When Should Numbers Be Written As Words?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In general, words should be used for

numbers from zero through nine

, and should be used from 10 onwards. This is true for both cardinal numbers (e.g., two, 11) and ordinal numbers (e.g., second, 11

th

). However, there are some important exceptions to this rule.

What is the rule for writing numbers?

It is generally best to write out numbers from

zero to one hundred

in nontechnical writing. In scientific and technical writing, the prevailing style is to write out numbers under ten. While there are exceptions to these rules, your predominant concern should be expressing numbers consistently.

Do you write numbers under 10?

Overview of number formatting

Numbers and ordered events less than

10 in full should be written as words

, not numerals (see examples), although there are some exceptions. Numbers with two or more digits should be written as numerals unless they are at the start of a sentence (see examples).

Should numbers be written as words apa?

In general, APA style recommends using words to

express numbers below 10

, and using numerals when expressing numbers 10 and above.

How do you write numbers in a sentence?

  1. Spell out numbers that begin a sentence: …
  2. Spell out numbers used in a casual sense: …
  3. Use numerals for numbers 10 and greater and spell out numbers one through nine, with these exceptions: …
  4. A note on statistics on the web: Please don't use statistics outside of stats blocks.

Do you write numbers in words or numbers?

Basic numbers


Numbers up to nine should always be written in words

, anything higher than nine can be written in numerals. Alternatively, some guides suggest that if you can write the number in two words or fewer then use words rather than numerals.

How do you write money amounts?

You can write the amount in words by

writing the number of whole dollars first, followed by the word ‘dollars'

. Instead of the decimal point, you will write the word ‘and,' followed by the number of cents, and the word ‘cents'.

How do you write numbers in words?

To write a number in words,

write the number in each period followed by the name of the period without the ‘s' at the end

. Start with the digit at the left, which has the largest place value. The commas separate the periods, so wherever there is a comma in the number, write a comma between the words.

How do you write a number less than 10?

(Grammar Rules for Writers.) There are several rules of thought on how to handle writing numbers, but the most common is pretty simple. Spell out numbers under 10 (zero through nine), and

use the numeric symbols for numbers 10 and up

.

Is 11 or 11 written?

Recommendations to spell or not to spell a number differ from style book to style book. Many, for example, advise spelling numbers 1-10 and using numerals for

eleven

and up.

What is APA Format example?

APA in-text citation style

uses the author's last name and the year of publication

, for example: (Field, 2005). For direct quotations, include the page number as well, for example: (Field, 2005, p. 14).

Do numbers or letters come first in APA?

Do numbers or letters come first in APA references? In an APA reference page, numbers are alphabetized by how they are spelled out; therefore,

a number or letter could come first on the references page

.

Can you start a paragraph with a number APA?

Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association. According to the Publication Manual,

use words to express any number that begins a sentence

, title, or text heading. Whenever possible, reword the sentence to avoid beginning with a number (126).

How do you write long numbers?

Begin all the way to the left and read, “Two hundred thirty



four quintillion, eight hundred forty-five quadrillion, twenty-one trillion, three hundred forty-nine billion, two hundred thirty million, four hundred sixty-seven thousand, three hundred four.” When you read and write whole numbers, don't say the word and.

How do you write million in numbers?

Writing Millions:

Writing millions in numbers can be done using the fact that one million is written as 1 followed by six zeros, or

1000000

. Often, we use a comma to separate every three digits in one million, so it is written as 1,000,000.

Charlene Dyck
Author
Charlene Dyck
Charlene is a software developer and technology expert with a degree in computer science. She has worked for major tech companies and has a keen understanding of how computers and electronics work. Sarah is also an advocate for digital privacy and security.