A2 noun Neutre #10,000 le plus courant 1 min de lecture

sixty

/ˈsɪksti/

Sixty is the English word for the number 60, representing six tens.

Mot en 30 secondes

  • The number 60.
  • Represents six times ten.
  • Used in time, age, and quantity.

Overview

The word 'sixty' is the English name for the cardinal number 60. It is a fundamental number used in counting, measuring, and expressing quantities. As a noun, it refers to the numerical value itself. It's a common number encountered in daily life, from telling time to discussing ages, prices, and measurements.

As a noun, 'sixty' is typically used in phrases that indicate a quantity or amount. It can stand alone or be part of larger numerical expressions. For example, 'sixty' can be used when talking about 'sixty minutes in an hour' or when stating an age, 'He is sixty years old.' It's also used in contexts like 'sixty miles per hour' or 'sixty dollars.'

You'll frequently hear or see 'sixty' in contexts related to time (sixty minutes, sixty seconds), age (sixty years old), money (sixty pounds), measurements (sixty meters), and general counting. It's a number that appears in many everyday situations, making it a core part of basic English vocabulary.

The most obvious comparison is to the numeral '60'. 'Sixty' is the word form of this numeral. Other numbers in the same range, like 'fifty' (50) and 'seventy' (70), follow similar naming conventions and are used in comparable contexts. The key difference lies solely in the numerical value they represent.

Exemples

1

There are sixty seconds in one minute.

everyday

There are sixty seconds in one minute.

2

The project is expected to cost approximately sixty thousand dollars.

formal

The project is expected to cost approximately sixty thousand dollars.

3

Wow, you're already sixty? You look great!

informal

Wow, you're already sixty? You look great!

4

The study included participants aged sixty to seventy-five.

academic

The study included participants aged sixty to seventy-five.

Collocations courantes

sixty minutes sixty minutes
sixty seconds sixty seconds
sixty years old sixty years old
sixty percent sixty percent

Phrases Courantes

sixty minutes

sixty minutes

sixty seconds

sixty seconds

sixty years old

sixty years old

Souvent confondu avec

sixty vs sixteen

'Sixteen' refers to the number 16, while 'sixty' refers to the number 60. They sound similar but represent very different quantities.

sixty vs sixtieth

'Sixtieth' is an ordinal number, meaning it denotes position in a sequence (the 60th item). 'Sixty' is a cardinal number, denoting quantity.

Modèles grammaticaux

sixty + [unit] sixty [noun] The number is sixty.

How to Use It

Notes d'usage

As a noun, 'sixty' refers to the numerical value. It is a basic number word essential for everyday communication. It is used neutrally in most contexts, from casual conversation to more formal settings.


Erreurs courantes

Learners sometimes confuse the spelling of 'sixty' with words like 'sexity' or mispronounce it. Ensure you clearly distinguish the 'x' sound from an 's' sound and remember the '-ty' ending.

Tips

💡

Remember Sixty as Six Tens

Think of sixty as six groups of ten. This helps to visualize the quantity and its relationship to the number ten.

⚠️

Spelling Sixty Correctly

Pay attention to the spelling: s-i-x-t-y. It's easy to confuse with 'sexity' or other variations, but the correct spelling is crucial.

🌍

Sixty in Timekeeping

The number sixty has historical significance in timekeeping, stemming from ancient Babylonian mathematics which used a base-60 system (sexagesimal).

Origine du mot

The word 'sixty' comes from the Old English word 'scēowintig', which itself derives from Proto-Germanic roots meaning 'six tens'. It follows the pattern of other numbers ending in '-ty' which represent multiples of ten.

Contexte culturel

The number sixty has historical roots in ancient Babylonian mathematics, which used a sexagesimal (base-60) system. This is why we still have sixty seconds in a minute and sixty minutes in an hour.

Astuce mémo

Imagine 'six' ants marching in a line, and then multiply that by 'ten' to get 'sixty'. Or, think of a clock face having 'sixty' minutes, with each number representing five minutes.

Questions fréquentes

4 questions

The digit for sixty is '60'. 'Sixty' is the word used to write out this number in English.

In everyday contexts, sixty is a moderate number. It's not considered extremely large like thousands or millions, but it's significant enough to represent substantial quantities or ages.

There are sixty minutes in an hour and sixty seconds in a minute. This is a very common usage of the word sixty.

While 'sixty' itself is a noun referring to the number, it can function as part of an adjectival phrase when modifying another noun, such as in 'sixty-year-old man'. However, the base word 'sixty' is primarily a noun.

Teste-toi

fill blank

There are ___ minutes in one hour.

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : sixty

An hour is defined as having sixty minutes.

multiple choice

What is the word for the number 60?

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Sixty

'Sixty' is the cardinal number word for 60. 'Fiftieth' and 'Sixtieth' are ordinal numbers, and 'Sixteen' is the number 16.

sentence building

Build a sentence using: 'is', 'sixty', 'old', 'he', 'years'.

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : He is sixty years old.

This is the standard English structure for stating someone's age.

Score : /3

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