English Numerals - Whether To Use Digits or Words

Whether To Use Digits or Words

According to most copy editors and English teachers, the numbers zero to nine inclusive should be "written out" – meaning instead of "1" and "2", one would write "one" and "two".

Example: "I have two apples." (Preferred)

Example: "I have 2 apples."

After "nine", one can head straight back into the 10, 11, 12, etc., although some write out the numbers until "twelve".

Example: "I have 28 grapes." (Preferred)

Example: "I have twenty-eight grapes."

Another common usage is to write out any number that can be expressed as one or two words, and use figures otherwise.

Examples:

"There are six million dogs." (Preferred)

"There are 6,000,000 dogs."

"That is one hundred twenty-five oranges."

"That is 125 oranges." (Preferred)

Numbers at the beginning of a sentence should also be written out.

The above rules are not always used. In literature, larger numbers might be spelled out. On the other hand, digits might be more commonly used in technical or financial articles, where many figures are discussed. In particular, the two different forms should not be used for figures that serve the same purpose; for example, it is inelegant to write, "Between day twelve and day 15 of the study, the population doubled."