High Valyrian Numbers: How to Count From 1 to 10

Quick Answer: The High Valyrian numbers 1 to 10 are mēre (1), lanta (2), hāre (3), izula (4), tōma (5), bȳre (6), sīkuda (7), jēnqa (8), vōre (9) and ampa (10). The macron marks a long vowel. This page lists only numerals we can verify; higher numbers are left out rather than guessed.

High Valyrian is the classical language of Old Valyria in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, built by David J. Peterson on Latin-like grammar. Its numbers are among the first words learners want, and among the most often invented online. This guide gives the ten basic numerals as they appear consistently across this site's High Valyrian material, explains how to say them, and is explicit about what it does not cover.

The numbers 1 to 10

The respellings are approximate. Two details matter more than the stress marks:

• The letter j is pronounced like English y, so jēnqa begins with a y sound.
• Long vowels are real. A macron (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū, ȳ) is not decoration; it makes the vowel longer, and in High Valyrian vowel length can distinguish words. Our High Valyrian grammar guide gives the example of vala and valā.

The same ten forms appear in our grammar guide and in the High Valyrian dictionary, so you can cross-check them. Our internal canon reference fixes one as mēre and two as lanta.

Pronunciation, number by number

mēre (1). Start with the number learners most often get wrong online. The word is mēre, with a long ē. Hold the first vowel a beat longer than the second.

lanta (2). No long vowels. Two short, open a sounds: LAHN-tah.

hāre (3). The h is a real breathy h. The ā is long.

izula (4). Three short syllables. The z is a voiced buzz, as in English zoo.

tōma (5). Long ō, like a held "oh", then a short a.

bȳre (6). The hardest sound in the list. ȳ is a front rounded vowel: say "ee" while rounding your lips as for "oo". German ü or French u are close. Hold it long.

sīkuda (7). Long ī, then two short syllables.

jēnqa (8). Initial y sound, long ē. The q is a back k sound made further back in the throat than English k; many learners approximate it as k, and the following a stays short.

vōre (9). Long ō. Compare tōma: same long vowel, different consonants.

ampa (10). Two short syllables. Note that ampa is also the name of a Tengwar letter, a coincidence that confuses searches for "ampa elvish". The two have nothing to do with each other.

For the full sound system, including the trilled r and where stress falls, see the High Valyrian pronunciation guide.

Why the long vowels stand out

Look down the table and you will see long vowels in more than half the numbers: mēre, hāre, tōma, bȳre, sīkuda, jēnqa, vōre. That density is part of what gives High Valyrian its slow, formal sound on screen, in contrast to the clipped consonants of Dothraki. If you say the numbers with every vowel short, you will be understood by other learners, but you will not sound like the actors Peterson coached.

A good drill is to count from one to ten slowly, exaggerating every macron, then count again at normal speed while keeping the length difference.

What this page leaves out, and why

You will find High Valyrian lists online with numbers up to a hundred or a thousand, ordinals ("first", "second"), and full rules for building compound numbers. We do not reproduce them here.

The reason is the same one that led us to rewrite our Dothraki numbers page: invented numerals are easy to make, look plausible, and are copied from site to site until no one remembers they were invented. Our editorial rule is to publish only forms we can verify against our canon reference or Peterson's published material, and to leave a gap rather than fill it with a guess.

That means this page does not give:

• numbers above ten
• ordinal forms
• how numbers agree with nouns in gender and case
• words for arithmetic (plus, minus, times)

High Valyrian is a fully developed language, and Peterson has worked these areas out in his own materials. If you need them, go to his published sources directly, such as the Duolingo High Valyrian course he co-created and his own writing on the language, and check each form there rather than relying on a copied list.

How High Valyrian counting compares

If you are learning more than one constructed language, it helps to see the numbers side by side with the other languages on this site:

• Dothraki, also by Peterson, has short, consonant-heavy numerals (at, akat, sen). See Counting in Dothraki.
• Klingon builds larger numbers from number-forming suffixes. See Klingon Numbers.
• Quenya and Sindarin have numerals attested in Tolkien's linguistic papers. See Elvish Numbers.

Comparing them makes the High Valyrian set easier to remember: it is the one full of long vowels.

Memory tricks

• Pairs that share a vowel: tōma (5) and vōre (9) both carry a long ō; mēre (1) and jēnqa (8) both carry a long ē.
• Endings: mēre, hāre, bȳre, vōre all end in -re. Four of the ten numbers share that ending, so learn them as a group and focus on the first syllable.
• The outliers: izula and sīkuda are the only three-syllable numbers. Lanta and ampa are the only ones with no long vowel at all.

Using numbers in practice

The ten numerals are enough to count objects, give a quantity in a short phrase, or label things in a fan project. Because we are not giving agreement rules, the safest use is counting on its own: reciting one to ten, numbering items in a list, or practising pronunciation.

To build the rest of your vocabulary, the 50 essential High Valyrian words list covers dragons, family, fire and greetings. If you would like structured lessons in a constructed language with an AI tutor, Tengwar teaches Elvish, Klingon and Dothraki; start with Dothraki lessons, Peterson's other famous language.

People Also Ask

What are the numbers 1 to 10 in High Valyrian? 1 mēre, 2 lanta, 3 hāre, 4 izula, 5 tōma, 6 bȳre, 7 sīkuda, 8 jēnqa, 9 vōre, 10 ampa.

How do you say one in High Valyrian? One is mēre, with a long ē. Two is lanta.

How do you pronounce the High Valyrian numbers? Pure vowels as in Spanish or Italian, with macrons marking long vowels. The ȳ in bȳre is close to German ü, and j sounds like English y.

Does this page list High Valyrian numbers above 10? No. It lists only numerals we can verify; higher numbers and compounds are left out rather than guessed.

Related Reading

• The High Valyrian Language: A Complete Guide
• High Valyrian Grammar Guide for Beginners (2026)
• High Valyrian Dictionary — Common Words & Phrases by Category
• 50 Essential High Valyrian Words — Vocabulary Guide
• High Valyrian Pronunciation Guide — Sound Like a Targaryen
• Counting in Dothraki: Numbers and Basic Math
• Klingon Numbers: How to Count in tlhIngan Hol