WRITING NUMBERS IN ENGLISH

WRITING NUMBERS IN ENGLISH

NUMBERS
Hundred
In English, the hundreds are perfectly regular, ecept that the !"rd hundred re#ains in its
singular f"r# regardless "f the nu#$er preceding it %ne&ertheless, "ne #ay "n the "ther hand
say 'hundreds "f pe"ple fle! in', "r the li(e)
*++ , "ne hundred
-++ , t!" hundred
.
.
/++ , nine hundred
Th"usand
S" t"" are the th"usands, !ith the nu#$er "f th"usands f"ll"!ed $y the !"rd 'th"usand'
*,+++ , "ne th"usand
-,+++ , t!" th"usand
.
.
*+,+++ , nine th"usand
///,+++ , nine hundred and ninety0nine th"usand %BrE) nine hundred ninety0nine
th"usand %1#E)
N"te that in 1#erican English, #any students are taught n"t t" use the !"rd and any!here in
the !h"le part "f a nu#$er, s" it is n"t used $ef"re the tens and "nes2 It is instead used as a
&er$al deli#iter !hen dealing !ith c"#p"und nu#$ers2 Thus, instead "f 'three hundred and
se&enty0three', "ne !"uld say 'three hundred se&enty0three'2
Nu#$ers a$"&e a #illi"n
*,+++,+++ , "ne #illi"n
*,+++,+++,+++ , "ne $illi"n *,+++,+++,+++,+++ , "ne trilli"n f"ur $illi"n d"llars , 34 $illi"n
*5,6++,+++ , *526 #illi"n
/*-,767,-6+ ,
nine hundred and t!el&e #illi"n, se&en
hundred and fifty se&en th"usand, t!"
hundred and fifty 8U1NTIT9
WRITTEN :R;N;UN<E=
*,-++,+++ >,+++,+++
-6+,+++,+++ 5,4++,+++,+++ ->,>?+,+++,+++
*2- #illi"n
> #illi"n
-6+ #illi"n
524 $illi"n
->2>? $illi"n
"ne p"int t!" #illi"n
three #illi"n
t!" hundred fifty
#illi"n
si p"int f"ur $illi"n
t!enty0three p"int
three eight $illi"n
Speciali@ed nu#$ers
1 fe! nu#$ers ha&e special na#es %in additi"n t" their regular na#es)A
+A has se&eral "ther na#es, depending "n c"ntetA
" zero: f"r#al scientific usage
" naught / nought: #"stly British usage
" oh: used !hen spelling nu#$ers %li(e teleph"ne, $an( acc"unt, $us line)
" nil: in general sp"rt sc"res, British usage %"The score is two-nil.")
" nothing: in general sp"rt sc"res, 1#erican usage %"The score is two to nothing.")
" null: used technically t" refer t" an "$Bect "r idea related t" n"thingness
" love: in tennis
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WRITING NUMBERS IN ENGLISH
-A
" couple
" pair
5A
" half a dozen
*-A
" a d"@en, used #"stly in c"##erce
*+++A
" a grand, c"ll"Euially used especially !hen referring t" #"ney, als" in fracti"ns and
#ultiples, e2g2 half a grand, t!" grand, etc2
FR1<TI;NS
In sp"(en English, "rdinal nu#$ers are als" used t" Euantify the den"#inat"r "f a fracti"n2
Thus GfifthG can #ean the ele#ent $et!een f"urth and sith, "r the fracti"n created $y di&iding
the unit int" fi&e pieces2 In this usage, the "rdinal nu#$ers can $e plurali@edA "ne se&enth, t!"
sevenths. The s"le ecepti"n t" this rule is di&isi"n $y t!"2 The "rdinal ter# Gsec"ndG can "nly
refer t" l"cati"n in a seriesH f"r fracti"ns English spea(ers use the ter# GhalfG %plural Ghal&esG)2
Here are s"#e c"##"n fracti"nsA
*I*5 , "ne0siteenth
*I*+ , "ne0tenth
*I? , "ne0eighth
J , a half
-I*+ , t!"0tenths
*I4 , "ne0Euarter "r "ne0f"urth
>I*+ , three0tenths
*I> , "ne0third
6I7 , fi&e0se&enths
>I? , three0eighths
K , a Euarter
4I*+ , f"ur0tenths
*I- , "ne half
5I*+ , si0tenths
-I6 , t!"0fifths
6I? , fi&e0eighths
-I> , t!"0thirds
>I4 , three0Euarters "r three0f"urths
7I? , se&en0eighths
*6I*5 , fifteen0 siteenths
Fracti"ns t"gether !ith an integer are read as f"ll"!sA
" * *I- is '"ne and a half'
" 5 *I4 is 'si and a Euarter'
" 7 6I? is 'se&en and fi&e eighths'
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WRITING NUMBERS IN ENGLISH
1 space is reEuired $et!een the !h"le nu#$er and the fracti"nH h"!e&er, if a special fracti"n
character is used li(e 'J', then the space can $e d"ne !ith"ut, e2g2 / *I- "r /J
=E<IM1LS
Nu#$ers !ith a deci#al p"int #ay $e read the f"ll"!ing !ayA
" +2++- is 't!" th"usandths' %#ainly U2S2)H "r 'p"int @er" @er" t!"', 'p"int "h "h t!"',
'n"ught p"int @er" @er" t!"', etc2
" >2*4*5 is 'three p"int "ne f"ur "ne si'
" //2> is 'ninety0nine and three tenths' %#ainly U2S2)H "r 'ninety0nine p"int three'2
" *2-6 is "ne p"int t!" fi&e
" +2764 is @er" p"int se&en fi&e f"ur %1#E)
n"ught p"int se&en fi&e f"ur %BrE)
p"int se&en fi&e f"ur %BrE L 1#E)
:ercentages
* 56 M sity fi&e percentI per cent
<urrencies
* N >,+++,+++ three #illi"n p"unds
- O *5,+++ siteen th"usand Eur"s
=19S 1N= 9E1RS
9E1RS
There are a nu#$er "f !ays t" read years2 The f"ll"!ing r"! "ffers a list "f &alid pr"nunciati"ns and
alternate pr"nunciati"ns f"r any gi&en year "f the Greg"rian calendar2
* B< **B<, ;ne B< , * Bef"re <hrist
%The * %The year) , ;ne , 1nn" ="#ini %1=)
, ->6,T!" thirty0fi&e , T!"0three0fi&e , T!" hundred %and) thirty0fi&e
*++4 , *++4,;ne th"usand %and) f"ur , Ten0"h0f"ur
*--6 , *--6,T!el&e t!enty0fi&e , ;ne0t!"0t!"0fi&e , ;ne th"usand, t!" hundred %and) t!enty0fi&e , T!el&e0
t!"0fi&e
*/// , *///,Nineteen ninety0nine , Nineteen hundred %and) ninety0nine , ;ne th"usand, nine ninety0nine , ;ne
th"usand, nine hundred %and) ninety0nine
-+++ , -+++,T!" th"usand , T!enty hundred , G+*
-++/ , -++/,T!" th"usand %and) nine , T!enty "h0nine , T!enty hundred %and) nine , G+/
-+*+ , -+*+,T!" th"usand %and) ten T!enty0ten , T!enty hundred %and) ten
*/+iin */++
*/7iin */7*07- "r in */7*0*/7-
the eigiin eighties, the */?+Gs, the */?+s
the t!tthe t!entieth century
=1TES
In British, Eur"pean and Internati"nal %c"&ering #"st "f the !"rld) English, the day usually
c"#es $ef"re the #"nth and the "rdinal suffi is al!ays &"calised and "ften appendedA 'the
*st "f ;ct"$er */?4'2 H"!e&er, "ther usages are n"t ecepti"nal2 In !riting, the and
especially of, !hile &"calised, are generally left "ut fr"# the !ritten date, particularly !hen
the date stands al"ne2 The full f"r# !as c"##"n in "lder English, as can $e seen in "ld
English literature2
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WRITING NUMBERS IN ENGLISH
* The -6th "f Panuary -++6 %"ld English etended f"r# rarely used n"! in !ritten f"r#,
$ut still fully used f"r all three f"r#s in sp"(en English)
- -6th Panuary -++6 %"#itting 'the' and '"f')
> -6 Panuary -++6 %"#itting the "rdinal suffi)
4
In N"rth 1#erican English, the day usually c"#es after the #"nth and the "rdinal suffi is
rarely !ritten, $ut "pti"nally &"cali@edA 'Septe#$er 4, *//+' %read 'Septe#$er f"ur%th),
nineteen ninety')2 The British f"r# is still used f"r certain dates such as the F"urth "f Puly2
<"#pareA
* T"day is %the) *4th %"f) March -++42 %British and internati"nal f"r#, read 'T"day is
the f"urteenth of March, t!" th"usand and f"ur')2
- We signed the d"cu#ents "n Pune *+, */5/2 %N"rth 1#erican f"r#, read '222"n Pune
ten%th), nineteen sity0nine')
The c"##a $ef"re the year is "pti"nal2 It is usually used in 1#erican English %Septe#$er 4,
-++4) $ut n"! seld"# used in British and Internati"nal English %4 Septe#$er -++4)2 In
a$$re&iati"ns "f #"nth na#es, such as '1ug' f"r 1ugust, the peri"d "r full st"p is "ften left
"ut2
=ate f"r#at
This seEuence is c"##"n t" the &ast #aB"rity "f the !"rldGs c"untries
* *5I**I-++>, *50**0-++>, *50**0+> "r *52**2-++>
- QTheR *5th Q"fR N"&e#$er -++> %The G"fG and GtheG are included in speech, h"!e&er n"t
in !riting2)
> Sunday *5 N"&e#$er -++>
4 *5 N"&e#$er -++>
6 *5 N"& -++>
The f"ll"!ing seEuence is used in the United States2
* Sunday, N"&e#$er *5, -++>
- N"&e#$er *5, -++>
> N"&2 *5, -++>
**I*5I-++>, **0*50-++>, **2*52-++> "r **2*52+>
LE<TURERA B2 :L1NCID
WRITING NUMBERS IN ENGLISH
TIME ;F =19
?A++ 12M2 %"r) a2#2 %"r) eight "Gcl"c( in the #"rning 4A>+ :2M2 %"r) p2#2 %"r) half0past f"ur in the
aftern""n
N;TES ;N US1GE
* Repeat nu#$ers in legal "r c"##ercial !riting
The bill will not exceed one hundred (100 dollars
* Nu#$ers in series and statistics sh"uld $e c"nsistent2
two apples! six oranges! and three bananas
N;TA t!" apples, 5 "ranges, and > $ananas
11" feet b# $0 feet (or 11"% x $0%
The vote was $ in favor and " opposed
* Write "ut nu#$ers $eginning sentences2
&ix percent of the group failed2
N;TA 5M "f the gr"up failed2
* Use a c"#$inati"n "f figures and !"rds f"r nu#$ers !hen such a c"#$inati"n !ill (eep y"ur
!riting clear2
UnclearA The clu$ cele$rated the $irthdays "f 5 /+0year0"lds !h" !ere $"rn in the city2 ('a# cause the
reader to read %($0% as one nu'ber.
<learerA The clu$ cele$rated the $irthdays "f si /+0year0"lds !h" !ere $"rn in the city
Main BE and 1E differences
S>-+
* 1EA three hundred t!enty
- BEA three hundred and t!enty
> S;
4 1EA @er"
6 BEA n"ughtI "h
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