NUMBERS
General: Spell out whole numbers zero through nine and the expressions a hundred, a thousand, a million, a billion; otherwise use figures: 10, 20, 35, 110, 6,000, 100,000, 340,000.
In digital headlines, use numerals for all numbers except in casual uses: "thousands" instead of "1,000s." A numeral may be used at the beginning of a headline.
The words million and billion are preferably spelled out: three million, 20 billion, 33 million, 1,500 billion. Note that the term billion differs in the U.S. and British systems.
Use figures for all numbers that contain decimals: a $2.5 billion deficit (preferable to 2½ billion).
Spell out a number beginning a sentence. If this creates an awkward sentence, rephrase so that the sentence does not begin with a number. Follow the general rules above for numbers throughout a sentence or paragraph; it's fine to use figures for some and spelled out for others:
Nineteen ninety-six was the year the thunder came.
the five girls and 12 boys
Of the 25 staff writers, fewer than nine may be in the office, while the other 16 or so are in the field.
During the past five years 12 new 10-story office buildings have gone up between old structures of three or four stories.
He stood 60 to 100 feet away.
The new policy will affect eight million to 10 million people. (Ranges can be expressed in figures with hyphens for space, for example: 8-10 million people.)
Do not divide a figure at the end of a line. Recast the sentence if necessary.
1.
Abbreviations: Use a figure when an abbreviation or a symbol is used for the unit of measurement:
2.
Ages of Persons, Animals, and Things: Spell out ages of persons, animals, and things from one through nine. Use figures for numbers 10 and larger and for fractions:
3.
4.
Caliber: Use figures: .50-caliber machine gun
Commas With Figures: In cardinal numbers use a comma in a figure of four digits or more. In a fraction, date, or temperature, use a comma in a figure that contains five digits or more:
5.
Compound Modifiers: Before a noun, an adjective that contains a number is hyphenated when the unit of measurement is expressed with the number:
6. Congress: Spell out through Ninth, then use figures:
14th Congress
First Congress
7. Constitutional Amendments: Spell out through Ninth.
8. Dates: See main entry Dates.
9. Decimals: Use figures for all numbers that contain decimals: 3.4 inches of rain, 22.25 inches of snow, a $12.5 billion deficit. If the amount is less than one, the unit of measurement is singular: .33 inch (not inches) a day. If the figure is a one-digit decimal, use a zero before the point: 0.3 inch a day.
10. Dimensions: Generally express numbers one through nine in words rather than figures, which is more informal. The word by is usually preferable but, again, the symbol x may be used in a more informal usage.
a three-by-five card or a three-by-five
a four-by-six print, a 4 x 6 print
a four-by-four or 4WD or FWD or 4x4 are all acceptable for a four-wheel-drive motor vehicle
11. Dynasties: Use Arabic numerals for Egyptian dynasties:
12. Emperors, Kings, and Popes: Use Roman numerals:
13. Figures of Speech: Generally spell out; capitalization varies:
14. Fractions: State fractions in text in the simplest possible way, usually in words or decimals. Generally spell out half, third, quarter:
a half or one-half; two and a half
two and a half pounds, two-and-a-half-pound book
two and a half years ago
two and a half million acres, 2.5-million-acre reserve
Spell out simple fractions under 10 unless used in pairs or in dimensions, or unless they are cumbersome:
even-eighths, 4¾, 1/7000 (do not use th) of a pound, or 3½ by 4½ feet, 11½
a hundredth or one-hundredth
39 millionths of an inch
two-billionths
Do not use commas in any part of a fraction with fewer than five digits.
15. Governments and Governing Bodies: Spell out First through Ninth:
16. Highways, Roads, and Streets: Designate highways and roads with Arabic numerals:
Use proper name if known:
Numbered streets through Ninth are spelled out:
17. Hyphens: A compound modifier containing a number is hyphenated before a noun when it contains the unit of measurement. A hyphen means up to and including when used in a range of numbers. In a compound, do not use a hyphen between a numeric figure and million or billion:
When measurements before a noun consist of different elements, hyphenate within the elements and separate them with a comma: 19-inch, three-pound fish.
18. Kings: See section 12 of this entry.
19. Latitude and Longitude (latitude is always given first):
latitude 72° 54' N, longitude 165° 53' W
72° 54' N, 165° 53' W
90th meridian of east longitude
81st parallel of north latitude
21° north (when spelled out); 21° N
20. Lens Aperture: f/16
21. Mathematical Expressions: Spell out one through nine but generally keep items consistent:
22. Military Units: Spell out and capitalize military units through Ninth:
23. Odd: Avoid expressions such as 25-odd. For odds see section 30 under this entry.
24. Olympics: Use Roman numerals: XXIV Olympiad, XXIV Olympic Games.
25. Ordinals: Spell out first through ninth; for ordinals greater than ninth use Arabic numerals with st, nd, rd, and th: 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 44th. Do not hyphenate ordinals with comparatives or superlatives: second largest producer, fourth most populous city, but first-grade potatoes, third-ranked city.
26. Percentages: Use figures, except for one percent. Do not hyphenate percentages:
27. Plurals: For plurals of figures add s:
Plurals of spelled-out numbers are formed regularly:
28. Political Divisions: Spell out ordinals First through Ninth:
29. Popes: See section 12 of this entry.
30. Proportions, Odds, and Ratios: Generally spell out one through nine and use figures thereafter: six parts steam, 11 parts sweat; six-to-four margin; one-in-20 chance; 50-50 chance. Write: two to one against; 42 to 36 in favor; not 2-1 against or 42-36 in favor. Generally spell out figures of speech such as fifty-fifty, unless the context makes numerals appropriate: Others thought he had a one-in-20 chance of winning, though he considered his odds were 50-50.
31. Roman Numerals: Use for rulers, popes, Egyptian dynasties, Olympiads, personal names, ships, and a few other special cases. For formation, see Number Table in Webster's. Use Roman numerals for corps: III Corps.
32. Scientific notations are written as follows:
4 x 1022
x squared (note italic x)
33. Some: Use only with a round number. Use a hyphen when this suffix is used attributively: 80-some years.
34. Streets: See section 16 of this entry.
35. Temperatures: Generally expressed in figures. Use comma only with five digits or more.
36. Time of Day: Use figures before a.m. and p.m. Spell out with o'clock:
37. Miscellaneous:
38. Money: Spell out one through nine and the expressions a hundred, a thousand, a million, a billion; otherwise use figures: nine dollars, $20, $35, a hundred dollars, $110, $6,000, $340,000.
If a number is spelled out, also spell out dollar; if a figure is used, then use the dollar symbol: nine dollars, a bill for three million dollars, $20 billion, a bill for $33 million, $13 million dam.
The words million and billion are preferably spelled out: $800 million, more than $30 billion, one million dollars.
Note that the term billion differs in the U.S. and British systems.
Use figures for all numbers that contain decimals: a $2.5 billion deficit.
Hyphenate compound modifiers that include spelled-out words: a two-dollar tie, but a $45 shirt.
Use an apostrophe in such expressions as 20 dollars' worth, a million dollars' worth.
Small sums: eight cents, 15 cents; not 15¢ or $0.15.
Dollars and cents: $2.98, $6.25, $625.40.
In general, spell out units of foreign currency and do not italicize them: two pounds 60 pence; 53 pesos, 74 euros. Give the nearest rounded U.S. equivalent at least once within parentheses: It cost a hundred kroner ($20), four francs (80 U.S. cents). When conversions are given within parentheses for sums of money employing the same unit of currency, generally follow these examples: In Canada the current quotation was $2.69 (U.S. $2.47) a box; the New Zealand dollar is worth around 55 U.S. cents; a $325 million (U.S.) resort development.
In British currency the pound (£) symbol may be used as one would use the dollar symbol. Note that the term billion differs in the U.S. and British systems.
39. Year: Use a comma when figure consists of five or more digits: