Quick answer: Numbers are read in groups. The international system uses thousand, million, billion and trillion, while the South Asian system uses thousand, lakh (100,000) and crore (10,000,000). 1,250.75 in dollars is “One thousand two hundred fifty dollars and seventy-five cents”, and 12,345,678 is “one crore twenty-three lakh forty-five thousand six hundred seventy-eight”.
Cheques, invoices, contracts and legal documents often need the amount written out in words as well as in figures, so it cannot be changed unnoticed. Writing a long number correctly by hand is where mistakes happen. Type the number here and get the words instantly.
Pick a currency to get a proper money sentence, such as “One thousand two hundred fifty dollars and seventy-five cents”, or choose plain number for the text only. Readers in South Asia can switch to the lakh and crore system used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
How numbers are written in words
Numbers are read in groups. In the international system each group has three digits: thousand, million, billion, trillion. In the South Asian system the first group has three digits and the rest have two: thousand, lakh (100,000), crore (10,000,000), arab and kharab.
10,000,000 = ten million = one crore
1,000,000,000 = one billion = one hundred crore = one arab
Numbers from 21 to 99 are hyphenated (twenty-one). This tool uses American style, with no “and” after hundred, so 123 is “one hundred twenty-three”. For money, the decimal part is read as the smaller unit: cents, pence or paise. Amounts with more than two decimals are rounded to two. You can enter up to 15 digits before the decimal point, and commas in the input are ignored.
A worked example
Example. 1,250.75 in dollars reads “One thousand two hundred fifty dollars and seventy-five cents”. In the South Asian system, 12,345,678 is “One crore twenty-three lakh forty-five thousand six hundred seventy-eight”, while the international system says “twelve million three hundred forty-five thousand six hundred seventy-eight”.
Large numbers in two systems
| Number | International system | South Asian system |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | one thousand | one thousand |
| 100,000 | one hundred thousand | one lakh |
| 1,000,000 | one million | ten lakh |
| 10,000,000 | ten million | one crore |
| 100,000,000 | one hundred million | ten crore |
| 1,000,000,000 | one billion | one arab (one hundred crore) |
The same value has different names depending on the numbering system.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing the two systems. One million is ten lakh, and one crore is ten million, so check which system your reader expects.
- Leaving a cheque amount open at the end. Adding “only” after the words makes it harder to add extra words afterwards.
- Writing decimals as fractions on a form that expects words for the smaller unit. Money amounts are read as cents, pence or paise.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write an amount in words on a cheque?
Write the whole amount in words, followed by the currency, and cents or paise as words or a fraction. Adding “only” at the end, as this tool can do, stops anyone adding extra words after it.
What is the difference between a lakh and a million?
A lakh is 100,000 and a million is 1,000,000, so a million is ten lakh. A crore is 10,000,000, which is ten million.
Does it handle decimals and negative numbers?
Yes. Decimals are read digit by digit (“point four five”) in plain mode, or as cents or paise in currency mode. Negative numbers begin with “minus”.
What is the largest number it can convert?
Numbers with up to 15 digits before the decimal point, which is up to 999 trillion in the international system.
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Sources and further reading
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