21-100 in Spanish | Say Two-Digit Numbers Without Hesitation

Spanish two-digit numbers follow a steady tens-plus-ones pattern, with 21–29 fused into one word and 30–99 built with “y”.

If you can say 20 (veinte) and 100 (cien), you’re already close. The stretch from 21 to 100 looks big on a chart, yet it runs on a few repeatable moves. Learn the building blocks, get the stress right, and you’ll read prices, ages, scores, room numbers, and times without pausing mid-sentence.

This article gives you the patterns, the full set of numbers, pronunciation notes you can use right away, and short drills that stick. You’ll see where Spanish joins words into one, where it keeps them separate, and when a number changes shape right before a noun.

Start With The Parts That Repeat

Spanish two-digit numbers come from two pieces: the tens (20, 30, 40…) and the ones (1–9). Once you know the tens words, you can build almost every number from 30 to 99 with one simple connector: y (“and”).

Tens Words You’ll Use Often

• 20: veinte (VEIN-te)
• 30: treinta (TRAIN-ta)
• 40: cuarenta (kwa-REN-ta)
• 50: cincuenta (thin-KWEN-ta / sin-KWEN-ta)
• 60: sesenta (seh-SEN-ta)
• 70: setenta (seh-TEN-ta)
• 80: ochenta (oh-CHEN-ta)
• 90: noventa (noh-VEN-ta)
• 100: cien (see-EN)

Two quick notes that prevent the usual slip-ups. Cien is used for exactly 100. When 100 is followed by another number, Spanish shifts to ciento: ciento uno (101), ciento veinte (120). Also, accent marks show up in 22, 23, and 26. Those marks signal stress, so they matter in writing and in reading aloud.

The Ones That Plug In

These drive the full set from 31 to 99: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve.

21-100 in Spanish For Daily Speaking

From 21 to 29, Spanish packs the number into one word. From 30 to 99, you say the tens, add y, then say the ones. That’s the whole build system. The rest is comfort and speed.

21–29: One-Word Forms

These are the fused forms. Pay attention to accent marks on 22, 23, and 26.

• 21: veintiuno
• 22: veintidós
• 23: veintitrés
• 24: veinticuatro
• 25: veinticinco
• 26: veintiséis
• 27: veintisiete
• 28: veintiocho
• 29: veintinueve

30–99: The “Tens y Ones” Pattern

Once you hit 30, Spanish separates the parts in writing: tens + y + ones. In speech you may hear a tiny pause around y. In fast speech it can blur, yet the words stay separate on the page.

30s

treinta: treinta y uno (31), treinta y dos (32), treinta y tres (33), treinta y cuatro (34), treinta y cinco (35), treinta y seis (36), treinta y siete (37), treinta y ocho (38), treinta y nueve (39).

40s

cuarenta: cuarenta y uno (41), cuarenta y dos (42), cuarenta y tres (43), cuarenta y cuatro (44), cuarenta y cinco (45), cuarenta y seis (46), cuarenta y siete (47), cuarenta y ocho (48), cuarenta y nueve (49).

50s

cincuenta: cincuenta y uno (51), cincuenta y dos (52), cincuenta y tres (53), cincuenta y cuatro (54), cincuenta y cinco (55), cincuenta y seis (56), cincuenta y siete (57), cincuenta y ocho (58), cincuenta y nueve (59).

60s

sesenta: sesenta y uno (61), sesenta y dos (62), sesenta y tres (63), sesenta y cuatro (64), sesenta y cinco (65), sesenta y seis (66), sesenta y siete (67), sesenta y ocho (68), sesenta y nueve (69).

70s

setenta: setenta y uno (71), setenta y dos (72), setenta y tres (73), setenta y cuatro (74), setenta y cinco (75), setenta y seis (76), setenta y siete (77), setenta y ocho (78), setenta y nueve (79).

80s

ochenta: ochenta y uno (81), ochenta y dos (82), ochenta y tres (83), ochenta y cuatro (84), ochenta y cinco (85), ochenta y seis (86), ochenta y siete (87), ochenta y ocho (88), ochenta y nueve (89).

90s

noventa: noventa y uno (91), noventa y dos (92), noventa y tres (93), noventa y cuatro (94), noventa y cinco (95), noventa y seis (96), noventa y siete (97), noventa y ocho (98), noventa y nueve (99).

100: One Form, Then A Switch

cien is 100 on its own: cien personas. The moment you add anything after it, it becomes ciento: ciento uno, ciento veinte, ciento noventa y nueve. For writing choices like digits versus words across different contexts, the RAE guidance on cifras y palabras en la escritura de los números is a solid reference.

Pronunciation And Spelling Traps People Hit

You don’t need perfect accent to be understood. You do need a few habits so your numbers don’t trip you up when you’re talking fast.

Keep The “Ei” In Veinti-

Some learners drop the i and write or say venti-. Standard spelling keeps veinti- across the 20s fused forms. The RAE entry on veintiuno spells that out and points to the same rule across 21–29.

Accent Marks In 22, 23, 26

Veintidós, veintitrés, and veintiséis carry an accent mark because the stress lands on the last syllable. When you read them out loud, lean into that final beat: dos, tres, seis. In writing, those accents are part of the correct form.

Uno Changes Shape Right Before A Noun

When a number ending in uno sits right before a masculine singular noun, Spanish often shortens it to un: treinta y un días, ciento un libros. Before a feminine noun, it shifts to una: treinta y una páginas.

For 21 you’ll see the same behavior: veintiún + masculine noun and veintiuna + feminine noun. Fundéu’s note on veintiún / veintiuna gives a clean reminder of that choice.

Stress Stays Steady In The Tens

Most tens put stress on the second syllable: cua-REN-ta, cin-KWEN-ta, se-SEN-ta. If you’re unsure, say the tens alone a few times, then attach y plus a single digit. Your ear will lock it in.

You’ve learned what to say and how to say it. Next, here’s a scan-friendly table that compresses the patterns for practice sessions.

Range	How It’s Built	Notes To Watch
21–29	Single word: veinti + digit	Accents: veintidós, veintitrés, veintiséis
30–39	treinta + y + digit	Write as three words; say y clearly
40–49	cuarenta + y + digit	Spelling is cuarenta (no “o”)
50–59	cincuenta + y + digit	“cincu-” sound, not “cinco-”
60–69	sesenta + y + digit	Keep the s sounds clear
70–79	setenta + y + digit	One t sound: se-TEN-ta
80–89	ochenta + y + digit	Start with “o-”; don’t drop it in speech
90–99	noventa + y + digit	Stress in the middle: no-VEN-ta
100+	cien (exactly 100) / ciento + …	Switch to ciento once more numbers follow

Full Set From 21 To 100 In One Place

If you want one compact “read-through” list, use this section. Read it out loud once, then go back and read it again at a faster pace. Your goal is smooth rhythm, not perfect speed on day one.

21–29

veintiuno, veintidós, veintitrés, veinticuatro, veinticinco, veintiséis, veintisiete, veintiocho, veintinueve.

30–39

treinta, treinta y uno, treinta y dos, treinta y tres, treinta y cuatro, treinta y cinco, treinta y seis, treinta y siete, treinta y ocho, treinta y nueve.

40–49

cuarenta, cuarenta y uno, cuarenta y dos, cuarenta y tres, cuarenta y cuatro, cuarenta y cinco, cuarenta y seis, cuarenta y siete, cuarenta y ocho, cuarenta y nueve.

50–59

cincuenta, cincuenta y uno, cincuenta y dos, cincuenta y tres, cincuenta y cuatro, cincuenta y cinco, cincuenta y seis, cincuenta y siete, cincuenta y ocho, cincuenta y nueve.

60–69

sesenta, sesenta y uno, sesenta y dos, sesenta y tres, sesenta y cuatro, sesenta y cinco, sesenta y seis, sesenta y siete, sesenta y ocho, sesenta y nueve.

70–79

setenta, setenta y uno, setenta y dos, setenta y tres, setenta y cuatro, setenta y cinco, setenta y seis, setenta y siete, setenta y ocho, setenta y nueve.

80–89

ochenta, ochenta y uno, ochenta y dos, ochenta y tres, ochenta y cuatro, ochenta y cinco, ochenta y seis, ochenta y siete, ochenta y ocho, ochenta y nueve.

90–100

noventa, noventa y uno, noventa y dos, noventa y tres, noventa y cuatro, noventa y cinco, noventa y seis, noventa y siete, noventa y ocho, noventa y nueve, cien.

Use Numbers In Real Phrases So They Stick

Memorizing a list helps, yet numbers get faster when you attach them to things you say each week. Build short phrases and swap only the number. You’ll train your mouth to move without planning every syllable.

Ages

For age, Spanish uses tener (“to have”): Tengo treinta y dos años. A good drill is to say your age, then say a friend’s age, then say a made-up age. Keep it playful. Your tongue learns the pattern.

Prices

In shops you’ll hear a clean structure: Son cuarenta y cinco euros. If the price ends in 1 and you add a masculine noun right after, watch the un form: treinta y un euros. Try counting by tens, then drop in random ones digits: sesenta y dos, sesenta y nueve, sesenta y cuatro.

Time

For minutes past the hour, you’ll often hear y: Son las ocho y veintitrés. For minutes to the hour, menos is common: Son las nueve menos diez. Pick one hour and cycle through minutes: 21, 22, 23… 29. It turns the tricky 20s into muscle memory.

Counting Items With Gender Agreement

Spanish nouns have gender, and 21, 31, 41… can react when “one” sits right before the noun. You’ll say veintiún libros but veintiuna páginas. The same behavior shows up in 81, 91, and 101: ochenta y un días, noventa y una casas, ciento un perros.

Digits Versus Words In Writing

On forms, tickets, prices, and sports scores, digits are normal. In running text, writers may spell out smaller numbers, then switch to digits as numbers get longer or more technical. Spanish spelling notes for numerals are gathered in RAE’s Ortografía básica: los numerales, which is handy when you’re writing captions, posts, or schoolwork.

Situation	Spanish Pattern	Try It With These Numbers
Age	Tengo + [número] + años	27, 34, 58, 99
Price	Son + [número] + euros	21, 45, 76, 80
Time (minutes past)	Son las + hora + y + [minutos]	22, 33, 49
Count (masc. noun)	[número] + un + sustantivo	31, 41, 81, 91
Count (fem. noun)	[número] + una + sustantivo	21, 51, 71, 101
Room number	Habitación + [número]	24, 37, 62
Score	Ganamos + [número] + a + [número]	3 a 2, 21 a 18

Practice Plan That Fits In Ten Minutes

You don’t need long sessions. You need short reps that force recall. Here’s a loop you can run on any day you feel rusty.

Minute 1–3: One Tens Block

Pick one tens word, like setenta. Count from 71 to 79 out loud. Don’t read; generate. If you stumble, restart at 71 and keep going until you can do it without pauses.

Minute 4–6: Swap Context

Use that same block in phrases: setenta y dos euros, tengo setenta y cinco años, habitación setenta y ocho. The goal is to keep the number clean while the sentence changes around it.

Minute 7–10: Random Jumping

Write ten numbers between 21 and 100. Shuffle them. Say each number, then drop it into a phrase. If you can’t write, use a phone note. You’re training recall under a little pressure, which is closer to real talk.

Common Mistakes And Clean Fixes

Most errors come from three spots: the 20s fusion, the accent marks, and the “one” shape before nouns. Catch those and your numbers get clean fast.

Mixing Up Cuarenta

Some learners try to build 40 from cuatro and end up writing a wrong form. The correct tens word is cuarenta. Say it alone a few times: cua-REN-ta. Then attach y plus a digit.

Leaving Off Accent Marks In 22, 23, 26

If you type in Spanish often, set up your keyboard so accents are easy. On a phone, long-press the vowel. Cleaning this up early makes your writing look sharp in messages, notes, and captions.

Using Veintiuno Right Before A Masculine Noun

You’ll hear veintiún días far more than veintiuno días. A simple rule: when “one” is right before a masculine singular noun, it tends to shorten. That same behavior shows up in 31, 41, and 51.

Carry This Mini Checklist

• 21–29 are single words: veinti + digit.
• 22, 23, 26 take accents: veintidós, veintitrés, veintiséis.
• 30–99 use tens + y + digit.
• 100 is cien; once more numbers follow, use ciento.
• Numbers ending in one can shift to un or una before a noun.

Practice one tens block per day and you’ll cover the full 30–99 set in a week. Add the 20s fused list and the cien/ciento switch, and two-digit numbers stop feeling like a wall of vocabulary.