Numbers in Telugu 1 to 100

Numbers in Telugu are some of the easiest words for young children, because after 20 they follow a clear pattern. The chart above lets your child tap any number from 1 to 100 and hear it in Telugu and English. Press Count with me and Golu counts 1 to 10, 1 to 20 or all the way from ఒకటి (okati) to వంద (vanda, 100).

Telugu numbers 1 to 10

Zero is సున్నా (sunna). Telugu has its own digits, shown above, but today almost everyone writes 1, 2, 3, and schools teach Telugu number words with these ordinary digits. The Telugu digits appear on some old clocks, temple boards and traditional calendars, which makes a fun spotting game.

Telugu numbers 11 to 20

The teens are built from పది (padi, ten), which changes to "pada" or "padi" at the start: పదకొండు (padakondu, 11), పన్నెండు (pannendu, 12), పదమూడు (padamoodu, 13), పద్నాలుగు (padnaalugu, 14), పదిహేను (padihenu, 15), పదహారు (padahaaru, 16), పదిహేడు (padihedu, 17), పద్దెనిమిది (paddenimidi, 18) and పందొమ్మిది (pandommidi, 19). Then comes ఇరవై (iravai, 20). Listen for the unit hiding inside each teen: మూడు in పదమూడు, ఆరు in పదహారు. Spotting it is a good game for 5-year-olds.

The easy pattern after 20

This is the part parents love. From 21 onwards, Telugu says the ten and then the unit, just like English "twenty-one": ఇరవై ఒకటి (iravai okati, 21), ఇరవై ఐదు (iravai aidu, 25), ముప్పై రెండు (muppai rendu, 32), తొంభై తొమ్మిది (tombhai tommidi, 99). So once your child knows 1 to 9 and the tens, they can say every number up to 99. Compare this with Hindi, where 21 to 99 each have their own word; Telugu is much kinder to small counters.

Counting in tens in Telugu

1,000 is వెయ్యి (veyyi). Children who also learn Tamil will notice that నూరు and Tamil நூறு are close cousins; see numbers in Tamil.

How to teach Telugu numbers at home

• Count real things. Idli on the plate, dosa in the stack, steps to the door. Touch each one as you count.
• Muggulu dots. At Sankranti, count the dots before drawing the muggu (rangoli) together.
• Songs and games. Count to పది in దాగుడుమూతలు (hide and seek), or count jumps while skipping.
• Tens first, then fill in. For 5-year-olds, practise పది, ఇరవై, ముప్పై until they are easy; then 21 to 99 follow the pattern.
• Short and happy. One round of Count with me, then count something real.

Children at English-medium schools often count in English first. After they count in English, ask "and in Telugu?" and let them switch. Two ways to count is a strength, not a problem. More practice with objects: counting 1 to 10, counting 1 to 100 and addition for kids; say each answer in Telugu.

Numbers in everyday Telugu

Numbers are not only for counting. Bring them into daily talk and your child hears them many times a day. "ఎన్ని?" (enni?) means "how many?", a question you can ask about anything: ఎన్ని బంతులు? (how many balls?). Time uses the same words: "మూడు గంటలు" (moodu gantalu) is three o'clock. Money too: పది రూపాయలు (padi roopaayalu) is ten rupees. Birthdays are a favourite; ask "నీకు ఎన్ని ఏళ్ళు?" (how old are you?) and let your child answer with fingers and words. For a fun challenge with animals, ask how many legs a ఆవు has on animals name in Telugu.

తల్లిదండ్రులకు

అంకెలు నేర్పించడానికి ఇల్లే మంచి బడి. మెట్లు లెక్కపెట్టండి, పళ్ళెంలో ఇడ్లీలు లెక్కపెట్టండి. ప్రతిదాన్ని తాకుతూ ఒకటి, రెండు, మూడు అనండి.

ముందు ఒకటి నుండి పది వరకు. తర్వాత పదకొండు నుండి ఇరవై వరకు. ఇరవై దాటాక తెలుగులో లెక్క చాలా సులభం: ఇరవై ఒకటి, ఇరవై రెండు, ముప్పై ఒకటి. పదులు వస్తే వంద వరకు లెక్కపెట్టగలరు.

ఈ పేజీలో ఏ అంకెను తాకినా తెలుగులో, ఇంగ్లీషులో వినిపిస్తుంది. Count with me బటన్ నొక్కి వంద వరకు కలిసి లెక్కపెట్టండి.

How to use this page at home

Say it, then find it

Play for a few minutes, then look for the same thing away from the screen: telugu words on the shelf, in the kitchen, on the way to school. A child learns a word properly when they meet it twice, once on the screen and once in their hand.

Ten minutes is enough

Short and happy beats long and tired. Stop while your child still wants more, and come back tomorrow: the same page on five short days teaches far more than one long sitting. Nothing here is scored, so there is no reason to push.

Use both languages

Tap the language button at the top to hear the words in your home language first and the second language after. Hearing the same picture named in two languages is one of the few things research agrees builds attention as well as vocabulary.