EnglishforResearch.com | EnglishforStudents.com
PhraseBook for Writing English
Read more
Download sample pages
Buy online
English Language Editing
Read more
Sending a text
Prices
Numbers
Writing Help from the PhraseBook for Writing Papers and Research in English
Words or figures?
A common rule for writing numbers is to write one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten as words, but larger numbers as figures. As always, you should follow any guidelines for your field or publication.
| Numbers as words |
|---|
| one |
| two |
| three |
| four |
| five |
| six |
| seven |
| eight |
| nine |
| ten |
Compare also the examples below where words are used for approximate amounts, and figures for exact values:
| Approximate and exact |
|---|
| There have been over fifty new cases this year. |
| There have been 54 new cases this year. |
| There are around five thousand new students every year. |
| Last year there were 5023 new students. |
Use figures with abbreviations
| Figures with abbreviations |
|---|
| 3% |
| 6 mm |
| 80 kg |
| 100 km |
Avoid beginning a sentence with a figure
Try to avoid beginning a sentence with a figure, for example:
| Examples |
|---|
| 1 in 10 pregnancies... |
| Better: One in ten pregnancies... |
| 55% of the population... |
| Better: Fifty-five per cent GB or percent US of the population... |
Avoid mixing words and figures
Avoid mixing words and figures in the same sentence, for example:
| Figures and words |
|---|
| Compulsory education in Britain is from five to 16, though some children begin already at age four. |
| Better: Compulsory education in Britain is from 5 to 16, though some children begin already at age 4. |
Values over a million
However, some values over a million, for example currencies, are written as figures and words:
| Examples |
|---|
| GBP 3 million |
| $10 billion |
| 350 million people |
Billion
Beware of ambiguity when reading or writing billion, which though now normally used in British English to mean a thousand million (109) as in American English, also has an earlier meaning of a million million (1012).
Multiples of a thousand
Multiples of a thousand are often indicated by a comma. However, a space is less ambiguous as the comma is used as the decimal symbol in some countries:
| Multiples of a thousand |
|---|
| 3,142 |
| 1,618 |
A common rule in university and research writing is to write three or four figures without commas or spacing, and four or five and more figures with commas or spacing, for example:
| Spacing | Commas |
|---|---|
| 3987 | 3,987 |
| 29 483 | 29,483 |
| 6 728 349 | 6,728,349 |
As always, be consistent throughout your text and follow any guidelines for your subject or publication.
Percentages
The usual British spelling is per cent, the normal US spelling is percent. Again, be consistent in your use of %, per cent and percent:
| Percentages |
|---|
| 10% not ten % |
| 10 per cent GB or percent US |
| ten per cent GB or percent US |
New paperback edition - PhraseBook for Writing Papers and Research in English
Read more
Download sample pages
Buy online
Writing Help
British and American English
Confusing words
English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
Numbers
Possessive
Punctuation
Quotations
Referring to yourself
Helping researchers publish worldwide
Read about our English Language Editing Services for university staff, graduate students and researchers
University bookstore
Visit our store for university books in English, dictionaries, books on research, teaching and more
Send a link to a colleague
Click here to send a link to English for Research to a colleague
EnglishforResearch.com is a trading name of The Whole World Company Limited
PhraseBook for Writing, Helping Researchers Publish Worldwide, EnglishforResearch.com, EnglishforStudents.com and EnglishforSchool.com are worldwide trademarks and/or service marks of The Whole World Company Limited
Copyright (c) 1996-2007 The Whole World Company Limited, Cambridge, CB7 5EQ, England
Incorporated in England. Company registration number 3241673