Number to words converter
Type a number or an amount: it’s written out in words as you type, in American and British English, with the rules explained.
American English leaves out “and” (one hundred twenty); British English keeps it (one hundred and twenty). Both are shown when they differ. Everything is worked out in your browser: nothing is sent.
Write any number in words
Type a number and it’s spelled out instantly, with no mistakes. The converter handles:
- whole numbers, from zero to quadrillions, and decimals (3.14: three point one four);
- check amounts in dollars, pounds or euros, with the cents written as a fraction (50/100), the way banks expect;
- ordinals: first, second, twenty-first, one hundredth… with the short form (1st, 21st);
- American and British English, side by side when they differ.
Under the result, the converter lists the rules it applied to your number: where the hyphen goes, when to say “and”, why “hundred” stays singular. One click copies the text. It’s free, with no sign-up, and everything is worked out in your browser.
How to write numbers in words
- Hyphens join the tens and the units from twenty-one to ninety-nine: forty-two, seventy-five. There are no other hyphens: one hundred five, three thousand.
- “And” is the main difference between American and British English. British English says one hundred and twenty, two thousand and five; American English usually leaves it out, and never uses it on a check except before the cents.
- Hundred, thousand, million and billion stay singular after a number: two hundred, five million. The plural only appears without a number: hundreds of people, millions of years.
- Commas between the groups (one million, two hundred thousand) are optional; checks and contracts usually leave them out.
| Number | American English | British English |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | twenty-one | twenty-one |
| 115 | one hundred fifteen | one hundred and fifteen |
| 1,005 | one thousand five | one thousand and five |
| 2,026 | two thousand twenty-six | two thousand and twenty-six |
| 101,000 | one hundred one thousand | one hundred and one thousand |
| 2,500,000 | two million five hundred thousand | two million five hundred thousand |
| 1,000,000,000 | one billion | one billion |
How to write a check amount in words
Choose “Check amount”, type the sum with its cents, and copy the line shown under the result. For $1,280.50, write: One thousand two hundred eighty and 50/100, then “dollars” if it isn’t already printed on the check.
- Start at the far left of the line and capitalize the first word.
- Use “and” only before the cents, which are written as a fraction of 100: 50/100, or 00/100 for a round amount.
- Draw a line through the space left, so nothing can be added.
If the words and the figures don’t match, the bank goes by the words: in the United States, the Uniform Commercial Code says words prevail over numbers. In the UK, cheques usually read Two hundred and fifty pounds only for a round amount, or … pounds and 50p with pence.
Ordinal numbers: first, second, twenty-first
To write a rank, change only the last word: twenty-one becomes twenty-first, one hundred two becomes one hundred second. Most ordinals add -th (fourth, eleventh, hundredth). The exceptions are first, second, third, fifth, eighth, ninth and twelfth, and tens ending in -y, which change to -ieth: twentieth, ninetieth.
In short form, the last two letters follow the last word: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd. 11th, 12th and 13th are the exceptions, and so are 111th, 112th and 113th.
Decimals and negative numbers
Read the whole part as usual, say “point”, then read each digit separately: 3.14 is three point one four, 0.05 is zero point zero five. Negative numbers start with “minus” (or “negative” in math class): minus four. For money, use dollars and cents instead of “point”: $12.50 is twelve dollars and fifty cents.
When should you write numbers in words?
It depends on the style guide. AP style spells out one to nine and uses figures from 10 up; The Chicago Manual of Style spells out zero to one hundred. Both spell out a number at the start of a sentence. Contracts and checks often give the amount in words and in figures, so that one confirms the other.
Need help with a letter?
Once your amount is written out, Nation’s other tools can help:
- Sophie writes your admin letters: cancellations, complaints, refund requests;
- Antoine checks spelling and grammar in your text;
- the word counter counts the words and characters of a text.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 1,000 in words?
One thousand. 1,500 is one thousand five hundred, often said “fifteen hundred” out loud, and 10,000 is ten thousand. Thousand never takes an s after a number.
Do you use “and” when writing numbers in words?
In British English, yes: one hundred and twenty, two thousand and five. In American English, usually not: one hundred twenty. On an American check, “and” only goes before the cents: one hundred twenty and 00/100.
How do you write $1,250.50 on a check?
Write “One thousand two hundred fifty and 50/100” on the amount line, followed by “dollars” if it isn’t printed, then draw a line through the space left. The converter shows this line in “Check amount” mode.
Where does the hyphen go in numbers?
Only between the tens and the units from twenty-one to ninety-nine: thirty-four, eighty-eight. Hundred, thousand and million are never hyphenated: three hundred forty-two.
How do you write 21st in words?
Twenty-first. Only the last word changes: 22nd is twenty-second, 23rd twenty-third, 101st one hundred first (one hundred and first in British English).
Is it forty or fourty?
Forty, without a u, even though it’s four and fourteen. It’s one of the most common spelling mistakes with numbers.
What comes after a trillion?
A quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000), then a quintillion. In English, a billion is a thousand million and a trillion is a thousand billion, in both the US and the UK today.
A letter or form to write?
Sophie AIAdministrative help