Writer's Web

Using Numbers and Numerals
Amy Addison

Special thanks to Hans Westerbeek, Tilburg University, The Netherlands, for alerting us to a needed update and a minor correction.

These general rules may assist writers struggling to be consistent when expressing numbers in writing. The first rule would be to consult a handbook for a specific field of study. There exist subtle differences between the formats for Modern Language Association, American Psychological Association, and Chicago Manual of Style.

Spell out as words:

Express as numerals:

Exceptions and additional rules:

 

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