Numbers & Time Words — A1 Essential Words

hundred /ˈhʌndrəd/ number A1 Time

Meaning: The number 100; also used loosely to mean 'many' in speech.

Example: The hall holds two hundred people.

Another example: I have a hundred things to do.

Collocations: two hundred · hundreds of · a hundred percent

Synonyms: century (100 years), one hundred

Word family: hundreds (n pl) · hundredth (ordinal)

⚠ Common mistake: In American English: 'two hundred fifty' (no 'and' in careful speech; 'and' appears in checks and British style). 'A hundred percent' = totally sure.

🗣 In spoken American English: Push-ups and sit-ups count toward it in school gyms.

Register: Neutral — numbers essential.

thousand /ˈθaʊzənd/ number A1 Time

Meaning: The number 1,000.

Example: Three thousand fans came to the game.

Another example: The car costs twenty thousand dollars.

Collocations: three thousand · thousands of · per thousand

Synonyms: grand (slang for $1,000), K (written short form)

Word family: thousands (n pl) · thousandth (ordinal)

⚠ Common mistake: In texts and prices, 5K means five thousand. 'A thousand times' is the exaggeration of insistence ('I've told you a thousand times!').

🗣 In spoken American English: Steps are counted toward ten thousand a day by every watch owner.

Register: Neutral — numbers essential.

million /ˈmɪljən/ number A1 Time

Meaning: The number 1,000,000 — a thousand thousands.

Example: The city has five million people.

Another example: He won a million dollars.

Collocations: five million · millions of · a million times

Synonyms: mega (prefix sense), a fortune

Word family: millions (n pl) · millionth (ordinal) · millionaire (n)

⚠ Common mistake: 'Thanks a million' is gratitude in hyperbole. A MILLIONAIRE owns at least one million — the word under it.

🗣 In spoken American English: Lottery posters print it larger than the odds.

Register: Neutral — numbers essential.

once /wʌns/ adverb A1 Time

Meaning: One time only; also in the past (at an earlier time).

Example: I swim once a week.

Another example: Once, this was a small village.

Collocations: once a week · once more · at once (immediately)

Synonyms: one time, single time, formerly

Antonyms: twice, never

Word family: once (adv) · once-over (n — a quick look)

⚠ Common mistake: 'Once upon a time' opens every fairy tale. 'At once' means immediately AND simultaneously — context tells.

🗣 In spoken American English: Lightning warnings: it can in fact strike twice — the proverb lies kindly.

Register: Neutral — time essential.

twice /twaɪs/ adverb A1 Time

Meaning: Two times; double the amount or number.

Example: She called twice today.

Another example: This bag costs twice as much.

Collocations: twice a day · twice as much · think twice

Synonyms: two times, double

Antonyms: once

Word family: twice (adv)

⚠ Common mistake: 'Think twice' = consider carefully before acting. Prices compare with 'twice as expensive' — math in adjectives.

🗣 In spoken American English: Dentists prescribe brushing in its rhythm.

Register: Neutral — time essential.

noon /nuːn/ noun A1 Time

Meaning: Twelve o'clock in the middle of the day.

Example: We eat lunch at noon.

Another example: The train leaves at noon.

Collocations: at noon · noon break · before noon

Synonyms: midday, twelve o'clock

Antonyms: midnight

Word family: noons (n pl — rare) · noon (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: AM ends and PM begins around it — the naming headache of digital clocks (12 PM is noon). Cowboys duel at 'high noon'.

🗣 In spoken American English: Its shadow is the shortest of the day.

Register: Neutral — time essential.

midnight /ˈmɪdnaɪt/ noun A1 Time

Meaning: Twelve o'clock in the middle of the night.

Example: The party ended at midnight.

Another example: She studies until midnight.

Collocations: at midnight · until midnight · midnight snack

Synonyms: twelve at night, the middle of the night

Antonyms: noon

Word family: midnights (n pl) · midnight (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: New Year's Eve counts down to it; Cinderella's magic expired at it. 'Midnight oil' is what late workers burn.

🗣 In spoken American English: 12 AM confusion's home address — midnight starts a new date.

Register: Neutral — time essential.

half /hɑːf/ noun A1 Time

Meaning: One of the two equal parts of something (50%); used in time as 'half past' the hour.

Example: Half the class was absent.

Another example: We meet at half past six.

Collocations: half of · half past six · half an hour

Synonyms: fifty percent, one of two parts

Antonyms: whole, full

Word family: halves (n pl — irregular) · half (adj/adv)

⚠ Common mistake: American time speech: 'half past six' = 6:30. Its plural is HALVES (f→v like knife and wolf).

🗣 In spoken American English: Sports halves and pizza halves divide everything fairly by two.

Register: Neutral — time essential.

quarter /ˈkwɔːrtər/ noun A1 Time

Meaning: One of four equal parts (25%); fifteen minutes before or after the hour; also the US coin worth 25 cents.

Example: It's a quarter past seven.

Another example: He paid with a quarter.

Collocations: a quarter of · quarter past · a quarter (coin)

Synonyms: fourth, 25 cents, fifteen minutes

Word family: quarters (n pl) · quarterly (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Time (quarter to/past), money (the coin), and football (four periods) share it — the most American of fractions.

🗣 In spoken American English: Arcade games ran on them for decades.

Register: Neutral — time and money essential.

o'clock /əˈklɒk/ adverb A1 Time

Meaning: Used after a number to say the exact hour (only with whole hours).

Example: School starts at eight o'clock.

Another example: It's five o'clock.

Collocations: at eight o'clock · o'clock in the morning · five o'clock

Synonyms: on the hour, sharp (exactly)

Word family: o'clock (adv — from 'of the clock')

⚠ Common mistake: Only for exact hours: 8 o'clock, never '8:30 o'clock'. It's the shrunken fossil of 'of the clock'.

🗣 In spoken American English: Whistles and bells built factory towns around it.

Register: Neutral — time essential.