With numbers and lists, consistency is key. You can use our style guide to keep number and list styles consistent across your site. These are the main styles that occur on the web. Refer to our full editorial style guide for more rules on numbers and lists.
Use numerals for 10 or more. Spell out fractions and numbers that are less than 10. For round figures greater than 999,999, use million or billion after the initial numeral(s). For more precise numbers, use all numerals. Use commas in 1,000 and above.
Two; two-thirds; 20; 200; 2,000; 23,456; 200,000; 2 million; 2.8 billion; 234,500,000
Exception: SAT scores (e.g., a combined score of 1200)
In general, spell out ordinals, space permitting. Always spell out ordinals from first to ninth. Ordinals in course titles are usually spelled out as well.
Twentieth century, Topics in Nineteenth-Century Literature; one hundred seventy-fifth Commencement
Maintain consistency among items of the same category within each sentence. Generally, if any number of the group has a value of 10 or more, use all numerals.
She read 4 of the 14 required books in just two weeks.
Often, however, it’s more congenial to spell out the number one.
We’re one of the top 15 schools in that ranking.
Use numbers when referring to percentages and dates.
5 percent; 0.66 percent; a March 14, 2014 deadline
Spell out all numbers that begin a sentence.
Sixteen credit hours of composition are required for a degree in liberal arts.
A liberal arts degree requires 16 hours of composition.
Spell out numbered streets from First Street through Twelfth Street. Numerals are usually used for streets with higher numbers.
Third Street, Tenth Street, 17th Street
Use numerals in all cases. We usually omit the colon and zeroes for on-the-hour times. Use periods for a.m. and p.m. and lowercase rather than small capitals.
9 a.m.; 11:15 p.m.; noon; midnight; 3–4:30 p.m. or 3 to 4:30 p.m.; 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
Capitalize the first letter of the first word of every item in a list. End each item with a period if at least one item is a full sentence.
To determine whether you are eligible for these funds, the first step is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Omit the period if the list items are sentence fragments.
They include:
