sixteen

sixteen — noun

1. the number represented by the digits 1 and 6, which comes between fifteen and se

1.nounA1
Definition

the number represented by the digits 1 and 6, which comes between fifteen and seventeen

Example

Sixteen is Saira's favourite number because it is the day she was born.

The train at platform sixteen will leave in five minutes.

position after a noun to show a label or order

Grammar Patterns

sixteen + singular verb

noun + sixteen (label/position)

Common Mistakes

My house number is sixteen, and I live on the sixteen floor.
My house number is sixteen, and I live on the sixteenth floor.
'sixteen' is a cardinal number; 'sixteenth' is the ordinal form used for position in a sequence.
I have sixteen apples, and my brother has sixty.' (when meaning 16)
I have sixteen apples, and my brother has sixty.' (no correction needed if numbers are correct)
but learners often confuse 'sixteen' /sɪkˈstiːn/ with 'sixty' /ˈsɪksti/ in speech because of the similar sound.

sixteen — number

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: number/1

All four words share the root 'six' but differ in meaning and use. 'Sixteen' (16) is a cardinal number used for counting or stating age: 'there are sixteen chairs.' 'Sixty' (60) sounds similar but represents a much larger quantity, often causing confusion for learners in listening tasks — compare 'sixteen people' vs. 'sixty people.' 'Sixth' (6th) is an ordinal number indicating position in a sequence: 'she came sixth in the race.' 'Sixteenth' (16th) is the ordinal counterpart of 'sixteen': 'his sixteenth birthday.' A useful memory aid: ordinal numbers end in '-th' (except first, second, third) and answer 'which position?' while cardinal numbers answer 'how many?' For example: 'Sixteen students took the test, and Lin scored the sixteenth-highest mark.'

sixteen ↗sixth ↗sixty ↗sixteenth ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • turn sixteen
  • sixteen years old
  • sixteen of them
  • all sixteen

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'sixteen' comes from Old English 'sixteene', which was formed by combining 'six' (six) and 'tene' (ten). This pattern mirrors how other Germanic languages build the number, such as German 'sechzehn' and Dutch 'zestien'. Before the spelling settled, it also appeared as 'sixteene' and 'sixtene' in Middle English. The modern form became standard around the 16th century.