Thread: I Have a Writing Related Question...

Now numbers in writing is something I have always struggled with. I do not want to sound like a noobie or anything, but when you are specifying specific numbers such as; ages, dates, times, numbers (like quantity), do you write out the actual number? Or do you type the number numerically?

In most instances you write it out: seven, seventeen etc
In some cases though, you type it such as in lists of items that are numbered.
Others will give a fuller explanation, I am just heading out...

The general rule I learnt at school donkeys' years ago was that numbers between one and ten, some say nine, are to be spelt out, while numbers higher than ten are to be written with digits. When a number starts a sentence it should always be spelt out.

The way you would write a date depends on context. In a dispatch from the front line the reporter will use 30 June 2011, leaving no room for misunderstanding. In dialogue express dates in a way that would be natural to the speaker, as in 'I'll see you in about a fortnight, around the 14th of July'.

Ah, ok, good information. Yeah I knew though about the list rule. I mean this does not look right (just a random list)
One- blah
Two- Blah
Three-.....

hahahahaha. Ok so thats some good advice... thanks guys

Numbers aren't used in dialogue. Even ones above nine or ten. They're always written out. For instance:

"I will be twenty-seven on Sunday, June fourteenth," said Michael.

One possible exception is years: "He will turn twenty-seven in 2011", said James.

Outside of dialogue, I was taught that all numbers above nine are written in digits.

To add, numbers at the beginning of a sentence are always spelled out.

I tend to spell out 0-100 and powers of ten after that, so a thousand/one thousand, ten thousand, etc, because they are shorter words.

I would not spell out 1,837,999 or even 7,483.

Thanks for this post I have been wondering the same thing myself. My book is full of written and digital numbers. I will take the advice of those here and use digits if the number is over 10.

I ditto Sam's advice. Learned the same thing in school.