When to Spell Numbers and When to Use Numerals

The rules for writing numbers are very flexible. Such rules mainly depend on the regional variety of English language. However, it is essential to point out several useful guidelines that are quite universal:

1. Always spell small, one-word numbers (eight, ten, and twenty) in the body or title of your article.
2. Use digit for large numbers (1985 or 2015).
3. When referring to a monetary amount, use a currency sign before the number, and, if necessary, use decimal comas ($ 5,200.30).
4. Spell numerals when referring to time, especially precise timetables, such as 19:05 train / flight.
5. It is possible to use either numerals or spelled out words for decades – i.e., 80s or eighties.
6. Use digits for dates, such as June 27^th, 2015.
7. Use words for rounded numbers, i.e. ‘approximately five thousand’; and use figures for precise numbers, i.e. 5,006.
8. If you have two numbers next to each other, spell out the first one (two 80-years old men).
9. It is recommended to spell ordinal numbers, especially in the body of your article (the second, the third).
10. In legal document, both forms are used to express clarity and to avoid fraud or confusion i.e., Tom Inherited $ 1,500,000.00 – One million five hundred thousand dollars)