Many writers get confused when it comes to expressing numbers in their writing. But, it’s actually pretty easy to find out
where to use figures (digits) and where to use numbers in words (letters). Once you know the secret behind this, you will be able to create striking copy.
Here are some rules to follow and you’ll hit a bull’s eye when it comes to writing numbers and
numerals.
First and foremost, let’s find how numbers are different from numerals. A number is an abstract concept while a numeral is an icon utilized to articulate that abstract concept. It’s simple as the difference between a person and his name. “One”, “1″ and “I” are all symbols used to express the same number.
Some wordsmiths follow this rule while writing numbers. They say that any one-word number should be expressed in letters while, any two-word number should be written in figures / digits. For instance, you should write out “eleven” not “11” and “21” not “twenty-one”.
If English would have been a writer’s virtual kingdom, comma could have been a messiah. It is the best separator, used while making lengthy
sentences. It makes these lengthy sentences easy to read. Hence, it is recommended to use commas while writing a large numeral figure. So, while writing about the total size of Russia, we should use 17,075,200 km² instead of 17075200 km².
For day to day writing or for writing facts where you want to share your special recipe with others, you can use figures, like “10% of the audience” or “Add 2 cups of water”. But, in formal writing, you should make sure that percentage should be spelled out like “According to the survey, 10 percent of the target audience agree with Media”.
Rewrite your sentences if they have numerals at the beginning. If your sentence reads “800 plus civilians were killed by the terrorists.” we can rewrite it as “Terrorists killed over 800 civilians.”
Writing “5 10-year-olds” is confusing, so write “five 10-year-olds”. Small numbers should be spelled out. If numbers less than ten won’t be spelt out, your writing will appear like an instant message.
Rough calculations or approximations are written as a numeral plus a word like “About 400 million people speak French natively,” instead of “About 400,000,000 people speak French natively”. Don’t make any obvious statement before making your facts clear!
Just remember these rules, and I am sure, you’ll surely be a numero uno in the world of writing!