25

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "25" is correct and usable in written English, depending on the context.
You can use it when referring to a quantity, age, or a specific number in various contexts such as mathematics, statistics, or age references.
Example: "There are 25 students in the classroom today."
Alternatives: "twenty-five" or "a score of 25".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Travel

Lifestyle

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

37 human-written examples

Ricky van Wolfswinkel, signed from Sporting Lisbon for £8.5m, has one in 22 Premier League appearances and Johan Elmander one in 25.

The Guardian - Sport

The winning numbers drawn Wednesday night were 05, 25, 30, 58, 59 and Powerball 32.

The Guardian

"As a result of 25 years of investment," said Doris Meissner, an author of the report who is a senior fellow at the institute, "the bulwark is fundamentally in place".

The New York Times

Nor did they have enough balls: Fifa had supplied 25 of the new Tango España balls to each participating nation but none of the ones allocated to El Salvador made it as far as the players, who had to ask Hungary to lend them a couple so they could practise before their first match.

The Guardian - Sport

Labour has already promised 25 hours of free care each week for parents of three- and four-year-olds – up from the current 15 hours.

The Guardian - Opinion

We have 25 days left of our Seedrs campaign and we are about 45% funded, which is great.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

23 human-written examples

Profile Books; £25.

The Economist

Faber & Faber; £30.

The Economist

Against this, the three options set out for debate would leave an individual paying an average £20,000-£22,500 under a basic partnership scheme, though some would pay far more; £20,000-£25,000 under a voluntary insurance scheme, though the uninsured might pay much more; and £17,000-£20,000 under a compulsory comprehensive scheme.

The Guardian

Aimed at ultra-high net worth tourists from Asia and the Middle East, the cheapest rooms will be around 1,000 Swiss francs (£675) a night, while the most expensive will go for a bank-busting 25,000 Swiss francs (£16,000).

The Guardian - Arts

In total, 258,000 workers – about 25% of Qatar's migrant labourer population – will be housed, officials said.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing formally, consider spelling out "twenty-five" if it starts a sentence. Otherwise, use "25" for brevity, especially in tables or figures.

Common error

Avoid writing "25th" when you mean "25". "25th" refers to an ordinal position (e.g., the 25th of December), while "25" represents a quantity.

Linguistic Context

The number "25" functions primarily as a cardinal numeral, denoting a specific quantity. It is used to quantify nouns, indicating the count of something, as shown in Ludwig examples where it quantifies years, members, hours and more.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Sport

23%

Lifestyle

8%

Less common in

Travel

5%

Money

5%

Arts

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The numeral "25" is a common and grammatically correct way to represent the quantity twenty-five. Ludwig examples confirm its widespread use across diverse contexts, particularly in news, sports, and lifestyle reporting. While generally neutral, spelling out "twenty-five" might be preferred in formal writing, especially at the beginning of sentences. Ludwig AI analysis confirms the acceptability of using "25" and Ludwig provides ample real-world examples.

Alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

twenty-five

Expresses the number in word form instead of numerical form.

a quarter of a hundred

Uses a proportional representation of the number.

two dozen and one

Uses a combination of dozens and units to represent the number.

one more than two dozen

Similar to the previous, emphasizing the addition to a full two dozens.

five squared

Uses a mathematical expression to represent "25".

the square of five

Similar to the previous, but uses a different expression.

FAQs

How do I use "25" in a sentence?

"25" is used to indicate a specific quantity or number. For example: "There are 25 students in the class."

Is it better to write "25" or "twenty-five"?

In formal writing, "twenty-five" might be preferred at the beginning of a sentence. Otherwise, "25" is acceptable and common, particularly in contexts like news reports or statistical data.

What alternatives can I use instead of "25"?

Depending on the context, alternatives include "twenty-five", "a quarter of a hundred", or "two dozen and one".

When should I use "25th" instead of "25"?

"25th" is used as an ordinal number to indicate position or rank, such as "the 25th anniversary", whereas "25" represents a quantity, such as "25 years".