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RULES TO DEAL WITH NUMBERS

Figure Style – Consistency

1. Spell out numbers 1 through 10.  Use figures above 10.

2. Treat related numbers in a sentence the same way.  If any are above 10, put them all in figures.

Beginning Number – Ordinals

1. Spell out numbers that begin a sentence.  If the number is large, reword the sentence so that the number appears later in the sentence.  

2. Spell out most ordinals (first, second, etc.) except in dates.

Commas in Number – Percents

1. If a number contains four or more digits, use a comma to separate thousands, millions, or higher.  

2. For even millions, billions or higher use the following style:

   Examples:

25 million

3 billion

3. Use figures for percentages and spell out the word percent (one word).

                5 percent

Serial Numbers – No.

1. Do not use commas in large serial numbers.  No. may be used for the word number.  
2. Examples:
   1. No. 12876
   2. Stock No. 8102
3. The word number may be omitted if the meaning is clear.  Flight 181

Hyphenated Numbers

1. Hyphenate spelled-out numbers between 21 and 99.  
   1. Example:  twenty-five.
2. Do not hyphenate other parts of a spelled-out number over 100.
   1. Example:  Three hundred thousand.

Fractions

1. Spell out most fractions that stand alone.

2. Separate the elements with a hyphen.  

   Example:  three-quarters

Mixed Numbers

Mixed numbers (whole numbers and fractions together) are expressed in figures.

1. Spell out a mixed number that begins a sentence. 
2. Hyphenate the fractional element.

Ages

1. Express ages in figures when they are used as significant statistics.

2. Spell out ordinals (first, second, etc.) in reference to birthdays or anniversaries except for special emphasis or when more than two words would be needed.  

Examples:

twenty-first birthday      

150th anniversary

Adjacent Numbers

Example:  four 3-room apartments

However, if the second number would make a significantly shorter word, spell it out and express the first in figures.  

Example:    500 two-page circulars

Addresses

1. Use figures in house numbers.  Do not use commas. 

2. Spell out streets numbered First through Tenth. 

3. Use figures for street numbers over 10.  Omit th, st or d if a word such as East precedes the street.               

4. Spell out Street, Avenue, and Drive.  

5. Spell out North, Southeast, etc. except when they follow a street name.

Money

1. Use figures to express amounts of money.
2. Do not use a decimal or zeros for even dollars ($50) in narrative.  
3. Use the word cents in amounts less than $1.
4. When amounts over and under $1 appear in the same sentence, use the style in the following example:

   •  Please give $1 to San, $2 to Joan and $.49 for Lou.  (Be consistent)

5. For money in even millions, billions or higher, use the following style:  $25 million  $5 billion
6. Within a sentence, however, use one style only. 

Time

1. Use figures with a.m. and p.m.
2. Type a.m. and p.m. in small letters with no space after the first period.

3. Do not use a colon and zeros for time “on the hour.”    5 p.m.

4. Use figures with "o'clock."

5. Spell out the time “on the hour” if a.m., p.m. or o’clock is not used.

6.  The words noon and midnight may be used alone or with the figure 12. 

Dates

1. Write the day of the month and the year in figures.
2. If the day follows the month, do not use th, st or d.
3. When a date is stated as above, use commas before and after the year.
4. If the month follows the day or if no month is included, use th, st or d.

©Division of Business, Economics & Mathematics, WVUP, 2011.  Updated 06/05/2012 .  Division Chair:  Steve.Morgan@mail.wvu.edu ;Business Division Office:  Lauriel.Edwards@mail.wvu.edu
Web Page Contact:  pam.braden@mail.wvu.edu West Virginia University at Parkersburg