Number (noun) — a mathematical symbol or word representing a quantity or amount; a figure used to identify or count something. Number (verb) — to assign a number to something; to amount to a particular total.
What Does Number Mean?
Number comes from Old French nombre, derived from Latin numerus (a number, quantity), which is related to Greek nemein (to apportion or distribute). The word entered English in the 13th century. The same Latin root gives us numerous, numeral, enumerate, and innumerable.
As a noun, number is one of the most common words in English. It can refer to a mathematical figure (the number 7), an amount or quantity (a number of people), a position in a sequence (question number 3), or an item used to identify something (a phone number, a room number). It is also used abstractly to refer to a quantity of people or things in general.
As a verb, to number carries two distinct meanings. The first is active: to label or mark items with numbers in sequence ("number the pages before printing"). The second is stative and more formal: to amount to a total ("the audience numbered over three thousand"). The verb form is especially common in journalism and academic writing.
A key grammar point: a number of (meaning several) takes a plural verb, while the number of (referring to a specific count) takes a singular verb. Mastering this distinction will significantly improve your formal English.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| What is your phone number? | A2 — everyday noun; fixed collocation |
| A large number of students use online resources to study. | B1 — a number of + plural noun + plural verb |
| The teacher asked us to number the paragraphs from one to ten. | B1 — verb use; to number = to label in sequence |
| The number of people applying for the course has risen sharply this year. | B2 — the number of + singular verb; formal register |
| Casualties from the storm numbered in the hundreds, according to government estimates. | C1 — verb use; to number = to amount to; journalistic/academic register |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| a large number of | A large number of applications were received. |
| a growing / increasing number of | A growing number of learners study English online. |
| phone / mobile number | Can you give me your mobile number? |
| serial number | Note the serial number before registering your device. |
| account number | Please quote your account number when calling. |
| prime number | Seven is a prime number. |
| even / odd number | Circle all the even numbers on the worksheet. |
| number plate | The police recorded the car's number plate. |
| whole number | Round your answer to the nearest whole number. |
| record number | A record number of tourists visited the city last summer. |
Usage Notes
Key Grammar Points
A number of (= several/many) — always use a plural verb:
A number of students were absent today.
The number of (= the total count) — always use a singular verb:
The number of students has increased.
Number vs amount — use number with countable nouns and amount with uncountable nouns:
a large number of mistakes (countable) vs a large amount of water (uncountable).
Spelling note — in British English, the abbreviation is No. (capitalised, with a full stop): No. 10 Downing Street. The plural abbreviation is Nos.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
A number of students was late this morning.
A number of students were late this morning. (plural verb after a number of)
There was a large amount of people at the concert.
There was a large number of people at the concert. (use number with countable nouns)
Please number each question starting from zero.
Please number each question starting from one. (sequences in English typically begin at one, not zero, in non-technical contexts)