Writing Numbers |
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Although usage varies, most people spell out numbers that can be expressed in one or two words and use figures for other numbers: Words over two pounds six million dollars after thirty-one years eighty-three people Figures after 126 days only $31.50 6,381 bushels 4.78 liters Here are some examples of specific situations. Days and Years December 12, 1965 or 12 December 1965 A.D. 1066 in 1900 in 1971-72 or in 1971-1972 the eighties, the twentieth century the 1980's or the 1980s Time of Day 8:00 AM (or) a.m. (or) eight o'clock in the morning 4:30 PM (or) p.m. (or) half-past four in the afternoon Addresses 16 Tenth Street 350 West 114 Street Identification Numbers Room 8 Channel 18 Interstate 65 Henry VIII Page and Division of Books and Plays page 30 chapter 6 in act 3, scene 2 (or) in Act III, Scene ii Decimals and Percentages a 2.7 average 13 1/4 percent .037 metric ton Large Round Numbers four billion dollars (or) $4 billion 16,500,000 (or) 16.5 million Notes on Usage Repeat numbers in legal or commercial writing. The bill will not exceed one hundred (100) dollars. Numbers in series and statistics should be consistent. two apples, six oranges, and three bananas NOT: two apples, 6 oranges, and 3 bananas 115 feet by 90 feet (or) 115' x 90' scores of 25-6 (or) scores of 25 to 6 The vote was 9 in favor and 5 opposed Write out numbers beginning sentences. Six percent of the group failed. NOT: 6% of the group failed. Use a combination of figures and words for numbers when such a combination will keep your writing clear. Unclear: The club celebrated the birthdays of 6 90-year-olds who were born in the city. (may cause the reader to read '690' as one number.) Clearer: The club celebrated the birthdays of six 90-year-olds who were born in the city. Legal Information Copyright ©1995-2008 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.The Writing Lab & OWL at Purdue University care about accessiblity and content quality. Contact Dana Driscoll to share your comments and concerns. The OWL at Purdue now conforms to W3C.org-validated XHTML 1.0 Strict and CSS 2.0 standards. Additionally, the site passes the Cynthia Says test for ADA Section 508 compliance. We also recommend updating your Web browser to the very latest version available (the OWL at Purdue recommends the free, open-source Mozilla Firefox). Please report any technical problems you encounter. You are on the Writing Numbers page. BACK HOME Updated June 18, 2020 |