Counting 11 to 20 is where many children first stumble. Up to ten, every number has its own simple name. Then come eleven and twelve, which sound like nothing else, and "thirteen" to "nineteen", where the order seems back to front (we write 1 then 4 in 14, but say "four" first in "fourteen"). Hindi has its own puzzle: ग्यारह, बारह, तेरह each have to be learned by heart. The game above makes teen numbers visible: each one is a full ten-frame plus a second frame with a few extra counters. Your child taps a number and hears, for example, "Fourteen. Ten and four more", followed by चौदह। दस और चार।
Why teen numbers are tricky
In English, "eleven" and "twelve" hide the idea of "ten and one" and "ten and two". The teens then say the ones first. In Hindi, every number from 11 to 20 has a special name, and some sound very close to each other (सत्रह and अठारह). So children often skip a number, say "twelve, fourteen", or mix up 13 and 30. The fix is not more chanting alone. Children need to see that every teen number is ten and some more. That is what the two ten-frames show.
How to use this page
- Learn: tap any number from 11 to 20. The full red frame is always ten; the blue frame shows the extra ones. Golu says the number and "ten and some more".
- How many?: a picture of ten and some more appears. Your child picks the number. Tip: point to the full frame and say "ten", then count on: "eleven, twelve, thirteen".
- Wrong taps get the hint sequence (Golu names the number, then the answer glows, then 👆). No buzzers, no scores.
- Use अ+A to hear Hindi first, English first or just one language.
Numbers 11 to 20 in Hindi and English
| Number | English | Hindi | Pronunciation | Ten and… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | eleven | ग्यारह | gyaarah | 10 + 1 |
| 12 | twelve | बारह | baarah | 10 + 2 |
| 13 | thirteen | तेरह | terah | 10 + 3 |
| 14 | fourteen | चौदह | chaudah | 10 + 4 |
| 15 | fifteen | पंद्रह | pandrah | 10 + 5 |
| 16 | sixteen | सोलह | solah | 10 + 6 |
| 17 | seventeen | सत्रह | satrah | 10 + 7 |
| 18 | eighteen | अठारह | athaarah | 10 + 8 |
| 19 | nineteen | उन्नीस | unnees | 10 + 9 |
| 20 | twenty | बीस | bees | 10 + 10 |
You can print this page to use the table as a small chart of number names 11 to 20.
What to expect at each age
Age 3-4: most children count to 10 reliably and may recite further without matching objects. Stay mostly with counting 1 to 10 and just enjoy the Learn mode together. Age 4-5 (LKG): counting objects to 15 or 20 and saying the teen names in order. Age 5-6 (UKG / kindergarten): understanding teens as "ten and some ones", reading and writing 11 to 20, and counting on from ten instead of from one. This last idea leads straight into tens and ones.
How to teach 11 to 20 at home
Make a "ten" you can hold
Put ten pencils in a rubber band or ten beads on a string. Now 13 is "one ten and three loose ones". Children quickly stop counting the bundle.
Count on from ten
Put the bundle down and say "ten", then touch each loose one: "eleven, twelve, thirteen". This is the single most useful habit for teen numbers.
Count real things to 20
Stairs, rotis on a plate for a big family, shoes at the door, cars in a parking lot. Say the numbers in Hindi one day and English the next.
Play "which is bigger?"
Show 12 and 17 on two plates of beans. Which has more? This builds number sense and prepares for more and less.
If your child says "twelve, fourteen", do not correct with "No!". Just count the objects again together, slowly, touching each one.
Indian and global notes
Indian schools usually teach Hindi गिनती (ginti) alongside English numbers, and many children know one set better than the other. That is completely normal. In Chinese, Japanese and Korean, teen numbers are said as "ten-one, ten-two", which is one reason children there often grasp place value early. You can borrow that trick: say "ten and three" before "thirteen".
Gentle tips for every child
Short sessions win: five minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday. Sit with your child, point, count out loud, and praise the effort ("You counted every one!"). If a child with speech delay cannot say the names, they can still tap the right card. Bilingual children may answer in Hindi for one number and English for the next; accept both. Children under two do better with a grown-up and real toys than with any screen. For the full chart to 100, visit Hindi ginti 1 to 100 and counting 1 to 100.
Questions to ask while you play
While your child looks at the two frames, ask: "Is the red frame full? How many is a full frame?" Then, "How many more are in the blue frame?" Put the two answers together out loud: "Ten and six, sixteen." Ask your child to find the number that is one more or one less than the one on screen, and check on the Learn buttons. You can also hide the frames with your hand and ask your child to guess the number from the Hindi name alone, which builds listening as well as counting. For writing practice after the game, use the number tracing page to trace 11 to 20 with a finger.
