sixteen
gb/sˈɪkstˈin/ us/sˈɪkstˈin/
A1
English
~ 3500
Senses
0 senses
numeral
A1
quantity
1
The number 16
The number that comes after fifteen and before seventeen.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sixteen' with 'sixty' in pronunciation or spelling.
Synonyms
16 (Numerical symbol for the number sixteen.)
Antonyms
seventeen (The next higher number after sixteen.)
|
fifteen (The next lower number before sixteen.)
Collocations
sixteen years old
|sixteen people
|sixteen times
|sixteen percent
Themes
mathematics
|daily life
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- There are sixteen students in the class.
- She turned sixteen last month.
- The recipe calls for sixteen ounces of flour.
- They drove for sixteen miles before stopping.
- Sixteen teams will compete in the tournament.
Learner examples
- I am sixteen years old.
- There are sixteen chairs in the room.
- The box has sixteen apples.
- My sister is sixteen today.
- We have sixteen books on the table.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sixteen
IPA
GB/sˈɪkstˈin/
US/sˈɪkstˈin/
Syllables & stress
six - teen (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (six)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sixteen
- Plural: sixteens
Word family
Forms
sixteens
noun
Core family
sixteenth
ordinal numeral A2
Expressions
sixteen going on seventeen
1/sˈɪkstˈin ɡˈoʊɪŋ ˈɔn sˈɛvəntˈin/
fixed phrase
Almost seventeen years old
Used to say someone is sixteen now and will soon be seventeen.
Examples
- She’s sixteen going on seventeen and already thinking about college.
- He sang 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen' in the school play.
sweet sixteen
1/swˈit sˈɪkstˈin/
fixed phrase
informal
Girl's sixteenth birthday celebration
A party or celebration for a girl’s sixteenth birthday, often considered special in some cultures.
Examples
- Her parents threw a big sweet sixteen party for her.
- She has been planning her sweet sixteen for months.