Spell out a number in English words — useful for cheques and contracts. Enter a number.
Usage Tip
On a cheque, write the words to match the figures exactly; the words are what legally counts if the two disagree.
Decimals are read digit by digit after the point
English groups digits in threes, each group named by its scale.
Decimals are read digit by digit after the word point.
Negative numbers are prefixed with the word negative.
Writing a number out in words is a requirement on cheques, contracts, and legal documents, where the written amount protects against alterations or misreadings of the digits. This converter turns a number into standard English words, including the hyphenated tens such as forty-two.
Conventions vary slightly between regions. For example, whether to include the word and before the final part of a number differs between American and British usage, and large number names such as billion have had different meanings in different countries. Check the style your document or bank requires before copying the result.
The number 1,250 is written as one thousand two hundred fifty, and 21 is written twenty-one with a hyphen. On a US cheque the cents are usually written as a fraction, so 125.45 becomes one hundred twenty-five and 45/100 dollars. British style often adds the word and, as in one hundred and five.
Always re-read the written amount against the figures before signing. If the two disagree on a cheque, banks generally treat the written words as the amount to pay, which is why the words matter. Very large numbers should be checked against the naming convention your recipient expects.