How do you use the word "twelve" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "twelve": I spent twelve hours on the train. I have lived in Kamakura for twelve years.

Twelve Meaning

/twɛlv/

Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

numThe cardinal number occurring after eleven and before thirteen, represented in Arabic numerals as 12 and in Roman numerals as XII.

nounA group of twelve items.

Sentence Examples

I spent twelve hours on the train.

I have lived in Kamakura for twelve years.

There are only twelve of these rare animals left.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

dozen cardinal

Antonyms:

ordinal

CEFR Practice Quiz

Did you know there are exactly ____ months in a single year?

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

There are exactly ____ items in a dozen, which is a very common way to group things like eggs or rolls today.

Word Origin & History

From Middle English twelve, from Old English twelf (“twelve”), from Proto-Germanic *twalif, an old compound of *twa- (“two”) and *-lif (“left over”) (i.e., two left over after having already counted to ten), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“leave, remain”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian tweelf, tweelif, tweelich (“twelve”), West Frisian tolve (“twelve”), Dutch twaalf (“twelve”), German Low German twalf, twalv (“twelve”), German zwölf (“twelve”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian tolv (“twelve”), Icelandic tólf (“twelve”).

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"Hopper points out that duodecads have been prominent in every ancient civilization and cites as examples twelve spokes in the wheel of the Hindu Rta, the twelve gates of hell where Egyptian Ra must spend the twelve hours of night, the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve labors of Hercules, [...]" — 1972, Eleanor Webster Bulatkin, Structural Arithmetic Metaphor in the Oxford "Roland.", Ohio State University Press, →ISBN, page 10:

"In this way Von Esslin ‘inherited’ two fine hammerless twelves which he used once or twice for duck on the Camargue." — 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 880:

Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words