How to use it
- Type a number: 1234.56, 1,234,567 or −45. Commas as thousands separators are fine.
- Copy the words with the Copy button.
- For a check, turn on Check amount in dollars (two decimal places at most) and, if you like, Capital first letter.
How numbers are spelled
- The number is split into groups of three digits: billions, millions, thousands and the rest. Each group is written as hundreds, tens and ones, followed by its scale word.
- Groups that are zero are skipped: 2,000,001 is “two million one”.
- Twenty-one to ninety-nine are hyphenated; there is no “and” after hundred (American style).
- Negative numbers start with “minus”. After the decimal point each digit is read separately.
The number is processed as text, digit by digit, so 0.1 stays 0.1 and is never turned into 0.1000000000000000055.
Worked example
1,234.56 → one thousand two hundred thirty-four point five six.
In check mode, 1,234.50 → One thousand two hundred thirty-four and 50/100 dollars.
Tips
- On a check, draw a line after the words to the end of the field so nothing can be added.
- The words and the figures on a check should match; if they differ, banks generally go by the words.
- In formal writing, numbers from one to ninety-nine are often spelled out and larger ones written in figures. Style guides differ, so follow the one you are asked to use.