NumListen · German 21-99
German numbers 21-99: hear the units before the tens, type them in the right order
German compound numbers from 21 to 99 say the units digit first, then "und" ("and"), then the tens — einundzwanzig is literally "one-and-twenty" for 21. The words are not the hard part; the hard part is that you hear the digit you need to write second first, so you have to hold it in memory until the tens arrive before you can commit an answer.
NumListen · German 21-99
What this practice card trains
German 21-99 is a dedicated NumListen practice card because the spoken order and the written order of these numbers genuinely differ. Set German as the number voice language, open German 21-99, listen to the full word, and type the digits in their normal written order — 21, not 12. Round tens (20, 30, 40...) are not reversed; only the compound values in between are.
What you actually hear
A short sample of the range, including one full price so you can see the pattern inside a real number, not just an isolated pair.
| Number | What you hear | What you type | Why it trips people up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | einundzwanzig | 21 | Literally "one-and-twenty" — the 1 is spoken before the 20. |
| 34 | vierunddreißig | 34 | The 4 arrives first; the 3 (dreißig) only confirms the tens after. |
| 45 | fünfundvierzig | 45 | Same pattern: units digit, und, then tens. |
| 67 | siebenundsechzig | 67 | Longer word, same reversed order — 7 first, 60 second. |
| 99 | neunundneunzig | 99 | The top of the compound range; still units-then-tens. |
| 234 | zweihundertvierunddreißig | 234 | Hundreds are spoken in normal order (zweihundert); only the last two digits reverse (vierunddreißig). |
German
What reverses and what does not
- Compound numbers 21-99 say units before tens, joined by und — 21 = einundzwanzig ("one and twenty"), 99 = neunundneunzig ("nine and ninety").
- Round tens are not reversed — 20 = zwanzig, 30 = dreißig, 90 = neunzig read as single words, no und.
- In larger numbers, only the final two digits reverse — 234 is zweihundert ("two hundred") + vierunddreißig ("four-and-thirty"), read in that order.
- The number one changes form depending on position: eins when it stands alone, ein before a unit like Euro, and the -ein- inside einundzwanzig.
Listen, type, check
01
Set German as the number voice
Choose German from the number-voice menu on the NumListen home screen — independent of your app interface language.
02
Open German 21-99
Pick this card instead of Basic Numbers when you specifically want repetition on the units-before-tens reversal.
03
Hear the whole word first
Wait for the full number before writing anything — the units digit alone is not enough to answer correctly.
04
Type in written order, check, repeat
Enter the digits in their normal order (tens then units), use Replay if needed, and Show Answer to check and continue.
A dedicated German voice, no silent fallback
German has its own installed system-voice selection and preview in NumListen Settings. If no compatible German voice is available on your device, the app tells you what to install rather than silently playing a different language.
German 21-99 FAQ
Why are German numbers "backwards"?
German is a head-final language for this construction — the modifier (the units digit) comes before what it modifies (the tens), the same pattern German uses elsewhere in the grammar. einundzwanzig is a twenty modified by a one, spoken in that order.
Does every German number reverse digits, or just 21-99?
Just the compound values from 21 to 99. Round tens (zwanzig, dreißig...) are single words with no reversal, and in numbers above 99 only the last two digits follow the units-before-tens pattern — the hundreds and thousands are read in normal order.
Are decimal answers shown with a comma or a period?
German practice uses the German convention — a comma, as in 21,50 — matching how prices and decimals are actually written in German.
Do I need to type German words?
No. Every answer is digits only, in their normal written order. The practice is entirely about untangling the spoken order into the correct written number.
Can I use the app in English while practising German numbers?
Yes. The number-voice language and the app interface language are independent settings.
Turn the reversal into a reflex
Short, repeatable rounds on exactly the range where German word order differs from digit order — not a full numbers course, just 21-99 until you stop having to pause and reorder.
Keep practising
German number listening practice for units-before-tens order
See every German number format NumListen covers, not just this one.
German phone numbers: hear mixed chunks, null and zwo, and type the digits in order
Practice hearing German phone numbers — null for 0, zwo for zwei, area codes digit by digit, then two-digit groups like dreiundvierzig (43) with the units spoken first. Type only the digits.