# Help with writing numbers as words **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 5, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298 "2010-08-05T17:33:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/1 "2010-08-05T17:33:11Z")
I did try to google this with not much success. Take the number 3,486,421 it would be written as ‘three million four hundred and eighty six thousand four hundred and twenty one’ right? Would the number 7,145,071 be written ‘seven million one hundred and forty five thousand seventy one’ (it’s the 0 in the hundred place that has me confused). Finally, how would you write out 365,865,012,159,983? and 365,865,312,159,983? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/2 "2010-08-05T17:46:48Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > I did try to google this with not much success. Take the number > 3,486,421 > it would be written as ‘three million four hundred and eighty six thousand four hundred and twenty one’ right? Would the number > 7,145,071 > be written ‘seven million one hundred and forty five thousand seventy one’ (it’s the 0 in the hundred place that has me confused). seven million one hundred and forty-five thousand **and** seventy one > [@](#): > > Finally, how would you write out > 365,865,012,159,983? three hundred and sixty-five trillion eight hundred and sixty-five billion twelve million one hundred and fifty-nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-three > [@](#): > > and > 365,865,312,159,983? > Thanks three hundred and sixty-five trillion eight hundred and sixty-five billion three hundred and twelve million one hundred and fifty-nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-three ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/3 "2010-08-05T17:49:01Z")
Is the question about the rules regarding “and”? They aren’t particularly standardized. Go with whatever sounds natural to you. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/4 "2010-08-05T17:54:46Z")
> [@These are my own pants](#): > > > [@PlainJain](#): > > > > I did try to google this with not much success. Take the number > > 3,486,421 > > it would be written as ‘three million four hundred and eighty six thousand four hundred and twenty one’ right? Would the number > > 7,145,071 > > be written ‘seven million one hundred and forty five thousand seventy one’ (it’s the 0 in the hundred place that has me confused). > > seven million one hundred and forty-five thousand **and** seventy one > > three hundred and sixty-five trillion eight hundred and sixty-five billion twelve million one hundred and fifty-nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-three > > > [@](#): > > > > and > > 365,865,312,159,983? > > Thanks > > three hundred and sixty-five trillion eight hundred and sixty-five billion three hundred and twelve million one hundred and fifty-nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-three Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/5 "2010-08-05T17:59:53Z")
> [@These are my own pants](#): > > **and** seventy one The “and” depends entirely on style. Most American styles would omit the “and.” Also, “seventy-one” must be hyphenated. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/6 "2010-08-05T18:01:41Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Thank you. Though **Indistinguishable** makes a good point, my posts are in British English where you should always use an ‘and’ if it is appropiate. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/7 "2010-08-05T18:02:44Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > > [@These are my own pants](#): > > > > **and** seventy one > > The “and” depends entirely on style. Most American styles would omit the “and.” Also, “seventy-one” must be hyphenated. see above, the unhyphenated seventy-one is just a typo. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/8 "2010-08-05T18:05:08Z")
and should only be used with decimals. ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/9 "2010-08-05T18:10:24Z")
> [@ChrisBooth12](#): > > and should only be used with decimals. I’ve never heard anyone try and use hundred, thousand, etc with octal or hex. Someone once said: “There are ten types of people, those who understand binary and those who don’t”. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/10 "2010-08-05T18:16:31Z")
> [@qpw3141](#): > > Someone once said: “There are ten types of people, those who understand binary and those who don’t”. Actually, he said “There are 10 types of people.” (In binary, 10 is pronounced as “two” or “one-zero”.) Someone else once said, “There are seventeen types of people–one that understands hex and F everyone else.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/11 "2010-08-05T18:23:09Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Someone else once said, “There are seventeen types of people–one that understands hex and F everyone else.” 😉 Wow. This is the only joke along these lines I’ve ever found actually humorous. ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/12 "2010-08-05T18:30:07Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > > [@qpw3141](#): > > > > Someone once said: “There are ten types of people, those who understand binary and those who don’t”. > > Actually, he said “There are 10 types of people.” (In binary, 10 is pronounced as “two” or “one-zero”.) Actually, he didn’t - that only works when the joke is written down. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/13 "2010-08-05T18:41:52Z")
I gather that, to most people, ten means “1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1” and not “The number signified, in whatever base one is implicitly using, by ‘10’ (i.e., the base itself)”. Then again, most people rarely talk about numerical notation in alternative bases anyway. ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/14 "2010-08-05T18:53:22Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > I gather that, to most people, ten means “1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1” Er, yes, that was the whole point of the joke. **Clue:** The joke could only be understood by people who themselves understand binary. To anyone who didn’t understand binary it would, of course, be completely impenetrable. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/15 "2010-08-05T19:36:08Z")
> [@ChrisBooth12](#): > > and should only be used with decimals. For decimals, you would not use “and,” you’d use “point.” Thus, 7.05 gets read as “seven point zero five.” The “and” would only be appropriate with fractions. Thus, 1-1/4 gets read as “one and one quarter.” I suppose you could read a decimal as a fraction, in which case you’d resort to “and.” Thus, 7.05 could alternately be read as “seven and five one-hundredths.” 3,486,421 gets read as “three million four hundred eighty six thousand four hundred twenty one.” In the absence of any fractions, placing “and” in there doesn’t add clarity. ---
**Author:** ![J\_Cubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@J\_Cubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J_Cubed)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/16 "2010-08-05T19:57:41Z")
> [@qpw3141](#): > > To anyone who didn’t understand binary it would, of course, be completely impenetrable. Unlike your mom! Oh, sorry, I thought this was a jokes-only thread. > [@Joe Frickin Friday](#): > > For decimals, you would not use “and,” you’d use “point.” Thus, 7.05 gets read as “seven point zero five.” We recently had a thread about this, and I don’t think anyone else subscribes to this theory. I, personally, try not to use “and” until the decimal point (or fraction), so I would agree with your written-out version, since it is a whole number. But anyway, I think the “and” issue is not what the OP was concerned about. I can kind of understand how you might not be sure what to do if a digit is zero. But if you think about it, we deal with it all the time: 333 = three hundred thirty-three 330 = three hundred thirty 300 = three hundred 303 = three hundred three 3,003 = three thousand three 3,030,300,003 = three billion thirty million three hundred thousand three 3,000,000,000,003 = three trillion three (at this point, you might want to think about significant digits) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/17 "2010-08-05T20:05:52Z")
I clearly remember from second-grade math that our teacher pleaded with us to never never add “and” when writing out or saying a number. She must have really gone on about it because that was 25 years ago. Just like you wouldn’t say that “102” is “one hundred and two” you would not say that “10,102” is “ten thousand one hundred and two”. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/18 "2010-08-05T20:17:08Z")
MLA guidelines only require written numbers in certain cases. They recommend using numerals unless it can be expressed in two words or less. > [@](#): > > Use Words for the Following: > > 1. Numbers beginning sentences > > 2. Centuries and decades (in lower case) (With decades, numerals can be used, but whichever form you choose, be consistent.) > > 3. In subjects where numbers are infrequent > > a. Numbers that can be written in one or two words, e.g., one, thirty-six, three million, one hundred, and fifteen hundred rules summarized here [http://writing-style-guide.papercheck.com/~paperch1/index.php?title=Expressing\_Numbers\_MLA](http://writing-style-guide.papercheck.com/~paperch1/index.php?title=Expressing_Numbers_MLA) ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/19 "2010-08-05T20:18:44Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Just like you wouldn’t say that “102” is “one hundred and two” you would not say that “10,102” is “ten thousand one hundred and two”. I _would_ say that “102” is “one hundred and two”. But who cares? Say whatever you want. We don’t have to be in lockstep. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298/20 "2010-08-05T20:28:13Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > MLA guidelines only require written numbers in certain cases. They recommend using numerals unless it can be expressed in two words or less. > > > [@](#): > > > > Use Words for the Following: > > > > 1. Numbers beginning sentences > > > > 2. Centuries and decades (in lower case) (With decades, numerals can be used, but whichever form you choose, be consistent.) > > > > 3. In subjects where numbers are infrequent > > > > a. Numbers that can be written in one or two words, e.g., one, thirty-six, three million, one hundred, and fifteen hundred > > rules summarized here > [http://writing-style-guide.papercheck.com/~paperch1/index.php?title=Expressing\_Numbers\_MLA](http://writing-style-guide.papercheck.com/~paperch1/index.php?title=Expressing_Numbers_MLA) Thanks for that information. In this case however I need to write the numbers out in words, it’s part of a challenge in a puzzle I’m constructing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-writing-numbers-as-words/549298.md?page=2)