English
How do you write a number in words?
To turn a number into words, split it into groups of three digits from the right, read each group as hundreds, tens and ones, and add the group name (thousand, million, billion). So 2,500,750 is two million, five hundred thousand, seven hundred fifty. This number to words converter does the splitting for you and keeps every digit exact, even for 30-digit numbers.
= two million five hundred thousand seven hundred fifty
Numbers from 21 to 99 take a hyphen between tens and ones: twenty-one, sixty-eight, ninety-nine. Numbers below 21 are single words, and 0 is just zero.
Should you use "and" in numbers?
It depends on where your reader is. British English puts "and" after the hundreds when something follows: 101 is one hundred and one, and 1,005 is one thousand and five. American English normally drops it, so 101 is one hundred one. Neither is wrong. Tick the "and" box to switch, or pick US or UK and it sets itself.
| Number | US style | UK style |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | zero | zero |
| 7 | seven | seven |
| 13 | thirteen | thirteen |
| 21 | twenty-one | twenty-one |
| 40 | forty | forty |
| 100 | one hundred | one hundred |
| 101 | one hundred one | one hundred and one |
| 999 | nine hundred ninety-nine | nine hundred and ninety-nine |
| 1,000 | one thousand | one thousand |
| 1,005 | one thousand five | one thousand and five |
| 1,100 | one thousand one hundred | one thousand one hundred |
| 12,345 | twelve thousand three hundred forty-five | twelve thousand three hundred and forty-five |
| 100,000 | one hundred thousand | one hundred thousand |
| 1,000,001 | one million one | one million and one |
| 2,500,750 | two million five hundred thousand seven hundred fifty | two million five hundred thousand seven hundred and fifty |
| 1,000,000,000 | one billion | one billion |
How do you write a check amount in words?
Banks want the whole dollars spelled out and the cents as a fraction of 100. A check for $1,234.56 reads: one thousand two hundred thirty-four dollars and 56/100. If there are no cents, write 00/100, so $250 becomes two hundred fifty dollars and 00/100. Draw a line through any empty space after the words so nobody can add to it.
Choose a currency above and tick check style (cheque style in the UK) to get this format. Without the tick you get the spoken form: one thousand two hundred thirty-four dollars and fifty-six cents. One dollar and one cent come out in the singular, one dollar and one cent, and pounds use pence.
How do you write ordinal numbers in words?
Ordinals change only the last word. The irregular ones are worth memorising: one becomes first, two second, three third, five fifth, eight eighth, nine ninth, twelve twelfth. Numbers ending in y swap it for ieth, so twenty is twentieth and forty is fortieth. Everything else just takes th.
A few results from the tool: 1 is first, 4 is fourth, 11 is eleventh, 21 is twenty-first, 100 is one hundredth. The teens stay regular: 11, 12 and 13 are eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth.
How are decimals and big numbers read?
After the whole part you say "point" and then each digit separately. 4.5 is four point five, and 3.14 is three point one four. Never read the decimals as a whole number, because 3.14 is not three point fourteen. Negative numbers get "negative" in US English and "minus" in UK English.
| Name | Power of ten | Digits in the number |
|---|---|---|
| thousand | 103 | 1,000 |
| million | 106 | 1,000,000 |
| billion | 109 | 1,000,000,000 |
| trillion | 1012 | 1,000,000,000,000 |
| quadrillion | 1015 | 1 followed by 15 zeros |
| decillion | 1033 | 1 followed by 33 zeros |
Billion here means a thousand million. Old British usage once meant a million million, but modern UK English uses the same short scale as the US, and so does this tool.
Indonesian numbers
The Indonesian setting writes terbilang, with its own rules: 11 is sebelas, 100 is seratus and 1,000 is seribu. Rupiah and sen are supported too. The Indonesian page of this tool has a full list of tested examples.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a check amount in words?
Write the dollars in words, then the cents as a fraction over 100. For 1,234.56 that is one thousand two hundred thirty-four and 56/100. Pick the currency and tick check style above to get exactly that.
How do you write 1005 in words?
In US English it is one thousand five. In British English it is usually one thousand and five. Both are correct, so tick or untick the "and" box to match the style you need.
Do you put "and" in numbers in words?
British writing puts "and" after hundreds and before the last small part: one hundred and one. American style leaves it out and keeps "and" for the decimal point or cents. On a check, only use "and" to separate dollars from cents.
How do you write 21st or 42nd in words?
Change the last word of the cardinal: twenty-one becomes twenty-first, forty-two becomes forty-second. Switch the type to Ordinal and the tool handles the irregular ones (first, second, third, fifth, eighth, ninth, twelfth).
How do you write decimals in words?
Say the whole part, then "point", then each digit on its own. 3.14 is three point one four, not three point fourteen. For money, the cents are read as a whole number instead.
How big a number can this convert?
Up to 36 digits, which reaches decillions (10 to the power 33). The digits are handled as exact big integers, so no rounding creeps in at the end of a long number.
Can I convert a whole list of numbers at once?
Yes. Switch to List, paste one number per line and you get every line in words. Download the result as a .txt or as a .csv you can open in a spreadsheet.
Does it work in Indonesian too?
Yes, pick Indonesian for terbilang, including rupiah and sen. 1,000 comes out as seribu and 11 as sebelas, the way Indonesian spelling needs it.