When to spell out numbers [duplicate]
Solution 1:
It's all about style and consistency. If you're writing for a specific publication or medium, you should adopt its guidelines. The rules tend, however, to follow the broad guidelines below:
- Small numbers (below twelve) should typically be spelt out.
- For larger numbers, consider the space available to you and the length of the number when spelt out. If you're restricted in space (journal column, letter, headlines, display text, etc.), use numbers.
- If the numbers are round or approximate, they're more likely to be spelt out: “the accidental release resulted in the death of two hundreds”, but “at the end of the day, 137 people lost their life in the explosion”.
- If you are comparing numbers, or describing series of number, spell them out for clarity: “of the 129 units sold in the fourth quarter, 54 were shipped to European countries and 21 were sent to Russia”.
As with anything, the rule ends up being: you are writing to be read, so do what you can to maximise legibility.
Solution 2:
- Spell out numbers one through ten
- Spell out numbers above ten, unless you have to use more than two words
- Always spell out numbers that begin sentences
- However, you should try to avoid using long, clunky numbers at the beginning of a sentence
Use numbers for:
- Dates
- Phone numbers
- Time; except when using "o'clock" or when omitting a.m. or p.m.
From Homeworktips
In addition to the previous, The Bedford Handbook, Seventh Edition, says at 41b
Generally, figures are accepted for dates, addresses, percentages, fractions, decimals, scores, statistics, and other numerical results, exact amounts of money, divisions of books and plays, pages, identification numbers, and the time.