Writing Numbers as Words

Is it necessary to put a numeral in parentheses after you have already written the number in words?

Example: We will need two (2) chairs.

Conversely, is it necessary to write the number in words after you have already used the numeral?

Example: We will need 200 (two hundred) chairs.

If your document is dense, has a lot of numbers, or contains large numbers, the numerical form helps your readers scan information quickly. Conversely, while we may make a typo with only a numeral, we are almost guaranteed accuracy by writing the number in word format. So using a combination of numerals and written number format can be useful without being redundant.

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A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.

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5 Responses to “Writing Numbers as Words”

  1. brain exercises Says:

    Thanks for this — the rules of usage around numbers in parentheses has always flummoxed me.

    Martin

  2. Jane Says:

    You’re welcome, Martin.

  3. Ellen Says:

    When writing about Leonardo da Vinci and you want to start the sentence with da Vinci, do you capatalize the d in da? Also, if it’s in a presentation used in headings, what do you do?

  4. Jane Says:

    I believe that you should always capitalize at the beginning of a sentence, even when the person’s name, like da Vinci, does not begin with a capital letter.

  5. Jane Says:

    When a proper name containing a particle begins a sentence, you can capitalize the particle. You can also capitalize it when it’s part of a title, as in The Da Vinci Code.

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