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Writing Numbers as Words

Many readers have asked me why people write numbers this way:

Example: We will need 220 (two hundred twenty) chairs.

Isn’t it unnecessary to have both numerals and words for the same number?

Rule of Thumb: There are two reasons for using both: 1. You are more likely to make an error when typing a numeral than when typing a word AND much less likely to spot the error when proofreading. 2. If your document is dense, has a lot of numbers, or contains large numbers, the numerical form helps your readers scan information quickly.

So by typing a combination of a numeral and a word, you are almost guaranteed accuracy and ease of reading.

Rule: Some authorities say that the numbers one through nine or ten should be spelled out and figures used for higher numbers. Other authorities spell out one through one hundred, plus even hundreds, thousands, and so on. The best strategy is to be consistent.

Correct Examples: I want five copies, not ten copies. I want 5 copies, not 10 copies.

Rule: Be consistent within a category. For example, if you choose numerals because one of the numbers you must deal with is greater than ten, you should use numerals for everything in that category. If you use numbers in different categories, use figures for one category and words for the other.

Correct Example: Given the budget constraints, if all 30 history students attend the four plays, then the 7 math students will be able to attend only two plays.
(Students are represented with figures; plays are represented with words.)

Incorrect Example: I asked for five pencils, not 50.

Posted on Thursday, April 15th, 2010 at 2:13 pm

10 Comments

10 Responses to “Writing Numbers as Words”

  1. angelique says:
    February 17, 2011 at 1:14 pm

    I have 2 questions.

    #1 What is the proper way to write the sentance below?

    Jane Doe worked for me as a HR Coordinator for approximately 1.5 years.

    or

    Jane Doe worked for me as a HR Coordinator for approximately one and half years.

    #2 Should I put a or an in front of HR?

    Reply
  2. Jeremy says:
    April 28, 2011 at 8:53 pm

    I’ve always heard that you should not use the word “and” when writing out a number. For example, 150 should be written “one hundred fifty” and not “one hundred and fifty”.

    Hardly anyone seems to know this. I recently received a wedding invitation with 2011 written out as “two thousand and eleven”.

    I’d like to know once and for all if I am correct. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jane says:
      April 29, 2011 at 1:56 pm

      Yes, you are correct. The word “and” should not be included (one hundred fifty). The year 2011 may be written out “two thousand eleven” or “twenty eleven” if written out at all. Both The Chicago Manual of Style and The Associated Press Stylebook recommend that years be expressed in numerals unless they stand at the beginning of a sentence. However, I understand that some people like to write the year out in a formal invitation.

      Reply
  3. Rajendra Vasant Gujare says:
    August 18, 2011 at 11:54 pm

    My boss always insist me to write Rs. 12.0 Crore instead of
    Rs. 12.0 Crores
    Please tell me which is grammatically correct.

    Reply
  4. dusan says:
    August 26, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    hello, Jane, if it is possible to write small numbers in words, is it also possible to write number of pages in words? (on page 8 vs. on page eight)

    Reply
    • Jane says:
      August 27, 2011 at 3:35 pm

      It is possible, but not recommended. The Chicago Manual of Style’s rule says, “Numbers referring to pages, chapters, parts, volumes, and other divisions of a book, as well as numbers referring to illustrations or tables, are set as numerals.”

      Reply
  5. mark says:
    September 1, 2011 at 11:21 am

    hello, I’d like to ask if it is possible to write number of pages in words when they are small numbers (on page 8 vs. on page eight). thank you

    Reply
    • Jane says:
      September 2, 2011 at 4:30 pm

      It is possible, but not recommended. The Chicago Manual of Style’s rule says, “Numbers referring to pages, chapters, parts, volumes, and other divisions of a book, as well as numbers referring to illustrations or tables, are set as numerals.”

      Reply

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