I recently received an email question about the proper use of numbers in writing, so I thought it might be a good time to discuss it. When I first started writing, the rules were easy–write out numbers nine and under, use numerals for anything higher. It’s not so simple today.
1. Numbers nine and under should be spelled out. One, two, three…you get the idea. And yes, this one is generally accepted by everyone.
2. One-word numbers should be written out. Thirteen, thirty, forty, etc, would be written out. This one isn’t a rule everywhere, but it’s fairly well accepted.
3. Write out the number if it begins a sentence. “Three months ago…” is correct. “3 months ago” isn’t.
4. Write out the word percent. “Fourteen percent of the audience gave positive feedback” or “The return rate was limited to 22 percent.” I found this to be a consistent rule in writing magazine articles. It may not apply to less formal writing.
5. Be clear when writing two numbers next to each other. “We had twenty 17-year-olds” is better than “We had 20 17-year-olds.”
6. With large rounded numbers, include both numerals and words. “The population of the United States is over 311 million.”
7. Spell out simple fractions and include a hyphen. “Three-fourths of the winners were female.”
8. Place a zero in front of a decimal, unless the decimal itself begins with a zero. This helps prevent a misread, if nothing else! “0.62 percent.”
9. When using “o’clock” in a manuscript, always write out the number. “The meeting started at three o’clock.”
10. Don’t use an apostrophe before the “s” when noting decades. Correct: ’60s and ’70s. Incorrect: 60′s and 70′s. Correct: 1960s. Incorrect: 1960′s.
This is certainly not an exhaustive study of using numbers in your writing, but I believe it hits the main questions. And as always, refer to editorial guidelines for the publication you want to write for.
Be sure to check back on Thursday for Writer’s Headlines, where you’ll find lots of writing opportunities collected just for you! And who knows, maybe you’ll get to submit something with some perfectly formatted numbers in it!
I pray God’s blessing as we celebrate the Gift and the Giver!
Vonda
Photo courtesy of happykanppy
