Numbers

edfrzr · Jan 4, 2006

Someone give me some good advice on the "writing" of numbers. For example, should it be $2 million dollars, two million dollars or $2,000,000. I've been told that if it takes more than 2 words to say, then write it out, but I've also been told that anything over 100 should be written out etc.

Its all very confusing.

Thank you

maestrowork · Jan 4, 2006

Usually you write out the numbers if they're smaller than 100. But it depends. If your style is casual/contemporary, you could write out all the numbers: 1, 2, 3, etc. If your style is formal/historical, write out the numbers.

It's $2 million. Not $2 million dollars. Do NOT write $2,000,000 -- don't make your readers work too hard.

Just be consistent. Don't write out a 1 in one sentence, then "one" in the other.

reph · Jan 4, 2006

Definitely not $2 million dollars; that amounts to saying "dollars" twice, once with a sign and once with a word.

In dialogue, at least, "two million dollars" makes more sense because it sounds like what a person would say.

Each publisher has its own set of guidelines for handling numbers. If you can find out which style book prevails, follow that one.

Sage · Jan 4, 2006

I generally write out the number if it's a single word (one to twenty, for example). But once you're getting into double or triple digits, I'd use numerals. For "million," I would definitely write it out. Although, with dollars, all those extra zeros impress people sometimes

Jamesaritchie · Jan 4, 2006

I always write out the numbers for dialopgue. It's impossible to say $2,000,000. We speak words, not numbers. For narrative in fiction I use numbers only when there's an actual number on something. But no one, whether in dialogue or narrative, san actually speak a number.

In nonfiction, where there is no one speaking, I use numbers.

Numbers

edfrzr

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

reph

Fig of authority

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

Jamesaritchie