How to Write and Pronounce Arabic Numbers: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet

Learning Number in Arabic

"Have you ever looked at Arabic numerals and wondered how to actually pronounce or write them? While much of the world uses what we call 'Arabic Numerals' (1, 2, 3), the original Arabic script and counting system have a unique logic and beauty all their own.

Arabic Number

Learning numbers is one of the most practical milestones in mastering a new language. Whether you are traveling, shopping at a local market, or simply expanding your linguistic horizons, knowing how to count from 1 to 100 is an essential skill. In this guide, we’ll break down the script, the pronunciation, and the simple formulas you need to master Arabic numbers quickly. Let’s dive in!"

Here is the vocabulary for numbers organized into a clear, scannable table.

I have included the Arabic Numerals (as they appear in text), the Arabic Script, and the Transliteration for pronunciation.

A. Numbers 1 to 10 (The Essentials)

Value	Numeral	Transliteration	Arabic Script
1	١	Wāḥid	وَاحِدٌ
2	٢	Ithnān	اِثْنَانِ
3	٣	Thalāthah	ثَلَاثَةٌ
4	٤	Arba‘ah	أَرْبَعَةٌ
5	٥	Khamsah	خَمْسَةٌ
6	٦	Sittah	سِتَّةٌ
7	٧	Sab‘ah	سَبْعَةٌ
8	٨	Thamāniyah	ثَمَانِيَةٌ
9	٩	Tis‘ah	تِسْعَةٌ
10	١٠	‘Asharah	عَشَرَةٌ

 

B. The "Tens" (20 to 100)

These are used as the base for building numbers like 25, 36, or 99.

Value	Numeral	Transliteration	Arabic Script
20	٢٠	‘Ishroon	عِشْرُونَ
30	٣٠	Thalathoon	ثَلَاثُونَ
40	٤٠	Arba’oon	أَرْبَعُونَ
50	٥٠	Khamsoon	خَمْسُونَ
60	٦٠	Sittoon	سِتُّونَ
70	٧٠	Sab’oon	سَبْعُونَ
80	٨٠	Thamanoon	ثَمَانُونَ
90	٩٠	Tis’oon	تِسْعُونَ
100	١٠٠	Mi’a	مِائَةٌ

 

C. How to Build Compound Numbers (21–99)

To create any number between the tens, you place the smaller number first, add "wa" (and), then the larger number.

 

Number	Formula	Pronunciation	Arabic Script
21	1 + and + 20	Wahid wa ‘Ishroon	وَاحِدٌ وَعِشْرُونَ
35	5 + and + 30	Khamsa wa Thalathoon	خَمْسَةٌ وَثَلَاثُونَ
48	8 + and + 40	Thamania wa Arba’oon	سَبْعَةٌ وَأَرْبَعُونَ
99	9 + and + 90	Tis’a wa Tis’oon	تِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ

 

D. The Hundreds (المِئَات - Al-Mi'āt)

In Arabic, the system for hundreds and thousands follows a pattern similar to the base numbers, but with specific dual forms for "200" and "2,000." To form 300 through 900, you simply combine the digit (3-9) with the word for hundred (Mi'ah).

Value	Transliteration	Arabic Script
100	Mi’ah	مِئَةٌ
200	Mi’atān	مِائَتَانِ
300	Thalāthu Mi’ah	ثَلَاثُ مِئَةٍ
400	Arba‘u Mi’ah	أَرْبَعُ مِئَةٍ
500	Khamsu Mi’ah	خَمْسُ مِئَةٍ
600	Sittu Mi’ah	سِتُّ مِئَةٍ
700	Sab‘u Mi’ah	سَبْعُ مِئَةٍ
800	Thamānu Mi’ah	ثَمَانُ مِئَةٍ
900	Tis‘u Mi’ah	تِسْعُ مِئَةٍ

 

E. The Thousands (الآلَاف - Al-Ālāf)

The word for thousand is Alf. For 3,000 to 10,000, the plural form Ālāf is used.

Value	Transliteration	Arabic Script
1.000	Alf	أَلْفٌ
2.000	Alfān (Dual form)	أَلْفَانِ
3.000	Thalāthatu Ālāf	ثَلَاثَةُ آلَافٍ
4.000	Arba‘atu Ālāf	أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافٍ
5.000	Khamsatu Ālāf	خَمْسَةُ آلَافٍ
10,000	‘Asharatu Ālāf	عَشَرَةُ آلَافٍ

 

F. How to Combine Everything

When you have a large number like 1.325, you read from the largest unit to the smallest, but remember the "ones before tens" rule at the very end.

Example: 1,325

1,000 (أَلْف). 300 (وَثَلَاثُ مِئَة). 25 (وَخَمْسَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ)

Full phrase:

أَلْف وَثَلَاثُ مِئَة وَخَمْسَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ

Alf wa thalāthu mi’ah wa khamsah wa ‘ishrūn.

Here is how you say and write these specific numbers in Arabic, using the rules of "Largest to Smallest" combined with the "Ones before Tens" rule for the final digits.

Number	Arabic Numerals	Transliteration	Arabic Script
217	٢١٧	Mi’atāni wa sab‘ata ‘ashar	مِائَتَانِ وَسَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ
333	٣٣٣	Thalāthu mi’ah wa thalāthah wa thalāthūn	ثَلَاثُ مِئَةٍ وَثَلَاثَةٌ وَثَلَاثُونَ
1991	١٩٩١	Alf wa tis‘u mi’ah wa wāḥid wa tis‘ūn	أَلْفٌ وَتِسْعُ مِئَةٍ وَوَاحِدٌ وَتِسْعُونَ
1234	١٢٣٤	Alf wa mi’atāni wa arba‘ah wa thalāthūn	أَلْفٌ وَمِائَتَانِ وَأَرْبَعَةٌ وَثَلَاثُونَ
9003	٩٠٠٣	Tis‘atu ālāf wa thalāthah	تِسْعَةُ آلَافٍ وَثَلَاثَةٌ

 

Note:

Even though Arabic is written right-to-left, the digits in a number like 99 (٩٩) are written in the same order as English—the tens digit is on the left and the ones digit is on the right. We hope this vocabulary guide makes your learning journey smoother and more enjoyable. Which number do you find the hardest to pronounce? Or do you have a favorite trick for memorizing new vocabulary? Let us know in the comments below! If you found this post helpful, feel free to share it with your fellow learners. Happy counting!

 

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