# sixteen

/ˈsɪkˈstin/ (US) · /sɪkstˈiːn/ (UK) · CEFR A1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sixteen
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Definition

the number that comes after fifteen and before seventeen. You write it as the number 16.

For teachers: the cardinal number equivalent to the sum of ten and six. Functions as a determiner or a noun depending on the syntactic context.

## Examples

- She is sixteen years old today.
- The bus leaves at sixteen minutes past the hour from the main station.
- The group was divided into sixteen equal sections to ensure that every participant had a specific area of the garden to maintain during the summer.

## Pitfalls

- Not "sixtyteen" but "sixteen" — Learners sometimes confuse the suffix '-teen' (13-19) with '-ty' (multiples of 10) or try to combine them incorrectly.

## Usage notes

- When used as a noun, it can be pluralized to refer to multiple instances of the number or a set of sixteen items.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.