Do I need to write [sic] when including a quotation with a number less than 10 that isn't written out?

I know you have to write out numbers less than 10. However, if you're quoting a source that doesn't do so, do you need to write [sic] after each number less than 10 that isn't written out?

For example, should “nationwide, 25.4% of students got 8 or more hours of sleep on an average school night” be written as “nationwide, 25.4% of students got 8 [sic] or more hours of sleep on an average school night”?

I'm using the MLA format.


Solution 1:

No, because whether to write numerals or to spell them out is a point of style, not grammar.

Solution 2:

Are you using a particular style guide that indicates you should do this? Otherwise, no, don't use sic. Using it here would lead the reader to believe that 8 is the wrong number and maybe the author actually meant 10 hours.

In APA format for example, sic is not used with things like British spellings, even if they can't be used outside of quotes.

Actually, it is correct to use the number 8 here instead of the word according to APA, since it refers to an exact quantity of time. See my answer here for more info.

Solution 3:

I'd advise using 'sic' only when the reader might otherwise doubt whether a word or phrase was being quoted correctly.