How to pronounce twenty
Say it like TWEN-tee. Twenty has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TWEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce twenty. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TWEN
- tee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Twenty pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TWENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- teeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of twenty
American and British speakers say twenty in essentially the same way: /ˈtwɛnti/ in the US and /ˈtwɛnti/ in the UK.
British respelling: TWEN-tee.
What does twenty mean?
- the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
- a United States bill worth 20 dollars
- denoting a quantity consisting of 20 items or units
Where does twenty come from?
From Middle English twenty, twenti, from Old English twēntiġ (“twenty”, literally “two tens”), from Proto-Germanic *twaintigiwiz, *twai tigiwiz, an old compound of *twain- (“two”) + *-tigaz (“group of ten”), equivalent to two + -ty, or twain + -ty.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- xx
Words that rhyme with twenty
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of twenty.
Questions about saying twenty
How do you pronounce twenty?
Say TWEN-tee. The American pronunciation is /ˈtwɛnti/. In British English it is /ˈtwɛnti/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in twenty?
Twenty has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TWEN). Broken into parts: TWEN · tee.
Do Americans and Brits say twenty the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtwɛnti/ and the British form is /ˈtwɛnti/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.