Writing Numbers in American English

Numbers
  1. The rules of usage vary, but you should spell out numbers that can be expressed in one or two words. Use figures for the other cases.
    Examples
    1. exactly three pounds
    2. two thousand dollars
    3. about twenty-six years
    4. just 268 days until Christmas
    5. cost $46.15
    6. 1,238 tons
  2. Repeat numbers on checks and legal documents
    1. exactly one hundred ($100.00) dollars
  3. Numbers in series should be consistent
    1. two oranges, six apples, and four bananas
    2. NOT: two oranges, 6 apples, and 4 bananas
  4. Do not begin a sentence with a number.
    1. Seven boys played football.
    2. NOT: 7 boys played football.
  5. Use combination of figures and words when it will make the writing clearer.
    1. The class had 6 three-year-old girls.
    2. NOT: The class had 6 3-year-old girls.
  6. Days and Years
    1. July 4, 1776
    2. B.C 314
    3. in 1950-52 or 1950-1952
    4. the sixties
  1. Time of Day
    1. at 9:00 A.M. or a.m.
    2. at nine in the morning
    3. 2:30 P.M. or p.m.
    4. half-past two in the afternoon
  2. Addresses
    1. 750 Royaldel Lane
    2. 123 East 180th Street
  3. Identification Numbers
    1. classroom 9
    2. State Highway 37
    3. building 28
  4. Books and Plays
    1. page 206
    2. chapter 22
    3. in act 2, scene 2
    4. in Act II, Scene ii
  5. Decimals and Percentages
    1. a 3.9 GPA
    2. 6.75 percent
    3. .259 tons
  6. Large Round Numbers
    1. two trillion dollars
    2. 13,500,000 or 13.5 million

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