---
title: Writing numbers
description: How do you to talk about numbers in a report or a press release ? Do you write the actual number or write the number in words? Tips on writing numbers here!
---

[Skip to content](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/writing-numbers#main-content)

[![Target_Logo_ORIGINAL.png](https://hs.targettraining.eu/hs-fs/hubfs/Target_Logo_ORIGINAL.png?width=150&height=46&name=Target_Logo_ORIGINAL.png)](https://www.targettraining.eu/)

Open main navigation

Close main navigation

- [Contact us](https://hs.targettraining.eu/en-gb/contact)

[Contact us](https://hs.targettraining.eu/en-gb/contact)

[All posts](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/all)

 January 21, 2020

# Writing numbers

 By  [George Barse](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/author/george-barse)  ·   1 minute read

\[av\_hr class='invisible' height='25' shadow='no-shadow' position='center' custom\_border='av-border-thin' custom\_width='50px' custom\_border\_color='' custom\_margin\_top='30px' custom\_margin\_bottom='30px' icon\_select='yes' custom\_icon\_color='' icon='ue808' font='entypo-fontello' av\_uid='av-1n967q6'\]

\[av\_two\_third first av\_uid='av-13rcftq'\]**Writing in English is confusing enough, but what do you do when you want to talk about numbers in a report, press release or even on the English version of your company’s website? Do you write the actual number or write the number in words? There are a couple of rules, but the main thing is to remain stylistically consistent throughout. Here are some tips along with examples**:\[/av\_two\_third\]

### \[av\_one\_third av\_uid='av-thutsu'\][![alf](https://hs.targettraining.eu/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/alf-288x300.jpg?width=288&height=300&name=alf-288x300.jpg)](https://hs.targettraining.eu/onep/alf)\[/av\_one\_third\]

### Write out numbers smaller than ten

- I’m taking three days of holiday next week.
- The report I’m reading is 311 pages long.

### Hyphenate the numbers twenty-one to ninety-nine

- We hired fifty-three people in the last fiscal year.

### Use the numeral if discussing measurement, time or proportion

- Our next meeting starts in 15 minutes.
- His plane should land around 7:30 tomorrow morning.
- Our factory is 12 km from the main office.

### When discussing precise numbers, do not spell them out

- The average score on the Azubi’s exams was 88.2.

### Use a hyphen if the number and unit of measurement describe a noun

- A three-meter section of piping needed to be replaced.

### You might have to use both numbers and words when the numbers are consecutive

- Our incoming class of Azubis includes 14 twenty-year-old men.

### **Use numerals for years and dates**

- Our company was founded in 1883.
- Our next convention is on 5 May 2016.

### Try to avoid starting sentences with numbers, but if you do, spell them out, unless it’s a year

- Seven hundred and fifty-liters of paint were delivered to the wrong address.

### Numerals are also best when talking about sums of money

- We had over €3.4 million in sales last quarter.
- The cost was €1.20 per unit.

Some other stylistic points are writing *noon* instead of *12 pm* in order to avoid confusion and to use numerals for fractions (unless they start a sentence). What difficulties have you run into when writing numbers? Let us know in the comments section below.

 

Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/writing-numbers) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/writing-numbers) [twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/writing-numbers) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/writing-numbers) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/writing-numbers)

## Related posts

[![Virtual Team Teleconferences](https://hs.targettraining.eu/hubfs/raw_assets/public/@marketplace/Drive_Web_Studio/Accelerator/images/img-blog-card-default.png)](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/virtual-team-teleconferences-2)

[Business English](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/tag/business-english)

### [Virtual Team Teleconferences](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/virtual-team-teleconferences-2)

[![Networking Successfully: 5 Quick Tips](https://hs.targettraining.eu/hubfs/raw_assets/public/@marketplace/Drive_Web_Studio/Accelerator/images/img-blog-card-default.png)](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/networking-successfully-5-quick-tips)

[networking](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/tag/networking)

### [Networking Successfully: 5 Quick Tips](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/networking-successfully-5-quick-tips)

[![Teleconference Tips and Phrases](https://hs.targettraining.eu/hubfs/raw_assets/public/@marketplace/Drive_Web_Studio/Accelerator/images/img-blog-card-default.png)](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/teleconference-tips-and-phrases)

[Business English](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/tag/business-english)

### [Teleconference Tips and Phrases](https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/teleconference-tips-and-phrases)

Copyright © 2026, Target Training GmbH

### Training you to succeed globally

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Article",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : [ "George Barse" ],
    "url" : "https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/author/george-barse"
  },
  "datePublished" : "2015-07-08T12:00:14+0000",
  "description" : "How do you to talk about numbers in a report or a press release ? Do you write the actual number or write the number in words? Tips on writing numbers here!",
  "headline" : "Writing numbers",
  "image" : "",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/455190/Target_Logo_ORIGINAL.png"
    },
    "name" : "Target Training GmbH"
  },
  "url" : "https://hs.targettraining.eu/training-business/writing-numbers"
}
```