How to write numbers in words, for cheques, invoices and contracts

5 min read

On a cheque, an invoice or a contract, the amount is often written in words as well as digits, so that a mistake or a change in one can be spotted in the other. Getting the words right is easy once you know the pattern.

The basic building blocks

English numbers up to nineteen each have their own word: one, two, three through to nineteen. After that the tens words come in: twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty and ninety.

Numbers from 21 to 99 that are not round tens are written with a hyphen between the tens word and the ones word: twenty-one, forty-five, ninety-nine.

Hundreds, thousands and millions

Say how many hundreds, then the rest. 342 is three hundred forty-two. Many people in the United Kingdom, Australia and elsewhere add “and” after the hundreds: three hundred and forty-two. Both are understood, so follow the style of your readers.

Larger numbers repeat the pattern in groups of three digits. 1,250,000 is one million two hundred fifty thousand. A billion is one thousand million in all modern English.

Writing a cheque amount

On a cheque, the amount in words is the legally important part. In US style, 1,234.56 is written as: One thousand two hundred thirty-four and 56/100. In British style, it is: One thousand two hundred and thirty-four pounds and fifty-six pence.

Start writing at the far left of the line and draw a line through any spare space afterwards, so nobody can add extra words. Words such as “only” at the end are common in many countries.

Decimals and cents

In plain numbers, digits after the decimal point are read one by one, so 3.05 is three point zero five. In money, the decimal part is the smaller currency unit: .50 is fifty cents, fifty pence or 50/100 depending on the country.

South Asian grouping

In India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal, large numbers use lakh (100,000) and crore (10,000,000). The number 1,250,000 is twelve lakh fifty thousand. The number-to-words tool supports both styles, so you can choose the one your readers use.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the hyphen in numbers such as forty-two.
Mixing styles, such as adding “and” in some places but not others.
Writing “hundred” in the plural after a number, as in “three hundreds”. It stays singular.
Leaving room on a cheque line for extra words to be added.
Writing digits and words that do not match. If they differ, the words are usually treated as the correct amount, so check carefully.

Using the converter

Type the number or amount into the number to words converter, pick English or Bangla, choose international or lakh and crore grouping, and copy the words. Money mode writes an amount the way it appears on a cheque, and you can change the currency names. Nothing you type is uploaded.

Always read the result against the original figure before you use it on anything official.