# writing numbers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 24, 2008, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663 "2008-04-24T11:59:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silence_of_the_clams)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/1 "2008-04-24T11:59:22Z")
I arrest myself in writing numbers both as words and numbers. As in " I observed x happening as a function of y during 8/eight days. When is it correct to write numbers as words or by the number? ---
**Author:** ![StinkyBurrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@StinkyBurrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StinkyBurrito)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/2 "2008-04-24T12:15:16Z")
I think I learned that when writing, you can use numbers for 10 and under and words for eleven and up. Although I don’t think there is any hard and fast rule about it. It depends on the context sometimes. And you can break the rule to add to the consisency of the piece being written. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/3 "2008-04-24T12:34:12Z")
I learned it the other way around, that for single digits use the word and for 10 and up use the numbers. I have eight apples and 12 peaches. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/4 "2008-04-24T12:52:29Z")
All I can add (since I remember it being that you use the word in all cases except when you’re designating some numerical quantity like dollars and cents, mileages, altitudes, or other things like that) is that you never begin a sentence with a number, regardless of its intent. Always spell the word for the initial number in a sentence. Also, when writing out the numbers on a check, it’s always no/100 instead of 0/100 or 00/100 for even dollar amounts. If I’m wrong, I’ll stay wrong, because that’s how I was taught and it’s ingrained to the point of being automatic. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/5 "2008-04-24T13:04:54Z")
Like the single- vs. double-spacing question the other day, this is just a style point without a right or wrong answer. But in college and professionally, I’ve always been taught to write out the word for nine or less, and use numerals if the number is 10 or greater unless it’s at the beginning of a sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/6 "2008-04-24T13:19:54Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] I remember it being that you use the word in all cases except when you’re designating some numerical quantity like dollars and cents, mileages, altitudes, or other things like that [/QUOTE] That’s how I learned it as well, but with the caveat that things like house numbers, phone numbers etc. are also always given in digits although they don’t designate a numerical quantity. ---
**Author:** ![Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silence_of_the_clams)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/7 "2008-04-24T13:20:48Z")
Alrighty then, I’ll stick to the last three opinions in this matter. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/8 "2008-04-24T13:31:56Z")
FWIW most comercial contracts I have read have the words are followed by the number in parenthesis regardless of value. eg A five percent (5%) discount will apply. A perfomance bond of three million dollars ($US 3,000,000) will be posted. In Tables and price sheet apeendicies numbers are used, except where the number appears amongst text, when the above applies. Often when writing technical documents and proceedures I will follow the above style. It helps people who are familiar with the proceedure but need the specific numbers to find them quickly when they are scanning through. In addition it provides a redundent check so they know the number is what was intended and is not a typo. Tables jsut get the number. In less formal documents such as email and short memos I go for just the numbers. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/9 "2008-04-24T14:11:26Z")
I heard that if the number is one word (twelve, twenty) use the word. If it is multiple words (twenty-nine, five-thousand two-hundred and six) use numerals. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/10 "2008-04-24T14:23:58Z")
So “Jane is twenty, but Josh is 21”? That can’t be right. Ithink you have to add the caveat that all numbers within in sentence, that are used to measure the same thing, should have the same format. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/11 "2008-04-24T16:08:52Z")
In the \*Oxford Guide to Style \* there are two whole pages on this ( ! ) but for the OUP the general rule is that for non-technical writing words are used for numbers below 100 and for technical writing for numbers below ten. In answer to **Usram’s** point, this qualified by the rule that if there is one or more number above 100 (or ten) in the sentance all the numbers are given as arabic numeral for consistency (eg \*90 to 100 \* not _ninety to 100_). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/12 "2008-04-24T16:22:54Z")
Context, context, context. Generally, it’s ok to use the word for single-syllable numbers (plus “seven”). But there as many exceptions as rules, and poetic license is always acceptable. Somehow “24 blackbirds” just doesn’t work as well as “four-and-twenty,” and “The 12 Days of Christmas” seems a bit clinical. And \*“I just paid three fucking dollars and seventy-six and nine tenths cents for a fucking gallon of gas!” \*sure beats “I paid $3.76.” ---
**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:** [April 24, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/13 "2008-04-24T16:25:55Z")
Never start a sentence with digits, either. “22 people arrived at once” is not right but “Twenty-two people arrived at once, then 15 more” is. At least, according to AP Style. Sounds like it’s a good rule to stick by. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/14 "2008-04-24T16:49:14Z")
[QUOTE=DrCube] If it is multiple words (twenty-nine, five-thousand two-hundred and six) use numerals. [/QUOTE] And I’d understood that you join numbers with a hyphen only when they are less than one hundred: five thousand two hundred twenty-six. (But I often mis-remember this sort of rule). ---
**Author:** ![StinkyBurrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@StinkyBurrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StinkyBurrito)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/writing-numbers/446663/15 "2008-04-24T17:37:48Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] I learned it the other way around, that for single digits use the word and for 10 and up use the numbers. I have eight apples and 12 peaches. [/QUOTE] Damn, that’s obviously what I meant. 😛