Numbers and Figures

Numbers

Spell out cardinal and ordinal numbers one through nine. Use numerals for numbers 10 and above.  

• Three, third, nine, 10, 15th, 93, 100

Letters in ordinal numbers should not appear as superscripts (e.g., 122nd, not 122^nd).

The same rules apply to round numbers in the millions and billions.  

• eight billion, 10 million people, 140 million people

Use numerals in scores, court decisions, and legislative votes (with an en dash).  

• a 7–5 victory, a 5–4 ruling, a Senate vote of 34–23

Spell out imprecise numbers.  

• More than a thousand UMass students are studying abroad.

Ages

For ages, always use figures. If the age is used as an adjective or as a substitute for a noun, then it should be hyphenated. Do not use apostrophes when describing an age range.  

• A 21-year-old student.
• The student is 21 years old.
• The girl, 8, has a brother, 11.
• The contest is for 18-year-olds.
• He is in his 20s.

Currency

When referring to money, use numerals. For cents or amounts of $1 million or more, spell the words cents, million, billion, trillion, etc.  

• $26.52
• $100,200
• $8 million
• 6 cents

Percent

The spelled-out “percent” is preferred in printed publications, although % may be used on webpages, in data tables, or in lists.

Always use numerals in front of the word “percent” unless the number begins a sentence.

• There is a 7 percent solution. (not seven percent)
• Seven percent of zero is still zero.

Ranking

Use No. as the abbreviation for number to indicate position or rank:  

• UMass Amherst is ranked the No. 1 public research university in New England.