The word "twenty-one" is spelled with six letters, two numerals and a hyphen. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is pronounced /ˈtwɛnti wʌn/. The first syllable starts with the 't' sound /t/ followed by the vowel sound /ɛ/ as in 'bed'. The second syllable begins with the consonant sound /w/ and ends with the short 'u' sound /ʌ/. The final syllable is pronounced the same as the numeral 'one' /wʌn/. Correctly spelling words like "twenty-one" is essential for effective communication in both written and spoken language.
Twenty-one is a cardinal number that represents the quantity or value of 21. It is derived from the combination of two constituent numbers, twenty and one. In terms of numerical value, it is located between twenty and twenty-two, falling on the number line after twenty and before twenty-two.
Twenty-one can be expressed in various forms, such as in written format or through numerical symbols. In written form, it is spelled out as "twenty-one" using alphabetic characters, while in numerical symbols, it is represented as "21," consisting of the numeric digits 2 and 1.
When used as a noun, twenty-one can refer to a specific age marker. It represents the stage of life at which an individual has reached the age of 21 years old, commonly seen as a significant milestone in many cultures around the world. It often symbolizes the transition into adulthood and is associated with various legal privileges and responsibilities, such as the right to vote, consume alcohol, and enter into certain contracts, among others.
Furthermore, twenty-one holds significance in certain card games, particularly in blackjack. In this context, twenty-one is the ideal total score that players aim to reach or get as close to without exceeding it. It is achieved by combining an ace (worth 11 points) with a ten-point card (e.g., a ten, jack, queen, or king).
The word "twenty-one" originated from Old English "twēntiġ", which means "twenty", and "ān", which means "one". It is a combination of these two words to represent the number.