fifty-Five
The number 5 is read and written as “NĂM,” and the number 50 as “Năm mươi.”…
The number 15 is read and written as “Mười lăm,” which is the correct spelling in Vietnamese, rather than “Mười năm.”
When the number 5 is in the ones place, it is always read as “LĂM” (25, 55, 555, etc.), except in cases like 105, 205, 5505…., where it is read as “linh năm” or “lẻ năm.”
Additionally, the numbers from 25 to 95 can also be read as “hai nhăm”… “chín nhăm,” but the written form remains “…mươi lăm.”
Why is it “LĂM” instead of “NĂM” or “NHĂM” when reading and, more importantly, writing these numbers?
There are several possible explanations:
1. This could be due to the influence of the common pronunciation error of confusing the consonants “L” and “N.”
2. Using “lăm” makes it easier to pronounce numbers when expressing durations. For example, 1555 years can be read as “Một nghìn năm trăm năm mươi lăm năm.” However, if this is the reason, why not use “nhăm” consistently? For instance, reading 15 as “mười nhăm.”
3. Both of the above reasons are valid.
4. There may be other explanations as well.
Part 2: Writing Natural Numbers
To write natural numbers correctly, students must understand the following principles:
– Write numbers in groups, from left to right.
– Follow the correct order of digits, from the highest to the lowest value.
1. Writing Numbers Based on Spoken Instructions
– Identify the groups (based on the names of the groups).
– Determine the number within each group (the digits to the left of the group name).
(Note: When reading the number, do not include the name of the unit group. Therefore, the digits to the right of the thousand group represent the spoken form of the number in the unit group.)
Example: Write the following number:
– Năm mươi sáu triệu chín trăm mười hai nghìn ba trăm bốn mươi bảy.
=> Teachers should guide students to identify the following:
– Năm mươi sáu triệu chín trăm mười hai nghìn ba trăm bốn mươi bảy.
56 (group name) 912 (group name) 347
=> Write the number: 56,912,347
Example:
+ Write the number, knowing that it consists of: 1 hundred million, 8 million, 5 hundred thousand, 6 tens of thousands, 3 thousand, 9 tens, and 8 units.
=> Teachers should guide students to identify the following:
+ List the groups in descending order of value.
Hundred million, ten million, million, hundred thousand, ten thousand, thousand, ten, unit
1 0 8 5 6 3 0 9 8
1 hundred million, 8 million, 5 hundred thousand, 6 tens of thousands, 3 thousand, 9 tens, 8 units.
+ Determine the value of each group and write the corresponding digits in the respective groups.
=> Write the number: 108,563,098
2. Writing Numbers in Taxation Context
To read numbers accurately in the context of taxation, follow these guidelines:
+ Divide the number into groups of three digits, reading from left to right.
+ Combine the pronunciation of each digit with the name of its corresponding group.
Example:
Read as: Năm trăm bốn mươi bảy triệu tám trăm chín mươi hai nghìn bảy trăm năm mươi tám
Just like in the previous section, mastering the reading of three-digit numbers is essential to ensure accurate writing.
Many accountants and readers are unsure about the correct pronunciation and spelling of the numbers 1, 4, and 5, which can lead to confusion and disputes.
– Numbers Ending with 1
When a number ends with 1, there are two common pronunciations: “mốt” and “một.” The following rules determine which pronunciation to use:
– Read as “một” when the tens digit is equal to or less than 1.
Examples:
301: ba trăm linh một
711: bảy trăm mười một
456901: bốn trăm năm mươi sáu nghìn chín trăm linh một
– Read as “mốt” when the tens digit is equal to or greater than 2.
Examples:
731: bảy trăm ba mươi mốt
966751: chín trăm sáu mươi sáu nghìn bảy trăm năm mươi mốt
– Numbers with 4 as the Last Digit
When a number ends with 4, there are two ways to pronounce it: “bốn” and “tư.” The following rules determine which pronunciation to use:
– Read as “bốn” when the tens digit is equal to or less than 1.
Examples:
46704: bốn mươi sáu nghìn bảy trăm lẻ bốn
325614: ba mươi hai nghìn năm trăm sáu mươi mười bốn
98767804: chín mươi tám triệu bảy trăm sáu mươi bảy nghìn tám trăm lẻ bốn
– Read as “tư” when the tens digit is equal to or greater than 2.
Examples:
547864: năm trăm bốn mươi bảy nghìn tám trăm sáu mươi tư
312908674: ba trăm mười hai triệu chín trăm lẻ tám nghìn sáu trăm bảy mươi tư
Note: It is acceptable to use either “tư” or “bốn” when the tens digit is 2 or 4.
Examples:
324: ba trăm hai mươi bốn or ba trăm hai mươi tư
744: bảy trăm bốn mươi bốn or bảy trăm bốn mươi tư
– Numbers Ending with 5
When a number ends with 5, there are two ways to pronounce it: “lăm” and “năm.” The following rules determine which pronunciation to use:
– Read as “lăm” when the tens digit is greater than 0, and less than or equal to 9.
Examples:
1125: một nghìn một trăm hai mươi lăm
10395: mười nghìn ba trăm chín mươi lăm
– Read as “năm” when the tens digit is 0, or when combined with a unit name or the word “mươi” immediately after.
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