Why numbers feel tricky

• Small words change value about, at least, nearly
• Teen vs ty stress swaps answers 13 vs 30
• Accents compress digits double, oh, nought
• Units and formats vary 12.50, 9.30, 15 kg, AB7 4KT

Golden rules

1. Write number with unit together 28 USD, 15 kg, 2 km
2. For money, use two decimals when given 18.50
3. Copy codes exactly and keep case AB7 4KT, Room 3C
4. Follow the task limit words and or numbers
5. If you hear a correction actually, now, instead rewrite the new value

Stress and rhythm cues

• THIRty vs thirTEEN
• FORty vs fourTEEN
• FIFty vs fifTEEN
  Say the pair aloud. Falling tone for ty, rising for teen.

Decimals, fractions and mixed numbers

• 0.5 half, 0.25 a quarter, 0.75 three quarters
• 2.5 two and a half
• 3.75 three and three quarters
• 0.3 nought point three or zero point three
• 1.75 one point seven five
  Tip: If the speaker gives a fraction, write the fraction. If they say point, write the decimal.

Common fractions you will hear

• one third 1/3
• two thirds 2/3
• three fifths 3/5
• one tenth 1/10
• seven eighths 7/8
  Format tip: Hyphenate when used as an adjective a two thirds discount.

Percent, ratio and range

• Percent: 25 percent or 25%
• Ratio: three to one 3:1
• Range: from 8 to 10, between 8 and 10
• Limits that change meaning at least 10, up to 10, no more than 10

Time and dates

• 9.15 nine fifteen or quarter past nine
• 9.45 quarter to ten
• Noon equals midday, 12 am is midnight
• 15 June, June 15, the 15th of June write exactly as heard

Phones, prices and codes

• Zero can be oh or nought in phones 07 oh two
• Double for repeated digits 55 double five
• Prices: 28.50 twenty eight fifty, 12.99 twelve ninety nine
• Postcodes and IDs mix letters and digits write each clearly

Accent notes

• UK often uses nought for 0 and double for repeats
• US prefers zero and reads each digit
• NZ and AUS may brighten vowels in numbers. Lock on stress, not vowel color.

Fast symbol kit

• ≈ about or around
• ≥ at least, ≤ no more than, ± roughly
• ↺ correction
• Num number slot, Unit kg, km, min, %, BDT, £, $
• / fraction marker, : ratio

20 minute training plan

1. Preview 3 min
   Mark all number questions. Predict format price, date, time, code, fraction.
2. Sprint A 7 min Numbers grid
   Listen to a 60 to 90 second clip. Extract only numbers and units into a two column grid.
3. Sprint B 5 min Fraction race
   Write what you hear two thirds, one point five, three and a half. Convert each once to the other form.
4. Checkback 5 min
   Match each answer to limiter words and correct any ty vs teen errors.

Ready sentence bank

• The fee rose to 28.50 last July.
• Please call 017 93 66 440 that is zero one seven then double three at the end.
• We completed three fifths of the survey by Wednesday.
• Students must read at least 12 articles, preferably 15.
• The ratio is two to one in the first phase.

High risk traps and fixes

• Limiter swap up to vs at least write the limiter next to the number
• Teen or ty say the pair once, underline stress
• Unit drift write number and unit together 4 hr, 2 km
• Decimal slips say the dot point aloud while writing
• Correction strike old value and write the new one with ↺

Bangla focused tips

• Do not add a vowel after final consonants six not siksə
• V vs B when spelling numbers and names verify with letter codes
• 15 vs 50 use stress and context count of items, turn numbers on maps

Weekly targets

• Week 1 40 items daily, 85 percent accuracy
• Week 2 60 items with mixed forms, 90 percent
• Week 3 80 items with fast clips, 92 percent

Error log template

Build your own pack

1. Make a one minute script with 8 numbers, 2 fractions, 1 ratio and 2 limiters.
2. Record and solve tomorrow.
3. Swap decimals to fractions and re run.
4. Track accuracy and the top two error types.

Train stress, pair numbers with units and lock on limiters. With daily sprints, numbers stop being traps and become quick, reliable points.