Number to words converter
Spell out a number as cardinal, ordinal or check text.
- 17 languages supported
- Ordinal and check-writing formats
- Updates as you type
How to convert a number to words
- Type a number.
- Pick cardinal, ordinal, or check-writing currency.
- Read the spelled-out result.
Why checks spell out the amount
A check has the amount written twice: once in digits and once in words. Banks treat the written words as the controlling amount if the two ever disagree, since a digit is easy to alter with a stray pen stroke while a spelled-out amount is much harder to change unnoticed.
The same reasoning shows up in contracts and legal filings, where a dollar figure is often followed by its spelled-out form in parentheses for the same fraud-resistance reason. Type 87.25 and pick the check-writing format here and it reads "eighty-seven dollars and twenty-five cents", the exact wording a bank expects on the amount line.
Cardinal and ordinal, worked
Cardinal numbers count (one, two, three); ordinals rank (first, second, third). Type 3,847 in cardinal format and it reads "three thousand eight hundred forty-seven". Switch to ordinal and type 101 and it reads "one hundred first", the position rather than the quantity.
| Number | Cardinal | Ordinal |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | twenty-one | twenty-first |
| 100 | one hundred | one hundredth |
| 1,000 | one thousand | one thousandth |
| 1,234 | one thousand two hundred thirty-four | - |
| 1,000,000 | one million | one millionth |
Ordinals follow the usual English pattern of adding "th", except for numbers ending in 1, 2 or 3, which become "st", "nd" or "rd" instead (first, second, third, twenty-first, ninety-second).
How English groups large numbers
English splits a long number into groups of three digits, each with its own name: thousand, then million, then billion, and so on. This is the short scale, the counting system used in the US and in most English-language writing today.
Take 123,456,789. Read from the left, each group of three digits gets its scale word: 123 million, 456 thousand, and 789 on its own. Spelled out in full, that is "one hundred twenty-three million four hundred fifty-six thousand seven hundred eighty-nine", the same grouping the comma placement already hints at in digit form.
Where number to words comes up
- Writing checks, where the bank reads the spelled-out amount as final.
- Legal contracts and invoices that state a figure in both digits and words.
- Teaching kids ordinal numbers (first, second, third) versus counting numbers.
- Generating text for a document or spreadsheet in a language other than English.
Number to words FAQ
How do I write a check amount in words?
Type the amount, like 1234.56, and pick the currency format. It reads as "one thousand two hundred thirty-four dollars and fifty-six cents".
What is an ordinal number?
An ordinal shows position, like first, second or forty-second, instead of quantity. Pick the ordinal format and type a whole number of 1 or more.
Can I spell out numbers in another language?
Yes. Pick a language from the dropdown and the same number is spelled out using that language's number words.
Does it handle decimals?
In cardinal format, a decimal like 4.5 reads as "four point five". Ordinal numbers must be whole numbers.
Can I spell out negative numbers?
Yes, in cardinal and currency format. A minus sign is read as "minus" before the number.
How many languages are supported?
17: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Indonesian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Polish, Dutch, Russian, Ukrainian, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Arabic.
What does 1st, 2nd, 3rd look like spelled out?
First, second and third. After that most English ordinals just add "th", like eleventh and one hundredth, except for numbers ending in 1, 2 or 3 (twenty-first, ninety-second, forty-third).
Why would I need a number spelled out at all?
Legal documents, checks and contracts often require the written form alongside the digits, since the words are harder to alter than digits and are treated as controlling if the two ever disagree.