Eighteen, nineteen, twenty
Complete the range and distinguish the last teens from twenty.
Counting pattern
Eighteen and nineteen follow the teen pattern; twenty has its own name, ʿishruun, with long uu and no separate teen part. We use the nominative citation form of twenty; ʿishriin occurs in other grammatical roles. In ٢٠ the ٢ means two tens, not two ones. All base letters are familiar by this point; ة and hamza were introduced with shadda and laam–alif. If these signs are new to you, revisit that lesson. Names below use pause pronunciation without final case endings.
١٨ – ٢٠
18 to 20
18 — ١٨
Hold aa in thamaaniyata and pronounce the consonant y before -ata.
ثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَر
thamaaniyata ʿashar — 18
19 — ١٩
Tisʿa becomes tisʿata; ١٩ is one ten plus nine ones.
تِسْعَةَ عَشَر
tisʿata ʿashar — 19
20 — ٢٠
Start with ayn and short i, close on sh, then say ruun with long uu. This is one word.
عِشْرُون
ʿishruun — 20