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Writing numbers in words follows strict rules in British English that differ slightly from American English. The most notable difference is the use of "and" after hundreds, which is standard in the UK but often omitted in American writing.
The numbers one through nineteen each have unique names that must be memorised. There is no pattern shortcut for this group:
| Number | Word | Number | Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | one | 11 | eleven |
| 2 | two | 12 | twelve |
| 3 | three | 13 | thirteen |
| 4 | four | 14 | fourteen |
| 5 | five | 15 | fifteen |
| 6 | six | 16 | sixteen |
| 7 | seven | 17 | seventeen |
| 8 | eight | 18 | eighteen |
| 9 | nine | 19 | nineteen |
| 10 | ten | 20 | twenty |
The tens are: twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety. Notice "forty" (not "fourty") and "fifty" (not "fivety"). Compound numbers from 21–99 use a hyphen: twenty-one, thirty-two, forty-five, ninety-nine.
Hundreds follow the pattern: [digit] hundred [and] [remainder].
British English Rule: Always include "and" between the hundreds and the remaining digits. This is correct British usage: "three hundred and forty-two". American English often omits the "and".
Thousands follow the pattern: [thousands group] thousand [hundreds group].
Notice: when the remainder after "thousand" is less than 100, British English uses "and": "one thousand and fifty" (not "one thousand fifty").
In the United Kingdom, a billion means one thousand million (10⁹ = 1,000,000,000), which is the same as in American English. This became standard in UK usage during the late 20th century. Previously, the British billion was one million million (10¹²), but this "long scale" usage is now obsolete in everyday British English.
When writing a cheque, precision is essential. Follow these rules:
Cheque Example: £1,247.50 = "one thousand two hundred and forty-seven pounds and fifty pence only"
Contracts, legal papers, and formal correspondence typically require numbers to be spelled out, sometimes with the numeral in parentheses for clarity. For example: "The sum of five thousand pounds (£5,000) shall be paid within thirty (30) days." This reduces the risk of misreading or fraudulent alteration. Numbers at the start of a sentence must always be spelled out: never begin a sentence with a numeral.
Ordinal numbers express position or rank. They are derived from cardinal numbers:
For amounts of currency in British English:
Large numbers in British English (current standard, short scale):
| Numeral | Words |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | one thousand |
| 10,000 | ten thousand |
| 100,000 | one hundred thousand |
| 1,000,000 | one million |
| 1,000,000,000 | one billion |
| 1,000,000,000,000 | one trillion |
One thousand. In British English, 1,000 is simply "one thousand" with no additional words. However, 1,001 is "one thousand and one" — the "and" is added when there is a non-zero remainder after the thousands group that is less than one hundred.
Yes, "and" is used in two positions in British English: (1) after hundreds when followed by a smaller number — "one hundred and five"; (2) when a number less than 100 follows thousands — "one thousand and fifty". This differs from American English, which typically omits "and" in both cases.
Write the full amount in words starting from the left of the line: "two hundred and fifty pounds and thirty-three pence only". Key rules: use hyphens for compound numbers (twenty-one), include "and" after hundreds, state pence explicitly, write "only" at the end to prevent fraud, and draw a line through any remaining blank space after the words.
One million. 1,000,000 = one million. 1,500,000 = one million five hundred thousand. 2,750,000 = two million seven hundred and fifty thousand. In the UK, a billion is one thousand million (1,000,000,000), which is the same as in the US — this is the short scale system now used as standard in modern British English.
In formal and legal documents, always spell out numbers for: amounts of money in contracts, quantities in legal agreements, numbers at the start of a sentence, and numbers in formal correspondence. A common approach is to write both: "five thousand pounds (£5,000)". For ordinal numbers in dates, both "5th March" and "the fifth of March" are acceptable in formal British writing.
Cardinal numbers answer "how many" and are used for counting: one, two, three, four. Ordinal numbers answer "which one" or "in what position" and indicate rank or sequence: first, second, third, fourth. Cardinal numbers are used for quantities ("I have three books"), while ordinal numbers indicate positions ("I finished in third place" or "the third of March").
For UK legal documents, write the amount in full: "the sum of one thousand two hundred and fifty pounds and seventy-five pence (£1,250.75)". Including both the written form and the numeral in brackets reduces ambiguity. For large amounts, be precise: "ten million pounds sterling (£10,000,000)". Always use "pounds sterling" in international contracts to distinguish from other currencies.